How to Hit Your Perfect Return of Serve

Return of serve requires a very simple frame for concentration. It is the most under-rated shot in tennis, in terms of its importance. A well-placed return of serve is low and angled, and tends to pull the server out of position for the next shot. Such a service return, done on perhaps one-third to one-half the points, will most certainly tilt the match in favor of the person returning serve.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Tennis Court, Racket, Balls, Opponent

1. One should first select the grip one will hold to await the toss. Generally, this should be the grip on one’s weaker side.

2. Assume the ready position, knees slightly bent.
   
   The single most important task in achieving Your Perfect Return of Swerve is to watch the ball intently during the toss. It is impossible to over-emphasize the importance of watching the toss. It focuses the mind and body to a single point in space.

3. With the toss in the air, we want to read the direction of the service and react rapidly by bringing our eyes under the ball.
   
   Maintaining this low position, we lean into the return, trying to take the ball on the rise and direct it low over the net toward an open area of the court.

4. The return itself is short blocked shot – more like a volley than a ground stroke. In fact, there is so little time on the return of serve that a backswing should be avoided completely. A short, decisive block will provide the best results.

Tips & Warnings

• Keeping our eyes and body low, will almost certainly keep the ball low. A low angled return will pull your opponent off his anchored or preferred positioning the baseline or net, giving the returner an advantage that could easily award him the point. Facing a high kick second serve, it is essential once again to keep our eyes under eh ball as se lean in to take it on the rise. Allowing a kick service to get up high, without taking it on the rise, confers a big advantage on the server, as it vastly increases the likelihood that our return will float in fashion our opponent could easily put away.
• Do not take a full swing to hit a serve return. There is not enough time. Block, block, block the shot.
• Do not pick your weight up too fast, in attempt to generate power.