Return of Service

Return of service is the receiver’s response to the server serving the tennis ball to begin a tennis point. When returning service, especially against big servers, the first move is critical. Once you see the ball off the opponents strings and determine whether it is going to be a forehand or backhand return, your first move is to pivot your feet and turn your hips and shoulders in that direction.

While making this movement you should be preparing the racket to hit at the same time. Especially when returning a solid first service, there should be very little, to zero backswing.

From this prepared position, you want to drive forward to the ball making contact out in front of your body. Follow through with the swing much the same as you would on a normal forehand or backhand groundstroke.

This “keep it simple” approach will help you minimize your errors on the return and force the server to work in order to hold service.

Be Prepared

For your opponent’s first service, stand about one step behind the baseline in the ready position – here you are in a good position to return a hard serve. For their second service, which will usually be slower and shorter, you may want to stand on or just inside the baseline.

Some players choose to move about while waiting to return service. Some bounce back and forth on their feet, while others move their whole body from side to side. This can help you to stay alert but isn’t essential. Whatever you decide, remember to keep your knees bent, heels off the floor, feet pointing forwards, upper body straight and racket out in front of you.

The Split Step

This is a technique used to get to the ball quicker. It is especially useful for getting to balls that have been served wide or short, but can also be used when you want to come into the net, or if you need to move backwards for a deep ball.

Begin by getting into the ready position. It is incredibly important that you are standing on your toes, heels off the ground, ready to jump up: bend your knees more if standing like this makes you feel unbalanced.

As your opponent hits the ball, this is your cue to jump up. Land on both feet, then move towards the ball. By jumping up, the floor acts as a starting block and should help you accelerate towards the ball faster.

You should land on the opposite foot to the direction you want to go in: if someone has hit to your forehand, and you need to get to the right hand side of the court (if you’re right handed), jump up and land on your left foot first. This allows you to push up on your left foot to move towards the right hand side of the court.

The same goes when you want to move forwards or backwards. If someone has served a short ball, jump up and land with one leg slightly behind you; you can then push off this back leg and move forwards.

Returning Different Types of Service

When returning a fast (usually a first) service, don’t waste time with a long backswing: instead, shorten the distance you take your racket back. This will help you use the pace of the served ball for your return and ensure you make contact with the ball in the right place – just in front of your front foot, at waist height and a comfortable distance from your body.

If you feel under pressure, try to return the ball deep and straight down the middle of the court; hitting it deep gives you more time to recover and get back to the ready position, while placing the ball in the centre of the court avoids giving your opponent an angle. If you can get it to their feet, even better.

Slow (typically second) serves give you more time to react. Make the most of this with a long take-back and full swing at the ball – this will give your return more power and make it harder for your opponent to get the ball back. If you’re feeling confident, a slow service is the ideal time to attack and establish yourself as the dominant player. Try to hit the ball down the line: this will force your opponent to move to the edge of the court, opening up space for your next shot which, if played cunningly, they will then struggle to reach.

No Man’s Land

If you return a ball into this area, you will give yourself a great opportunity to win the point. No man’s land is basically the corners of the court: from your opponent’s baseline to halfway to their service line, and stretching about half a metre from the tram line to one-third of the way along the court. Even if your opponent manages to get the ball back from this position, they will have been forced to move outside of the court, allowing you to stroke the ball back into an empty court (unless they’re lightning fast, of course).

Return Strategy

When returning service, especially against a big server, it’s important to force them to play with as little advantage as possible. The term “neutralize” is used on the first service return.

That means not being defensive with the shot but also not going for too much. You can think of it as trying to start even. Pick a big target, either deep crosscourt, or if the server is really bringing the heat, deep and right down the middle.

This will limit your errors and force the server to play. Remember, a big server relies on “free points” (aces, service winners and missed returns) in order to make their games easy.

If you try to be too offensive with returns you play right into their hands. A solid return deep down the middle will start you off in a neutral position, not on offense but not on defense either, which is the goal.

Another way to neutralize a big service is to make them pay every time they miss a first service. So when you get a look at a second service, be more offensive and send a message.

If you can do this effectively, one of two things will happen:

1. The server will have to take some pace off the first service in order to keep from being beaten on the second service, which helps you.
2. They will have to hit their second service bigger to keep you from attacking, which leads to more double faults and will give you more opportunities to break.

7 Tips for Return of Service

The return of service is very critical to the success of your game plan. You should regularly evaluate the effectiveness and reliability of this stroke and make sure that it does not break down.

A fast service can take less than a second to get to you, so you have to make a very quick response if you are going to return the ball with any sort of effectiveness.

The trick is to get your racket ready in the shortest possible time. If not, you will be late hitting the ball. Here are seven tips that can help.

The return of service ritual

The best returners have very specific rituals to help them return the fastest services.

They most often take a forward step just as the opponent starts the toss. Then they take a split step just before the opponent makes contact with the ball. They watch the toss of the ball very closely and try to get a connection with the opponent’s racket contact and their own preparedness.

The best returners then take a much abbreviated backswing that takes less than a second. Now they have enough time to meet the oncoming ball. If the ball is directed wide to the forehand, they don’t move parallel to the sideline because the ball would be too far out of their reach.

To solve the problem, they move diagonally about 75 degrees towards the ball so that they are not pulled off the court.

Move in on kick services

If the server hits a kick service, the returner also tries to keep control of the court by moving in and taking the ball before it kicks too high and wide. Moving in early can give you the opportunity to make a strategic return on this tricky service.

My ball!

Good returners have some tricks they have learned that help them to react to the service at minimal elapsed time possible. Psychologically, they don’t separate the contact of the ball by the opponent and then their return.

What they do is to make the whole process of service and return one entity using words like “my ball” just before impact so they can be at the highest alertness.

Return an imaginary ball

Good returners also have another habit that can help improve their returns. When the opponent serves the ball in the net, they return an imaginary ball. Their objective is to make the initial decision of reading the direction of the ball before it hits the net. If they can accomplish this, they can also, by inference, return the fastest balls.

Watch the ball go by

Another trick they use to prepare themselves to react more quickly is to have a big server bang serves to the opposite service court. By viewing the flight of the ball from an angle, the speed of the ball appears diminished.

They practice imaginary returns against these seemingly slower balls and trick their brain into responding more quickly. Experiment with some of these techniques and see which ones work best for you.

Give yourself more time

If you find that you still can’t react quickly enough, another way is to stand further back from the baseline. Each step you stand further back will give just that little bit extra time to meet the ball. And when it comes to returning big services, every moment can help.

Slice fast balls

Instead of trying to drive your returns, slice the ball. With a slice, the impact of the ball on your racket can be further back. It is also easier to control the ball with a slice and can buy you some time to get back into position on court if you’ve been pushed out of your comfort zone.