Need Help on Returning Serve

[Texas Scrambler]

I am having trouble returning serve with my shbh. I am consistently late with the stroke with powerful spin serves. Flat serves are not as much of a problem, they are more like short hop volleys. I think I am hesitating a little with the spin and bang I am late hitting open stanced instead of closed stance with racket out front.

Thoughts on how to cure this problem. And yes, powerful kick serves to the wide ad court are tough. I am right handed.

I am a +4.0 all court KSix One 95 16x18.

[only4theweak187]

"shbh"

1 or 2 hander?

i use the blx version of your racket same string pattern as well.

step in and learn to take the ball early with the 2 hander if ya use it...use the left hand to really help with leverage and to really brush up the ball with spin to take the ball on the rise.

[Texas Scrambler]

Single handed back hand. Continental to Semi-Western Grip.

[junbug]

take it on the rise hit it flat and simple.

[dozu]

if you can volley back the flats.... I dont see why you can't volley back the spin serves... try to stay lighter on the feet... if you get hurt too much on the kick out wide, cheat a little to that side, and dare the opp serve to your fh.

[Texas Scrambler]

Thanks for the video. All pretty good. I often hit off center with strong spin serves to the backhand side while a strong flat serve I hit pretty solid. Same short hop kind of volley but the spin takes away my timing a bit. Need to watch the ball better? If so, how?

[LeeD]

FOLLOW THRU longer, is what you need for countering all shots hit with extreme spin, from return of serves, groundstrokes, volleys, overheads.
And look at the ball, practice, and anticipate bounce height, direction, speed, and amount of curve.

[papa]

Depending on the pace and spin of the balls this can be/often is a challenging problem to many players with a 1HBH - there isn't a heck of a lot of time and many 4.0 players have decent serves.

Blocking back serves, especially on the backhand, is a developed art but can be very effective. Its also a good first step in learning how to return on the BH because you have to/should anyway, keep your eye on the ball. Taking your eyes off the ball and making the unit turn late are the major reasons for screwing up this shot - there are others of course but these are the two major ones.

You probably don't want to hear this but have you given any consideration to a 2HBH for the return of serve. Although you range might be a spec smaller the possibilities of directing the ball (like blocking) are much higher and will win you more points.

[KenC]

Do you have an effective split step that helps you explode toward the ball? Are you able to get your body mass moving forward as you are hitting the return? I am now playing against a few people who hit really hard second serves with a lot of spin. My only chance is to get my body weight going forward and to hopefully get a racquet on it with a block or a chip.

[only4theweak187]

Yes def with a one-hander follow through with a longer swing on spinny 2nd serves...definitely helps counteract the spin on the strings, blocking back returns are easiest on hard flat serves to the backhand

[athiker]

Originally Posted by Texas Scrambler

Thanks for the video. All pretty good. I often hit off center with strong spin serves to the backhand side while a strong flat serve I hit pretty solid. Same short hop kind of volley but the spin takes away my timing a bit. Need to watch the ball better? If so, how?

Sounds like a ball tracking problem to me. Similar to what LeeD says are you making sure you are watching the ball all the way in? A hard flat serve's path is easier for the mind to predict even though it is faster. Spin serves are obviously moving along a changing path so more difficult.

My 2c, is to stay compact, get turned and set ASAP, watch ball like a madman, stay sideways longer with calm head and trust your stroke (ie...no peeking).

Also agree blocking a spinny serve is difficult b/c the spin can make the ball ricochet if not countered with your stroke. Either topspin or have you tried a 1HBH slice return? Either way impart your spin while still hitting through the ball to give it your direction.

[fuzz nation]

I hit a one-hander myself, but I can only hit a slice backhand return of serve if I go one-handed, unless the serve is rather slow and I have that extra fraction of a second to get set for it. Carrying forward momentum into my pre-return split-step is a must for energizing my returns on either side. That moves me through the shot (along with the racquet) without having to make so much of a swing happen on short notice.

For more aggressive (topspin) backhand returns, I hit two-handed simply because it's a more compact, quicker shot for me to execute. While a one-hander is clearly my more natural stroke style in a rally, it's more difficult for me to use it for a topspin return, even if I cheat my setup toward my backhand position.

[Ptrac]

try this: when youre in ready postition make sure you have your racquet extended out in front you...almost having your arms fulling extended. This will force you to get your body out of the way of the ball and promotes better preparation and early timing which is key for returning. All you need to do at this point is turn your shoulders and your racquet is already out in front and ready to hit the ball.

The alt: having the racket close to your chest and then extending your arms when the ball in coming in. This can lead to late timing and lazy footwork if youre getting jammed.

I had a bad habit of doing this and made returning very difficult. So I cut out one step and now I feel I have more time to prepare.

[LeeD]

Ptrac's suggesting can work for certain players. The absolute best returner in our courts always talks about this, sticking the racket as far out as possible, away from the body. He can return real college Div1 singles serves with almost impunity, forcing the server to move forwards or have an ankle high volley 70% of the time...and I'm not talking about my paltry serves, but real Div1 singles player's serves.
I've tried it only a couple days, and it didn't work for me, but couple of days is not a fair test.

[Jamesm182]

Originally Posted by papa

Depending on the pace and spin of the balls this can be/often is a challenging problem to many players with a 1HBH - there isn't a heck of a lot of time and many 4.0 players have decent serves.

Blocking back serves, especially on the backhand, is a developed art but can be very effective. Its also a good first step in learning how to return on the BH because you have to/should anyway, keep your eye on the ball. Taking your eyes off the ball and making the unit turn late are the major reasons for screwing up this shot - there are others of course but these are the two major ones..

Good point! Id look to start with a block , almost punch like stroke, and then gradually look to build up the follow through as you feel more comfortable with the stroke.

If you can look for tells in the opponents technique as to when a kicker is coming that will , or shoudl help your anticipation of it. You also have to stand your ground or be moving forward, if you let it come onto you, you will be hitting the ball at its highest point. Therefore allowing it to be effective against you.

If the serves are fast you might not have time for a unit turn, rather an open stance punch/block

[LeeD]

Some real godly talents can "punch/block" with their groundie grips, but for slow thinkers like myself, it's better to adopt the continental VOLLEY grip and volley the return after it's bounce.

[Texas Scrambler]

I am off to play this evening and will crank up the focus on watching the ball and work on holding the racquet out further in front. Another point well made was if there is a lot of spin, blocking may not be sufficient and I will need to swing out. I will start with the eyes, then feet and then hands getting into positon and then work on lengthening the stroke.

Any drills recommended for backhand serve returns?

Ge Fed in Dubai. No knock against the Joker, I just like Fed better

[LeeD]

Big spin serves, it's much more important than to swing with a long contact point and fully followtru than to just "swingout". "Swingout" connotates to swing like you are hitting a groundstroke, which you are NOT. You're returning a fast spinny second serve that moves away or towards you, not downward like a topspin groundie.

[Texas Scrambler]

I think I am not tracking the ball correctly and taking too large of a back swing especially on the backhand. I found this video which I will try to emulate. It would be nice to see the same video on the one handed backhand.

http://www.tennisresources.com/index...v=1&vidid=2020

Maybe my own video is in order next.

[Devilito]

http://www.sportskool.com/videos/return-of-serve