How to improve the returns?

[MaratSafin_fan]

My weakest shot indoors is the return. I feel quite uncomfortable against hard servers. How can I improve my returns which is my weakest shot?
I use to return better when I standing away from the baseline like Nadal but how can I get confidence in my returning?
I have bad control on the second serve aswell. I feel stress and hit it wide or far out.
As I said I feel stress and have bad control on the ball against good servers.

THNX for advice!

 

[mozzer]

I would say i have a very good return, but i stand in close so i can take the ball early, gives them less angle and less cahnce for the spin to take effect. I like to move forward whilst they are hitting too just to get that extra momentum.

 

[supineAnimation]

Similar to volleying, the return should be a very simple endeavor, at least when returning first serves. You only have time to hit your split step, load your weight on one leg and step diagonally forward as you hit. Keep your backswing short and your extension long and engage your core as you step and hit. Practice getting that sequence down on both wings and realize that if the serve is hit well enough that it's out of your reach with that diagonal step, then it's too good.

 

[PimpMyGame]

Yes, agree with the above. Keep everything simple, with short backswing or block, and try to contain the serve as best you can. Don't sweat it too much if the serve is too good to return.

 

[LeftSHBH]

take a step or two from where you are standing now, then you may be able to get a good swing at it, or else you can block the shot like a volley or slice.

 

[Roy125]

I was always confused by blocking hard service returns like a volley. I know that we need a short backswing, but do we need to follow through like a normal volley or a groundstroke?

 

[Kick_It]

How do you improve: practice, practice, practice, practice...

The thing to work on isn't the swing (or lack thereof), instead it is reacting/split-step and positioning yourself correctly before the shot, feet, etc.

Worst case scenario - when you practice singles with a partner - spend an entire practice playing 10 point tiebreakers. Gives both players lots of serves and return opportunities - plus playing under pressure in a short amount of time.

Good Luck! K_I

 

[new_tennis_player]

For better or for worse, these modern racquets are so powerful, as long you stick your raquet out and make decent contact, that powerful serve is going to be returned with powerful pace.

Right now, as long as I hit the ball squarely, it's going to pop right back at them with a lot of speed. This actually surprises them, and sometimes frustrates players who are used to intimidating lower level opponents with their serve.

Anyway, be confident that you can simply get your racquet out in time and hit it flat, and it will land back in and flat.

In summary, when that serve is coming fast, I go through the normal swing, but don't follow through for power; it's just unnecessary.

My weakest shot indoors is the return. I feel quite uncomfortable against hard servers. How can I improve my returns which is my weakest shot?
I use to return better when I standing away from the baseline like Nadal but how can I get confidence in my returning?
I have bad control on the second serve aswell. I feel stress and hit it wide or far out.
As I said I feel stress and have bad control on the ball against good servers.

THNX for advice!

 

[LeeD]

I'll back post 7, but don't know about post 8.
Practice! Short swing, short followthru. Volley swing, volley followtru.
I hit about 115 mph serves. New or old racket, if I get it in, it comes back now too tough. New rackets are only more powerful for lesser players. When the playing level gets above 4.5, most of the players are using less powerful rackets!
If, in some case, a 4.5 uses a powerful racket, he'll return long if I manage to move him around and then jam him.
If, in some case, a 4.5 uses a less powerful racket, he might return a few into the net, but generally goes higher than the net, so it's no big deal.
Racket makes little difference in return of serves for good players.
And I believe that applies to lesser players also.

 

[Jaewonnie]

I was always confused by blocking hard service returns like a volley. I know that we need a short backswing, but do we need to follow through like a normal volley or a groundstroke?

that depends. If the serve catches you off guard (which should force u to chip it) then yes, volley through it (almost like pushing through the ball).

If you got the serve down (predict where its heading, swing lined up etc) feel free to swing through it like a groundstroke and blast it down the line.

 

[Kick_It]

Most people don't practice returns at all - they just hit or play. If they practice it is either groundstrokes or serves (you can do by yourself).

If you actually can and do practice serve returns - you are setting yourself up for future success against many opponents.

Consider there are roughly 24 different types (if I remember my math correctly) of serves you need to react to in a super short period of time:

Only one of them can be determined before the ball is hit: is your opponent left handed or right handed?

Then there are 4 general targets that they're aiming for, on either deuce or ad-side:
1) Far-Wide
2) Wide corner of service line
3) Body-serve (directly at the returner) - usually middle of service box
4) Right down the T of the service line

Each of those 4 targets can be hit with the following different pace/spin for the returner to quickly adapt to:
1) Flat
2) Kick
3) Slice

How many of you practice returning any of those 24 different serves with any regularity?

Good Luck! K_I

 

[GetBetterer]

Slice & Dice.

 

[bhupaes]

There are a lot of posts on this board on anticipation and split-stepping, so I won't repeat all that stuff - except to say that they are important and need to be practiced. You can search for them quite easily.

There are a couple of things I've learned the hard way, and I invite comments on them. Both are techniques to "slow down the ball" - I am using quotes because, of course, the ball doesn't really slow down, it's just one's perception.

First - it's easy to keep watching the server's antics, and forget to focus on the ball as it gets close to you, especially on lightning fast first serves. Make an active effort to shift your focus immediately after the hit to the area between the bounce of the ball and where you are positioned. If you are not quick enough, your focus will still be on the opponent's side of the court, and the ball will be on you in a flash as you are flailing at it. You'll see that once you shift your focus to the segment after the bounce, the ball appears to be much slower and controllable.

Second - and this one is probably more controversial - you have to crouch a little to get a better reading of the ball. My formula is to crouch just enough so that my eyes are approximately at the level of the ball as it gets closer to me. For example, if I know the ball is going to be between waist and chest height after the bounce (standing straight), I will crouch enough so my head is around that level. It doesn't have to be perfect, so don't get carried away! My reasoning is this - the eyes have to move much less to focus on the ball when one is directly behind it, than when one is watching it from the side. This works quite well for me, but I haven't come across this anywhere. A lot of pros seem to do it, though.

 

[xinunix]

Drive through the ball, even if you are blocking or slicing the return. Focus on your weight shift, force yourself to transfer your weight through the ball. Most people return serve off of their back foot or off balance because they are reacting. Try to force yourself to be proactive, split step is important but it is your next motion after the split step that is most important, make sure you are moving into and through the ball. Stay low and take a short compact swing. You will be driving deep returns and taking control of the point in no time.

The other option is to take a few steps back and try to hit the return as the ball drops but I always have much more success stepping in and taking the ball on the rise.

 

[thehustler]

I've said this before and I'll say it again about returning, you need to plan your return before the serve is ever hit. For example on the deuce side I might say that all forehand returns go cross court and all backhands go back down the line. This way I'm not thinking on the return. If I'm returning well I might change it up and decide on a point such as love 30 to hit a forehand down the line. Again this is decided before I ever see the serve.

You also need to look for patterns from the server. A lot of people have patterns that they don't even realize that they're doing. Most people prefer to hit a serve to a backhand on a break point or out wide depending on the score to open up the court. If you see these patterns use them against your opponent. When I have a break point on the ad side I know my opponent will try to pull me out wide to my backhand. Seeing this I put my left foot slightly inside the doubles alley. This forces the opponent to really aim for that outside corner or hit a serve to my forehand. This helps you get inside the head of the opponent and creates more opportunities for you.

 

[XFactorer]

Just block it back.

 

[Slazenger07]

One of my hitting partners has a big serve, (maxes out at around 115 mph, nasty slice and kick serves too) I just played him yesterday and we split sets(he won the second set cause I was tired . The first set I won by stepping in close to the baseline on the return and using a short backswing and concentrating on hitting the ball out in front of my body. Sometimes I would simply block the serve back in play, most times I tried to take a little more risk and hit the return with good depth, either with a reverse finish (forehand) or a nice short stroke (backhand) using my opponents pace against him a bit. Off his kick serves I would almost always hit a reverse finish forehand since the ball was up shoulder high or higher, whipping it back with heavy topspin, I find this to be an excellent counter to the high kicking serve.

The key to beating big servers is finding a way to get out in front of the serve and beating them with placement and depth. Also you have to focus on your service games and not let 4 unreturnable bombs that they may serve effect what you do on your service games. Stay focused on what you can control, and them hitting huge serves is not one of those things.

 

[tennisdad65]

normally, I would say volley it back on most returns, but if it is really hard and indoors too, Block it back. On a very fast serve, the volley back with an open face may cause the ball to go long. With a Block back, you have a better shot of keeping the ball in play. Best done with a conti grip.