Plan or react on returns?

[J011yroger]

Do you try to figure out where your opponent is going to serve?

Do you think ahead of time where you will return the ball if it is served to a specific location?

Do you plan the type of shot you will hit (Block, drive, slice, dip) before the ball is struck?

Do you decide to run around before the serve is hit?

Do you just concentrate, and react to whatever comes?

J

[Bergboy123]

Typically I react unless it's a second serve that I consciously plan to run-around and go for a forehand, normally on break point or 30 all. I usually miss though, I just struggle with trying to turn a return into an attacking shot So I try to stand on/right behind the baseline and react for a deep return.

[dizzlmcwizzl]

I react ... but I am actively working on picking up on the physical ques from my opponents. If I could develop the skill of knowing the placement and spin earlier, then I could make a plan on the toss.

[LeeD]

Both..
I plan on how high the ball is going to be.
I plan on topspin or slice depending on my confidence level.
I plan what to do in case a body shot is coming.
I plan to move my butt somewhat forwards on all returns except body shots.
I react to how far the ball is from my reach and to what side.

[OrangePower]

A bit of both.

Usually when I am getting ready to receive I have something in mind that I want to try if I get the chance; maybe take a crack down the line if the serve is wide, or dipper and follow it in, or maybe a lob, and so on. Then when the serve comes if I have time and I'm in position then I try what I had in mind, but if not time or out of position than I just react.

Also sometimes the plan from the get-go is just to react... when I decide up-front to take the serve early and return from halfway between baseline and service line.

[OHBH]

I mostly plan. If a player has a big serve I will usually back up to give myself time to direct the return where I want it. I'm always want my opponent to hit that second ball from their weaker wing or on the stretch. I don't see too many big servers though.

[floridatennisdude]

I plan on reacting. Then I react to that plan.

Other times I just plan on having a plan. That is usually followed by reactions to the reaction I was surprised by.

Then I call an injury TO and talk to myself for a couple minutes. Usually asking myself what Cindy would do.

Then I lose.

[J_R_B]

I try to plan which way I'm going to hit the return (e.g. forehand crosscourt, bh down the line or something like that), but mostly I have to react. I try to take returns early inside the baseline if possible, so there's necessarily going to be a lot of reaction.

[tdhawks]

I try to plan as well. However, my reaction isn't always the greatest! Once I get a feel for the guy I'm playing, I can usually judge his serve well enough to plan my return.

[axel89]

i react figuring out your opponents serve is nice but it loses me more points then wins me at this point in my career

[VeeSe]

react at first, plan after getting used to the serve. I won't plan down to the detail, as there are too many things to predict, but it usually goes like this: I'm gonna return to his backhand side no matter if it's a forehand or backhand return. If I have time, I'll try to get it closer to the line. If it's too fast, I ditch the whole plan and just try to get it back, but I usually only plan on 2nd serves, which rarely surprise me.

[J011yroger]

Originally Posted by floridatennisdude

I plan on reacting. Then I react to that plan.

Other times I just plan on having a plan. That is usually followed by reactions to the reaction I was surprised by.

Then I call an injury TO and talk to myself for a couple minutes. Usually asking myself what Cindy would do.

Then I lose.

Epic post.

J

[Cindysphinx]

Originally Posted by floridatennisdude

I plan on reacting. Then I react to that plan.

Other times I just plan on having a plan. That is usually followed by reactions to the reaction I was surprised by.

Then I call an injury TO and talk to myself for a couple minutes. Usually asking myself what Cindy would do.

Then I lose.

The reason you lose is because you skipped a step.

You have to plan to react to your reaction plan.

[Relinquis]

I feel it...
Eyes closed...
Body relaxed...
Senses heightened...
Take in the idling silence of the crowd...
Can feel the weight of the air on my brow as opponent tosses the ball up...
It's thick with moisture and the smell of dirt, sweat and competition...
Hear the swoosh of his racquet through the air, the thwack sound of impact...
Heart calm, can feel the ball travel across the net...
Body moving into position...
Limbs loose, but movement coordinated, weight falling into the court...
Ball Bounces!
Eyes Open! Wide-Squint-focused!
Body Coiled!! Expression grimaced!!!
Swooooosh!!! .... Thwuwapoookk!!! Winner down the line!!





Credits roll across the screen, i put down the controller, turn the PS3 off and head to the courts to practice...

[Rjtennis]

I'll occasionally plan on going down the line/crosscourt but I otherwise react. Its tought for me to plan when my opponent is mixing up the placement of his serve.I do try to guess where my opponent is serving, though that is just an attempt to get a jump on the serve and get it back into play. The only thing i mostly plan is running around serves because I take a couple of steps to my left shortly after the ball is tossed so I can get a clean look.

[polytheist]

I find that keeping an open mind and just reacting does better for me. When i plan it usually compromises the return.

[dcdoorknob]

Facing a good 1st serve, I'm mostly reacting, but still paying attention to which serve(s) are giving me the most trouble and trying to improve my returns of those if possible.

2nd serves (or mediocre to weak 1st serves), I'm pretty much planning. I'll decide where I'm going to hit the return, how I'm going to hit it (drive, slice, etc), and if I'm coming in behind it, before the serve is struck.

[LuckyR]

In singles I concentrate more on the depth than the angle. In doubles, which I play a lot more of, there is a huge part of the court that you shouldn't hit into, unless you are planning to hit there (where the netman can get it). So it takes less thought. Of course if you are playing a team with a lot of poaching, which is not that common, then you will have to start to try to outguess the netman, which takes planning, by definition.

[Relinquis]

i usually plan where i want to hit the ball and then react the serve.

1st Serves:
i also usually expect people to serve to my backhand on first serves, so i plan on returning with that grip and then react accordingly (changing grips if the serve is to my forehand).

2nd Serves:
If the server has a weak one, then i'll hit an inside out forehand or backhand, depending on which side of the court. I'll hit cross court and hard.

If the server has a good one, i'll return as I do the 1st serve.

[onehandbh]

If I'm up three break points at 0-40, I plan on a cracking a return for a
winner, but my return will probably end up blasting the side fence instead
of the court...