how do you hold your racquet for serve return

[yonexpurestorm]

i played a match today and could not return the serve effectively at all. i have been returning the serve with my right hand(fh) in the semi western position and my left hand in the easern grip that i hit with a bh.

how do you all approach serve returns with your grip. or just how do you approach returning serves effectively in general?

 

[bhallic24]

i played a match today and could not return the serve effectively at all. i have been returning the serve with my right hand(fh) in the semi western position and my left hand in the easern grip that i hit with a bh.

how do you all approach serve returns with your grip. or just how do you approach returning serves effectively in general?

i hold it in my natural forehand grip with the right hand. left hand is lightly placed on the throat of my racket ready to turn it into my eastern backhand stroke if i need to. i'm right handed btw.

 

[LeeD]

Depends on incoming serve and how I"m feeling.
Fast first, no read, conti volley stroke get it back.
Slower serve, forehand strong SW, off hand on throat with slice grip (1hbh).
When confident, same forehand grip, but off hand now in topspin mode.

 

[Mahboob Khan]

In the deuce court, I wait with my forehand grip and react to BH grip if the serve is up the T to my BH. I place myself such that I take most of the returns with my FH.

In the ad court, I wait with my BH grip, and react with my FH grip if the serve is up the T to my FH. This works ok for me.

If you know your opponent, you also know his service tendencies which will help you to wait with a particular grip.

You should also be able to read your opponent's toss and the resultant serve. If you could read early, you will be able to react early with your grip.

 

[Caesar]

I grip the racquet fairly neutrally, and try and get a read off his toss.

If you get to the stage where you can read an opponent you can sometimes cheat a little. For example, since I'm a lefty there is a certain sort of opponent who will always bomb the T with his first serve to the ad court on big points. So, I might favour my backhand grip a little.

Having a one-handed backhand I find that it's more time consuming to prepare for that stroke than my forehand, so I tend not to ever favour my forehand grip. If I get a big body serve to my backhand then I'm going to have enough trouble reacting without having to rotate my racquet 90 degrees or so to adjust from a SW grip.

 

[spaceman_spiff]

i played a match today and could not return the serve effectively at all. i have been returning the serve with my right hand(fh) in the semi western position and my left hand in the easern grip that i hit with a bh.

how do you all approach serve returns with your grip. or just how do you approach returning serves effectively in general?

I have the same setup. My right hand is set with a FH grip, and my left is set as it would be when hitting a 2HBH. That way, if it goes to my right, I'm already set for a forehand, and if it goes to my left, my left hand is set and controls the racket during the backswing/shoulder turn (I change my right hand during the take back, so it's set by the time I'm ready to swing). No matter which way it goes, regardless of whether or not I get a read on the serve, I'm set or nearly set to return.

On top of that though, I already have my mind set on what kind of return I want to hit: no waiting until after the serve is hit to start thinking about what to do. Basically, my plan is to take a short backswing with good shoulder turn and then drive through the ball like I would on a swinging volley, aiming about a foot or so above the net (direction usually depends on what feels natural based on the serve coming in, though sometimes I decide beforehand; quite often, I just go right back at the server's feet since it's an easy target to see). The only time I change my mind is if the serve goes so wide that I have to go full stretch, but that's a natural adjustment that doesn't really take any thought.

For me, driving through the ball with a short and somewhat flatter swing gives better results than trying to go with a heavy topspin swing like on groundstrokes, because the swing path makes it easier to make solid contact with the right timing. Plus, the flatter swing allows me to get decent power and depth without having to swing fast, which also helps with timing and placement.

I notice people who try to whip at the ball like on a groundstroke often struggle with the timing against big servers. People who obviously wait until the serve is hit before trying to make any decisions are usually late when they decide to swing at the return, and they often pop the ball up when they decide to block or slice.

 

[Ash_Smith]

I'm with Mahboob on this, as that's what I do.

cheers

 

[johndagolfer]

watching federer and some other pro's I don't understand how they hit such good returns using a contintental return grip. If anyone is facing a really strong server, where switching grips would cause you to be too late, wouldn't using a continental grip be the best grip to use?

I've tried returning this way especially against hard servers and can seem to get this down. Any suggestions?

 

[fuzz nation]

It's smart to set up for a return of serve with a general plan in the same way that we have a basic blueprint for the outset of the point when serving. That makes it easier to do "something" to at least neutralize our opponents instead of merely reacting to whatever they send our way.

If my opponent hits a hot first serve and I typically only have time to make a quick punch on the ball, I treat it more like a long volley (including a continental grip). I carry a little forward momentum into my split-step just as the server makes contact, quickly turn to either side to get set behind the ball, and then move through it like a volley. Much of the energy comes from that forward momentum, much like a good volley. I usually hit this return cross-court, but almost always try to place it deep enough to keep my opponent pinned behind the baseline. That at least starts the point in more of a neutral setting and denies the server an immediate attack.

When I plan a more aggressive return, sometimes against a second serve, I set my right hand at least to eastern forehand and set my left hand in the neighborhood of eastern forehand, too. Since I'm a righty, that sets me up to either let fly with a topspin forehand as is or simply shift my right hand up between continental and eastern backhand to support a two-handed backhand drive. While I need an assertive split-step for a quick setup, I don't need quite as deliberate a forward move into that split-step.

If I plan to chip-and-charge (follow my return to the net), I'll also use that continental grip and try to place a deep, low skidding ball down the line to put the server in more of a box. Having an idea of what I want to do before the serve comes at me has been invaluable for improving my composure when receiving.

 

[LeeD]

As Fuzz said, stay balanced, don't retreat, try to step forwards, volley it deeper than a normal volley, since you have more court to cover.

 

[Fuji]

I'm usually starting on a Eastern Forehand grip! I'm proficient off both wings with the EFH grip, as that's how I learned to hit my 1HBH, so it seems to work well. I am able to take a full cut for a clean winner, AND redirect with it. At least if I get jammed, I'm getting it back into play with some pace, and rarely does it just sit up at the net for a winner, which I find happens all to often with me if I use a Conti grip!

If however, I am playing a slower serve, I do start in my SW forehand grip as I am prepared to take a full cut with a lot of pace.

-Fuji

 

[SStrikerR]

I think from now on I'm gonna try using a conti grip, and switching to whatever I need. The fastest I face is probably 90-95mph or so, and if I stand back a bit I can deal with it. That said, most people just serve to the backhand all day so I could cheat there too.

 

[Jack Romeo]

i hold the racket with two hands, both in a loose eastern forehand grip. so if the ball comes to the backhand, i just make a little adjustment with the right hand to continental and i'm hitting with my backhand grip. it is easy to make this adjustment because i'm holding the racket loosely. when the ball comes over to the forehand, i can either block it back with an eastern grip if the serve is fast, or shift to my regular grip which is like federer's grip (sort of semi-western but closer to eastern than western) and take a bigger swing.

 

[DeShaun]

My best return games seem to begin with me looking for a ball to attack with my forehand. I do not know whether I am winning these any more often than I am those return games that I start by slicing off either wing, but it feels like I'm getting my teeth into my opponent better when I'm looking to return his serve with only my strongest stroke.

 

[mightyrick]

Neutral grip. Try to get a read on the toss. Step forward, split step, and hope you guessed correctly.

 

[jmverdugo]

Fast serves I go with continental and usually I am able to hit a good slice back (FH and BH), the key is to really attack the ball, if you just put the racquet the ball will sail long without control. For no so fast serves I do like Hewitt, both hands in my grip, left hand SW, right continental.

 

[NLBwell]

Continental grip. Same as for every shot.
Mahboob and Ash, it's interesting to me that you don't have one set ritual for returning serve. Do you teach your students to vary the way they prepare for the serve return from the very beginning, or do you do that as they become more advanced?

 

[J_R_B]

I usually hold the racquet with my backhand grip. I find it easier to adjust BH->FH than FH->BH.

 

[Mahboob Khan]

Continental grip. Same as for every shot.
Mahboob and Ash, it's interesting to me that you don't have one set ritual for returning serve. Do you teach your students to vary the way they prepare for the serve return from the very beginning, or do you do that as they become more advanced?

Yes, I try to teach my students to adopt the service return approach I mentioned here. Obviously, as they play and mature they develop their own preferences.

 

[Say Chi Sin Lo]

Backhand grip, always.

 

[Say Chi Sin Lo]

I usually hold the racquet with my backhand grip. I find it easier to adjust BH->FH than FH->BH.

This, always my backhand grip.

 

[Ash_Smith]

Mahboob and Ash, it's interesting to me that you don't have one set ritual for returning serve. Do you teach your students to vary the way they prepare for the serve return from the very beginning, or do you do that as they become more advanced?

Whilst I was playing that's what became comfortable for me, based on my shot preferences and patterns of play.

In terms of teaching, I help the player understand their own patterns of play on the return and then work from there it also depends on whether they're single of double handed on the backhand side as to which grip/s they hold with their dominant hand. I like to build patterns of play pretty early on for players, so it's something that might come up fairly early on in their development.

Cheers

 

[Pwned]

FH and BH are nearly same grip so I sit with that unless I need to slice it back. Similar to Kohlschreiber.

 

[Say Chi Sin Lo]

FH and BH are nearly same grip so I sit with that unless I need to slice it back. Similar to Kohlschreiber.

:shock:

 

[NLBwell]

Kohlschreiber hits the serve return with the same side of his racket on forehand and backhand (but not on groundstrokes).

 

[pvaudio]

In the deuce court, I wait with my forehand grip and react to BH grip if the serve is up the T to my BH. I place myself such that I take most of the returns with my FH.

In the ad court, I wait with my BH grip, and react with my FH grip if the serve is up the T to my FH. This works ok for me.

If you know your opponent, you also know his service tendencies which will help you to wait with a particular grip.

You should also be able to read your opponent's toss and the resultant serve. If you could read early, you will be able to react early with your grip.

Never rely on this. I personally toss identically for flat, and topspin, first and second, wide, body and T. Using your toss to dictate direction is useful if you've got a tough serve to return as it is. Being able to disguise it is the best weapon.

 

[Fuji]

Never rely on this. I personally toss identically for flat, and topspin, first and second, wide, body and T. Using your toss to dictate direction is useful if you've got a tough serve to return as it is. Being able to disguise it is the best weapon.

Same for me, (or at least I like to think so!) I practice a lot on trying to make identical ball toss for whatever serve I'm hitting. I honestly don't get much benefit from messing with different tosses.

-Fuji

 

[Pwned]

:shock:

Not that crazy! Grips are somewhat different but if I am set on coming over the ball the change is very minor. Eastern BH - semi-w fh.

Kohlschreiber hits the serve return with the same side of his racket on forehand and backhand (but not on groundstrokes).

Yup.

 

[gregor.b]

Continental always.Minor grip change to return the first serve but on second take it to normal groundstroke grips.ie s/w f/h e/b sh bh.