The job of the player is to try to allign the strings to the incoming ball placing the racquet head on the path of the ball.
Body-Return Down the Line with Volleys and Groundstrokes
The coach serves into a player’s body, who returns down the line at another player standing at the net. The point is played out.
Improving Footwork on the Return – The Platform
In this exercise the emphasis is on the split step. The player starts on a platform and jumps down to return.
Improving Focus on the Return
Watching the ball to contact is essential when returning serve and the most critical period is from the bounce to contact.
Attacking the Return
Serve to the backhand on the deuce court. The returner approaches the net down the line.The point is played out.
Off the Bounce Returns
A good way to practice the shorter backswing on the return is by having the player stand very close to the service line and return from there. From that position the player will not have time to take a large backswing and will get comfortable blocking the ball with a compact swing.
Grip Returns – Improving your Tracking Ability
In order to hit a solid return it is very important to learn to track the ball into the contact point. In this drill, the player tries to stop the serve with the grip, forcing the player to practice his/her tracking skills. When using this drill it is important to make sure the player is not trying to swing at …
Improving your Tracking Ability on the Return
One of the most common mistakes when returning is failing to track the ball into the racquet after the bounce. Here is a drill to help you practice this.
Return Collection – In the Air
Although it is widely accepted that the return of serve is one of the most important shots in the game, practicing it enough is difficult since it requires someone to serve a high volume of balls. Here is an alternative, that although not perfect, targets many of the skills needed to return Exercise 2 Close Feeds Taking time away from …
Bounce Feeds Return
A return is nothing more than a groundstroke with a short backswing. In order to force the player to shorten the backswing it is important to take away time. By standing close to the player and feeding fast bouncing shots, the coach forces the payer to shorten the backswing and work on blocking the ball in front of the body.