Returning Slice Body Serve — Deuce Side 1HBH at 3.5/4.0+

[eb_tennis_247]

This is at advanced intermediate level, 3.5/4.0+, so not discussing or looking for low level tips.
I split step, I anticipate and I move forward on the serve.

I notice that I have a weakness returning slice serves that go down the line and curve to me.

I tend to miss them, frame them or send them back in some weird trajectory.
I feel I am:
- struggling with timing or
- struggling with positioning

I am experimenting with standing closer and playing with higher SW racquet because I feel <320 SW frame does not have enough plow to slam this serve back.

Watching pro matches I observed that this might be a tricky serve to return for pros too.

So, any intermediate-advanced tips are welcome.

 

[Dragy]

Is it for singles or doubles?

 

[Shroud]

This is at advanced intermediate level, 3.5/4.0+, so not discussing or looking for low level tips.
I split step, I anticipate and I move forward on the serve.

I notice that I have a weakness returning slice serves that go down the line and curve to me.

I tend to miss them, frame them or send them back in some weird trajectory.
I feel I am:
- struggling with timing or
- struggling with positioning

I am experimenting with standing closer and playing with higher SW racquet because I feel <320 SW frame does not have enough plow to slam this serve back.

Watching pro matches I observed that this might be a tricky serve to return for pros too.

So, any intermediate-advanced tips are welcome.

I think you are right about the sw. Also looking at some vids I tend to hit slice inside out instead of in the middle

 

[johnmccabe]

So, any intermediate-advanced tips are welcome.

It is the user, not the racquet...

I switched to 2hbh specifically because of trouble returning faster serves, but that's when I was a complete beginner.

Can you feel where in the frame you hit it when you shank? If it's often close to the throat of the racquet, that means you are underestimating the side spin of the righty slice. when I have trouble with lefty slice to my backhand, I almost always hit above the sweet spot close to tip of the racquet.

If you shade way into the backhand side, do you still shank the same serve on your forehand?

What happens when you chip return like a volley with minimum swing?

 

[Rosstour]

This is at advanced intermediate level, 3.5/4.0+, so not discussing or looking for low level tips.
I split step, I anticipate and I move forward on the serve.

I notice that I have a weakness returning slice serves that go down the line and curve to me.

I tend to miss them, frame them or send them back in some weird trajectory.
I feel I am:
- struggling with timing or
- struggling with positioning

I am experimenting with standing closer and playing with higher SW racquet because I feel <320 SW frame does not have enough plow to slam this serve back.

Watching pro matches I observed that this might be a tricky serve to return for pros too.

So, any intermediate-advanced tips are welcome.

Chip-slice into his BH corner while moving forward.

Or, adjust your position so that you’re hitting a FH by the time the ball reaches you.

 

[eb_tennis_247]

Is it for singles or doubles?

Doubles.

 

[eb_tennis_247]

It is the user, not the racquet...

I switched to 2hbh specifically because of trouble returning faster serves, but that's when I was a complete beginner.

Can you feel where in the frame you hit it when you shank? If it's often close to the throat of the racquet, that means you are underestimating the side spin of the righty slice. when I have trouble with lefty slice to my backhand, I almost always hit above the sweet spot close to tip of the racquet.

If you shade way into the backhand side, do you still shank the same serve on your forehand?

What happens when you chip return like a volley with minimum swing?

What I found that works the best is if I move closer and right off the bounce.

I have not been chipping them (yet). Mostly just trying to flat return them.

 

[johnmccabe]

What I found that works the best is if I move closer and right off the bounce.

I have not been chipping them (yet). Mostly just trying to flat return them.

If moving up still doesn't work well enough, also try moving way back

 

[FuzzyYellowBalls]

I am experimenting with standing closer and playing with higher SW racquet because I feel <320 SW frame does not have enough plow to slam this serve back.

To reset, you miss, frame, or send them back in a strange way. What are you going to do with more plow and how are you going to advance from missing the sweetspot to slamming the serve back with more swingweight?

This is a good example, glad you brought it up, of the forum disease I've seen over the years, chasing plow through and stability for off-center/misshits by increasing swingweight. Why?
People doing this are already missing the ball and if you need any real world proof instead of another internet person (me), just look at what rackets people better than you are using to hit balls, it isn't more swingweight.

To go from missing the ball to slamming the serve back is about 5-6 steps in tennis advancement just to exaggerate. You need to learn how to block the serve back and not fight the serve, just neutralize it, not destroy it. Find someone willing to let you practice this over and over or pay a coach to serve these shots to you for hours and give tips.

I think you are right about the sw. Also looking at some vids I tend to hit slice inside out instead of in the middle

Shroud, noooooooo lol

If moving up still doesn't work well enough, also try moving way back

Better than doing nothing, but theoretically the server will be able to do some kind of other serves if they already are good enough to serve into the body, relatively speaking there seems to be a deficit in return ability by the OP compared to the serves his competition can hit.

One last thing, don't worship the split step for doubles if it is getting in the way of your returns, if it's natural that's great, but if you are split stepping into a slice serve and just getting jammed anyway, might try a less complex system and add that later. I just say this because so many people who talk about split-step can be just hopping around the tennis court missing balls anyway, but obsessed with at least split stepping ineffectively.

 

[eb_tennis_247]

FYB - First, I appreciate your comments. I read them and you made me think.

However, I know what I have in mind with SW. I switched from 328 SW frame to 317 SW and it really downgraded my confidence and feel at returns on backhand side.

It has a higher launch angle and lower plow and I feel like I am returning with a piece of cardboard; it messes with me.

Now, I am pretty sure I am missing key technical pieces and my astigmatism in one eye might something to with it.

What I am looking for is a technical tip.

For example, I learned to return mid high kick serves by stepping into them and hitting them straight back flat, neutralizing the kicky spin.

I am looking for someone’s experience on doing something like that on slices into the body, especially on deuce side.

 

[Shroud]

To reset, you miss, frame, or send them back in a strange way. What are you going to do with more plow and how are you going to advance from missing the sweetspot to slamming the serve back with more swingweight?

This is a good example, glad you brought it up, of the forum disease I've seen over the years, chasing plow through and stability for off-center/misshits by increasing swingweight. Why?
People doing this are already missing the ball and if you need any real world proof instead of another internet person (me), just look at what rackets people better than you are using to hit balls, it isn't more swingweight.

To go from missing the ball to slamming the serve back is about 5-6 steps in tennis advancement just to exaggerate. You need to learn how to block the serve back and not fight the serve, just neutralize it, not destroy it. Find someone willing to let you practice this over and over or pay a coach to serve these shots to you for hours and give tips.

Shroud, noooooooo lol

Better than doing nothing, but theoretically the server will be able to do some kind of other serves if they already are good enough to serve into the body, relatively speaking there seems to be a deficit in return ability by the OP compared to the serves his competition can hit.

One last thing, don't worship the split step for doubles if it is getting in the way of your returns, if it's natural that's great, but if you are split stepping into a slice serve and just getting jammed anyway, might try a less complex system and add that later. I just say this because so many people who talk about split-step can be just hopping around the tennis court missing balls anyway, but obsessed with at least split stepping ineffectively.

some people miss because the racquet is spazzing out. The RHS police will have you believe its the end all be all but you can miss time the ball by going too fast especially when returning.

I bet the op is thinking about sw because the light racquet is moving on contact from the incoming spin. It could also be a low tension thing. Higher tension and sw will help win the collision.

And its doubles so its a tougher shot to hit than singles.

And sure you are right about baby steps and just neutralizing but due to the desire for intermediate tips its assumed the basics are there.

 

[FuzzyYellowBalls]

some people miss because the racquet is spazzing out. The RHS police will have you believe its the end all be all but you can miss time the ball by going too fast especially when returning.

I bet the op is thinking about sw because the light racquet is moving on contact from the incoming spin. It could also be a low tension thing. Higher tension and sw will help win the collision.

And its doubles so its a tougher shot to hit than singles.

And sure you are right about baby steps and just neutralizing but due to the desire for intermediate tips its assumed the basics are there.

Spin isn't going to make a racket move, not at that level and more SW isn't going to magically stop a racket from moving when just trying to block it back. It's chasing the wrong solution for the issue of misshitting.

 

[Shroud]

Spin isn't going to make a racket move, not at that level and more SW isn't going to magically stop a racket from moving when just trying to block it back. It's chasing the wrong solution for the issue of misshitting.

Sure it is especially with the open patterns and goofy grommets on racquets these days. Op is not interested in blocks from the sounds of it anyhow and looking now, he says a drop in sw has affected things.

 

[Shroud]

FYB - First, I appreciate your comments. I read them and you made me think.

However, I know what I have in mind with SW. I switched from 328 SW frame to 317 SW and it really downgraded my confidence and feel at returns on backhand side.

It has a higher launch angle and lower plow and I feel like I am returning with a piece of cardboard; it messes with me.

Now, I am pretty sure I am missing key technical pieces and my astigmatism in one eye might something to with it.

What I am looking for is a technical tip.

For example, I learned to return mid high kick serves by stepping into them and hitting them straight back flat, neutralizing the kicky spin.

I am looking for someone’s experience on doing something like that on slices into the body, especially on deuce side.

Interesting. I have an astigmatism but pretty sure the glasses correct for that and I never think of that.

Is it possible to just hit a fh?

Sadly I usually get the ad side.

Thinking about this try hitting the left side of the ball more.

 

[Dragy]

Doubles.

Ah, that makes sense. Not the easiest thing to pull out.

What I did to cheat it and do good I/O BH returns was setting up more turned initially. So my chest isn’t turned to the net directly but more towards the left net post, almost. This allows to more naturally hit back to the server avoiding the net person.

Also it’s using more laid-back wrist and some “fade” type of shot that helps.

 

[LuckyR]

FYB - First, I appreciate your comments. I read them and you made me think.

However, I know what I have in mind with SW. I switched from 328 SW frame to 317 SW and it really downgraded my confidence and feel at returns on backhand side.

It has a higher launch angle and lower plow and I feel like I am returning with a piece of cardboard; it messes with me.

Now, I am pretty sure I am missing key technical pieces and my astigmatism in one eye might something to with it.

What I am looking for is a technical tip.

For example, I learned to return mid high kick serves by stepping into them and hitting them straight back flat, neutralizing the kicky spin.

I am looking for someone’s experience on doing something like that on slices into the body, especially on deuce side.

I use a severe slice to the T on the deuce side in doubles and I have excellent results, especially against RH players with 1HBHs, which are common among my competition (old dudes). Although it's my first serve, I'm putting way more racquet head speed into spin than pace, so it's not traveling very fast. What I'd do (yet I rarely run into among my opposition) would be to move to my left (as a RHer) and return the serve as a FH (withthe ball crossing my body) moving slightly away from me, than stay put and take it as a BH moving severely towards me.

 

[Roforot]

If you can step diagonal toward the middle and hit a fh cc. You need way more steps to get spacing on your bh than a fh
If youre jammed though you should hit a bh lob down the line mainly using your wrist. Make them hit a bh overhead or ideally get it past them

 

[socallefty]

Fight to have a consistent contact point well in front of you - easier if you splitstep and are balanced on returns. Body serves that slice into you will jam you if you are unable to create space and one way to do that is to hit the ball well in front of you. I would not recommend standing too close - stand a couple of steps back and hit the ball early. Putting some underspin on the ball will also help you control it better rather than just blocking it.

 

[Thiemster]

One of the best things you can do(especially for someone with a 1HBH), is to learn how to lob serve return back to deep middle. Even Rajeev Ram was talking about this on his interview, its a great way to neutralize

 

[smashlob2]

What I found that works the best is if I move closer and right off the bounce.

I have not been chipping them (yet). Mostly just trying to flat return them.

In general the best way to fight spin is with spin. A slice serve has side spin which will make the ball come off your strings in a funky way with you try to hit it flat. You need some spin of your own to counteract that.

Without seeing your game and how fast the serves are coming in/what your strokes look like I can't really be more specific on that. Play with adding either slice or topspin to the returns. Play with different shots to see what works, since it's doubles, try a topspin lob down the line, a short chip cc.