Return of Serve: how hard/fast do you swing?

[SouthboundAgain]

I feel like I have made some minor progress on my service returns, mainly thanks to Maximagq's suggestions which are mainly the following:
- split step, and get forward momentum
- take a short swing, get a basic shoulder turn/pivot
- try to hit directly through the ball, make clean contact, and don't worry too much about putting a lot of spin

One point I'm still not clear on is how fast I should swing and how much racket head speed I should put on the return. Do you guys try to really accelerate through the contact point (just like on a regular topspin groundstroke but with a short backswing)?

Currently, I'm not putting much racket head speed (way slower than my regular groundies) and I feel like my returns are okay but don't have much pace. They are more like a flat blocking shot. Is that a mistake?

 

[LeeD]

The shot you choose always depends on the shot that is coming at you.
Say, you're facing one of Matt's 107 flattish serves. You don't have tons of time to take much of a backswing, let alone a long fast forwards swing, so you just block the ball.
If you're facing a slow second serve, you have more time, and can take a longer faster swing at the ball.
Also, if your returns are now deep already, swinging faster would usually make them go deeper. Whether you can add enough topspin or slice to keep it in is a factor.
If your current return is going low, slow and short, then either add RHS or raise your targeting over the net.

 

[Aretium]

Often putting spin on a return can make it a sitter. A flat return will stay low. You do want a little bit of spin to keep it in court. I actually find returning kick serves harder without spin, and will loop the ball deep.

 

[heninfan99]

Depends what you can do. I like when people serve fast to my backhand. I like to go for the return on that side. On the forehand I would block it. On a slow serve, once in a while, I'll take a risk down the line. Then there's the drop shot return which is pretty cruel. In old man doubles the lob return is fairly popular. HA.

Young, advanced players mostly pummel the ball. Few Tomics out there.

 

[Topspin Shot]

There are a lot of ways to return serve. I prefer to stand near the baseline and return with a compact flattish topspin groundstroke. My goal is to get as many returns back in play as possible, so I tend to have a medium swing speed and aim crosscourt or down the middle.

 

[MasturB]

Depends on your game.

I pattern my returns the way Fed does.

If it's too fast and flat to either side, I block it back if I can't read it and am just reacting. I prefer hitting over the top with the 1HBH on ad court returns than deuce court. On deuce court backhand returns, I tend to chip/slice it back if it's a kicking second or a fast serve.

My favorite return is the deuce court out wide to my forehand, I get to lunge and go for the lasso return which is one of my favorite shots. The one I hate the most is the up the t to the forehand on the ad court. I just can't direct it as well as I'd like, and if it's slicing away it's tough for me to re-direct it with good pace.

 

[Maximagq]

I feel like I have made some minor progress on my service returns, mainly thanks to Maximagq's suggestions which are mainly the following:
- split step, and get forward momentum
- take a short swing, get a basic shoulder turn/pivot
- try to hit directly through the ball, make clean contact, and don't worry too much about putting a lot of spin

One point I'm still not clear on is how fast I should swing and how much racket head speed I should put on the return. Do you guys try to really accelerate through the contact point (just like on a regular topspin groundstroke but with a short backswing)?

Currently, I'm not putting much racket head speed (way slower than my regular groundies) and I feel like my returns are okay but don't have much pace. They are more like a flat blocking shot. Is that a mistake?

Glad that I could be of service! On the return, just think about clean contact more so than racket head speed.

 

[President]

How do you guys deal with the grip change on the return of serve? Maybe my reflexes are just slow, but I have such a tough time changing grips in time for the return of big serves. I have a western forehand and a continental/SW backhand. It gets so bad for me that I basically resort to chipping back all first serves with a continental grip.

 

[julian]

2 options

How do you guys deal with the grip change on the return of serve? Maybe my reflexes are just slow, but I have such a tough time changing grips in time for the return of big serves. I have a western forehand and a continental/SW backhand. It gets so bad for me that I basically resort to chipping back all first serves with a continental grip.

1.get a good coach in Philadelphia
Or
2.get a good coach in Philadelphia after watching some videos of Murray
(to understand a concept of moving forward on return of serve
and a concept of time gained to change a grip)

 

[taurussable]

1.get a good coach in Philadelphia
Or
2.get a good coach in Philadelphia after watching some videos of Murray
(to understand a concept of moving forward on return of serve
and a concept of time gained to change a grip)

option 2 is tremendous in helping my ros at least technique wise. my biggest problem with return used to be rushing. Actually I have more time in return than I used to imagine.

 

[julian]

Your sarcasm is highly appreciated

option 2 is tremendous in helping my ros at least technique wise.

You are invited to Boston.
See my signature.
Book a flight

 

[taurussable]

You are invited to Boston.
See my signature.
Book a flight

no sarcasm intended. I am glad we both think murray return is great model

I'd love to.

 

[julian]

Google

How do you guys deal with the grip change on the return of serve? Maybe my reflexes are just slow, but I have such a tough time changing grips in time for the return of big serves. I have a western forehand and a continental/SW backhand. It gets so bad for me that I basically resort to chipping back all first serves with a continental grip.

Google tennisplayer public Bernstein
You will find an article by Bernstein
Read it

 

[Topspin Shot]

How do you guys deal with the grip change on the return of serve? Maybe my reflexes are just slow, but I have such a tough time changing grips in time for the return of big serves. I have a western forehand and a continental/SW backhand. It gets so bad for me that I basically resort to chipping back all first serves with a continental grip.

Forehand grip with right hand, lefty forehand grip with left hand. If it comes to your forehand, remove your left hand and hit a forehand. If it comes to your backhand, change your right hand grip to continental as you turn your shoulders and hit your two hander.

 

[sez]

Google tennisplayer public Bernstein
You will find an article by Bernstein
Read it

Wow comprehensive article with a lot of answers. It does gloss over the anticipation part wherein watching the upperbody of the server can hint to the direction of the serve. I wonder if there is any actual theory or videos showing things to look for because reaching the top level often means developing that sense of anticipation.

 

[President]

Forehand grip with right hand, lefty forehand grip with left hand. If it comes to your forehand, remove your left hand and hit a forehand. If it comes to your backhand, change your right hand grip to continental as you turn your shoulders and hit your two hander.

Yeah, I suppose that's how I have to do it. I have tried that and I am still too slow, I guess it just comes down to practice and repetitions.

 

[oble]

How do you guys deal with the grip change on the return of serve? Maybe my reflexes are just slow, but I have such a tough time changing grips in time for the return of big serves. I have a western forehand and a continental/SW backhand. It gets so bad for me that I basically resort to chipping back all first serves with a continental grip.

Same question for me. Sometimes I prepare with my forehand grip (strong eastern), sometimes I prepare with continental; can't figure out which grip is better to prepare with so that the grip change is more efficient after recognising the serve.

When I prepare with my forehand grip, I frequently end up having to use a continental grip return if the serve comes to my bh side, even for a block or drive return, but my regular bh grip is eastern bh, meaning I couldn't change my grip fast enough? :?

 

[rkelley]

How do you guys deal with the grip change on the return of serve? Maybe my reflexes are just slow, but I have such a tough time changing grips in time for the return of big serves. I have a western forehand and a continental/SW backhand. It gets so bad for me that I basically resort to chipping back all first serves with a continental grip.

My normal grips are SW on the fh and cont/SW on the bh (2hbh), so I keep both hands in a SW on the return. If it's a fh I just let go with the left, and if it's a bh my controlling hand is already in it's preferred grip. I just have to change my right to cont. If I really have to stab on the bh side with one hand then I just deal with the grip change to cont. for the right hand. As others have said, if it's fast I block it back (either side), if it's slower I'll treat it more like a ground stroke and take a cut at it.

One of the downsides of a W. is that it's a hard grip to block the ball back with. You might try cont. on the right hand and SW on the left. Assuming you can block on the fh side with a cont. grip, then you're set up to block back the big pace on either side, and if you have time you can switch to the W on the fh side to take a bigger cut.

 

[Topspin Shot]

Same question for me. Sometimes I prepare with my forehand grip (strong eastern), sometimes I prepare with continental; can't figure out which grip is better to prepare with so that the grip change is more efficient after recognising the serve.

When I prepare with my forehand grip, I frequently end up having to use a continental grip return if the serve comes to my bh side, even for a block or drive return, but my regular bh grip is eastern bh, meaning I couldn't change my grip fast enough? :?

It's different for you. President has a two-handed backhand I believe, and so do I, whereas you seem to a have a one-hander. There are a few different things you can do. If the serves are slow, or if you like to stand farther back, you should be able to hit topspin returns off both sides. If not, you can hit all slice returns, topspin forehand returns only, or topspin backhand returns only. Maybe use a forehand grip for first serves and a backhand grip for second serves, if your opponent likes to hit kick seconds.

 

[Topspin Shot]

My normal grips are SW on the fh and cont/SW on the bh (2hbh), so I keep both hands in a SW on the return. If it's a fh I just let go with the left, and if it's a bh my controlling hand is already in it's preferred grip. I just have to change my right to cont. If I really have to stab on the bh side with one hand then I just deal with the grip change to cont. for the right hand. As others have said, if it's fast I block it back (either side), if it's slower I'll treat it more like a ground stroke and take a cut at it.

One of the downsides of a W. is that it's a hard grip to block the ball back with. You might try cont. on the right hand and SW on the left. Assuming you can block on the fh side with a cont. grip, then you're set up to block back the big pace on either side, and if you have time you can switch to the W on the fh side to take a bigger cut.

Good points. He can also do what Rafa does and stand farther back to give himself more time to work the grip changes.

 

[tennisdad65]

fast first serve - volley or block it back..
slower serves - regular or abbreviated groundies depending on how far back you are standing.