Around The Bend January 2019

T ENN I S T I P

by: Luke Burden

Four tips for a better serve return

"The serve return is one of the most important shots in tennis, however many of us rarely, if ever, practice this shot."

3. When/where to return the serve To make the decision a little easier and to allow you to focus on the ball, have a go at returning the serve to a particular position. When the serve is wide try and return the serve cross court, this way if you make contact late the ball should still go in. Alternatively, if the serve is down the “T” return down the middle/line. 4. Move in and forward Try to move diagonally forward toward the ball. There are a number of reasons for this; cutting the ball off helps get more weight behind the ball, it also helps you focus on the ball and rushes the opponent by returning the ball sooner.

1. Stay low By staying low with the knees bent it will allow you to have a more stable base and move to the return in an effective manner. You have to bend your knee before moving anyway so you might as well save yourself that time. 2. Shorten your backswing Usually the serve is coming through at a faster pace than any other shot. By shortening your backswing it will allow you to make contact in front on a more regular basis. After shortening your backswing focus on getting the string behind the ball and following through toward your target.

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