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Return serves into the four corners!




Claiming the T-Position at the start of the rally. 

A lot of rallies are decided before they’ve really even begun during the serve and return of serve phase.

Most people realise the benefits of volleying an opponent’s serve and most people are able to volley the majority of serves after playing for a while but people don’t always consider what sort of volleys they are playing or where they are hitting the ball too.

Hitting the four corners

It sounds very simple and possibly very boring but most serves should be volleyed into one of the four traditional corners of the court (some have argued for their being eight or more ‘corners’). By volleying the serve into one of these corners, you are forcing your opponent away from the T-Position. When your volley doesn’t reach or go to one of the four corners, it is much easier for your opponent to get to your shot and they will be far more likely to retain the T-Position, which is bad news for you. If you play a loose return or return to the middle, you will likely find yourself under pressure immediately against a stronger player or even that you have lost the rally after the next shot.

Personally, I think the majority of your serve returns should be straight long volleys, as this is the shot that when played well will get you to the T-Position and get your opponent behind you, which is the perfect start to any rally (except for hitting the nick). The cross-court volley and short volley are good return options to use sparingly to catch your opponent out but both need slightly more accuracy or they will sit up nicely for a well placed opponent. The volley lob is a particularly nice option if your opponent plays a high lob serve.

Using boasts or kills

If you go for boasts, kill shots or simply hit an inaccurate shot which ends up anywhere near the middle of the court, you won’t move your opponent away from the T-Position as much. Kills and boasts can be effective returns if you are able to catch your opponent over anticipating and moving to one side of the court very early. This is typically best done on occasion as your opponent won’t be expecting such a shot or if you disguise your intentions well.

Have a good look at your return of serve and see if it is helping you get off to a good start to rallies or if it is actually leaving you vulnerable early in the rally. There are lots of players out there who play well once they get into the rally but often don’t make it that far because their serve or return isn’t of a high enough standard. Don’t be that player – practice and improve your serve and return.




Using different throws when you serve



Get different effects on your serve. 

We’ve talked before about different ways you can mix up your serve to give yourself a slightly better chance of coming out of the serve and return exchange on top, such as varying the style of serve you hit and changing the side you serve from first from time to time. In this post however, we’ll discuss other small changes you can make by changing the way you throw the ball as you go to serve.

Slightly backwards 

One way of changing the throw I find very useful is to throw the ball backwards slightly as if you were going to catch it with your racket hand. By doing this, you change the angle of your shot and cause the ball to go towards the side wall more. If you can get this timing right, you can get the ball to consistently go like an arrow towards the side wall just behind the service box so that it is hard to volley but also cannot be left to bounce.

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Spin

No matter what the pace of serve you are hitting, you might find it can be improved by spinning the ball as you throw it. This can add even more spin to your serve, which can improve its depth and also give it a nasty kick off the side wall, both of which can make it more difficult to return.

Dead ball 

Another way of throwing the ball you might consider is to drop the ball almost rather than throwing it. Have a go at literally letting the ball roll out of your hand before hitting a lob serve. This can make your lob serve even slower and help it to die in the back corner, making it even trickier to return.

Many more…

There are a number of ways and effects you can use when you throw the ball to make your serve even more difficult to return, so be sure to experiment with little additions to make your game that little bit better.




What to do when you can’t run…



There’s always a time. 

I played a match this week when I was recovering from injury and probably wasn’t really fit enough. I don’t recommend playing when you’re injured in the slightest. I’ve done it before and paid, and you will too if you do it. It may seem brave but when you play on through injury, there is a good chance you will make it worse and be out injured for longer.

If you can’t run for other reasons i.e. tiredness, lack of fitness or your opponent is a lot fitter than you, here’s what you do:

The Three Shot Rally Rule 

The last thing you want to do is get caught up in long rallies when you’re tired, so you should aim to change the rules of engagement; try to make the rallies end within three or four shots. This doesn’t mean aiming to outlandish winners from your opponent’s serve or aiming to hit amazing trick shots, but to make sure that every shot is geared towards winning the rally. Every shot should be attacking – your Drives should be low and bouncing twice before the back wall, you should continually look to twist and turn your opponent and you should take any opportunities to go short. Whenever you get an opening or an opportunity, don’t hesitate to take it, even half-chances. If you’re wanting to win still you’ll need to play to win so you’ll need to take a few chances.

Breaking your opponent’s rhythm

Playing three or four shot rallies will upset the rhythm of most players anyhow but it’s worth also doing other small things where you can to break your opponent’s rhythm. By this I mean stopping them getting momentum or getting a run of points. If they do this, it’ll be hard to peg them back if they’re in better shape than you.

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Increased importance of Serve and Return

Serve and Return is a big opportunity to stifle their momentum. Try to vary your Serve frequently. Throwing in a few awkward Body Serves is certainly recommended, as these are good for unsettling your opponent. I said earlier that this style isn’t about going for amazing winners on your opponent’s Serve but it is something to consider from time to time. If your opponent has just won the Serve, it can be very effective to go for a Straight or Cross-Court Drop Volley to try and stop them before they put together a sequence of points.

Try out the Three Shot Rule strategy and see how it works for you. It’s a style and tactic worth practicing, as some day you might need it if you come up against an opponent who is a lot fitter or you’re playing your fifth match of the day.




Cross-Courting as a Return of Serve



When to do it and when not to do it.

The Return of Serve is such an important shot, as in combination with the Serve, it sets the tone for the rally and decides who will take control of the T-Position and control the early stages of the rally.

Timing it right

If you time a Cross-Court Volley badly (or of course hit it badly), you can end up putting the ball right onto your opponent’s racket, giving them a great opportunity to attack you and apply pressure.

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If you are going to Cross-Court Volley a Serve, or hit a Cross-Court Volley at any time, try to take it as early as you can. This not only takes more time away from your opponent but it also means they are less likely to be established on the T-Position after their previous shot. If you can hit it early enough, you will hopefully catch them with their body weight going towards the T-Position as they move forwards, which would make it very hard for them to change direction and return a well hit Cross-Court.

Alternatively, you can look to Cross-Court on the Volley a little bit later as a player’s serve comes off the side wall. The idea here is to catch them when they are starting to drift in towards your side of the court anticipating a Straight shot. With their weight heading away from the T-Position, a sudden change of direction can be lethal and leave them scurrying to stay in the rally.

In conclusion, if you want to Cross-Court Volley more effectively as a Return of Serve, either hit it very early or a lot later.




Watching the ball properly on the Return of Serve 



That shot could be even better if you watched the ball…

It still amazes me how many players don’t watch the ball. I’m now occasionally prone to losing the ball from time to time when I’ve been coaching for hours as my mind starts to wander, but there’s no excuse for not watching when playing – especially when waiting to receive your opponent’s serve.

Returning Serve 

A lot of people don’t watch the ball when their opponent is serving, which still strikes me as amazing. Firstly, I’m amazed that they don’t think to watch the ball and I’m often amazed that they are often able to return it – often on the volley. Think how good they could be at volleying if they only watched the ball! They’d be able to take it so much earlier and take even more time away from their opponent, which would make their volley twice as dangerous.

Not watching the serve might not lose you the rally immediately but it will leave you in a weaker position that you could’ve been in. If you’re doing well anyway, just imagine how much better it could still be simply by watching the ball.

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When you watch the wall, you miss the first half of the ball’s travel and therefore miss out on valuable cues and information about the serve’s direction. This can affect your movement and positioning in particular, as if you watch the ball your feet will start readying you to hit the ball. If you don’t watch it, your feet will typically either not move or drift over in auto-pilot and leave you too close to the ball. Both of these will reduce the quality of your shot and this could prevent you from getting into the rally properly, as your opponent may be able to attack this weaker return and put you under pressure. The way you watch the ball is important too, as depending on your eyes you may need to turn your head so that you get both eyeballs on the ball.

This is not something limited to beginners either. I’ve seen lots of players do it at Division 1 and even Premier Level County Leagues before. Check you are watching the ball as your opponent serves it. All the way from their hand to the racket to the wall. Every step of the way. If you see your friend doing it, tell them to watch the serve too – but only after you’ve taken full advantage of it and beaten them.