Tip of the day

Hit a deeper return of serve to start on offense

Most players obsess over their serve, but the return shapes the whole point, and depth matters more than power. A deep return pushes the serving team back and buys you the time to get to the kitchen, the strongest spot on the court.

A deep return also makes their third shot much harder, since they are hitting from near the baseline while moving forward. A short return does the opposite and puts you on defense right away.

Add pressure with placement. Aim deep to the backhand, down the middle to create confusion between partners, or at the weaker player.

Make consistency the priority. Missing a return hands over a free point, so a safe deep return almost always beats a risky attempt at a winner.

On tough serves with spin or pace, simplify. Tell yourself to just get it back, aim higher over the net so you clear it, and stay balanced through contact to keep the return deep and in play.

Key points

Depth beats power, since a deep return pushes the server back and buys you time to the kitchen.
A deep return forces a hard third shot from the baseline while they move forward.
Add pressure by aiming deep to the backhand, down the middle, or at the weaker player.
Never miss a return, because a safe deep ball beats a risky attempted winner.
On tough serves, simplify your goal, aim higher over the net, and stay balanced through contact.

Watch the full tutorial