Is there anything special technique-wise for returning serve with good pace that doesn't quite bounce higher than the knee? In doubles, this gives me a lot of trouble, especially on the backhand side. I don't have the control to block it back low crosscourt without getting hammered by the net player. Every time it goes to my backhand, I chip/slice it back. This server happens to have a really good serve&volley. I constantly worry about hitting a return above chest height that gets killed, and then I end up slicing it into the net a lot. I can practice slice lob as a serve return. But wondering if there is anything I'm missing on the technique side.
I assume you are right handed, returning in the ad court. If so, is the server hitting lefty slice? Or perhaps righty underspin?
If the former, since you are likely hitting from your alley, a topspin (or flat-ish) BH return DTL into the alley, will catch your opposing poaching netman napping once. After that, he'll hesitate to hit BH poaches off of your CC returns. The other alternative is to chip short (to catch the S&V server) very CC, ie beyond the reach of the netman.
If it is righty underspin, you've got to hit it flat or even better, with some topspin, so it doesn't sit up for the poaching netman. You can add some pace if you can hit with topspin, such that you can go after the netman. Try to make him hit volleys at waist level (or below) from second volley position. Since he will be poach with his BH volley, many won't be able to handle the pace, and your netman might get some easy plays if he chooses to poach.
Long story short, slice returns are easy for you to make, but difficult to get past the netman (as you noted already). You need a different hammer.
