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Why Playing High School Tennis is a Good Choice

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As we head into the final weeks of the high school tennis season, it’s a good time to consider the importance of athletics, both in school, and out. Sports are a powerful force that go beyond the realm of fitness, and become the basis for bringing people together; empowering one’s sense of self, and providing a future of health and healthy relationships. While we can experience tennis (the competitive and the social) as children, it really isn’t until we experience it in high school that it takes on a shape all its own.

High School Tennis Athletes Learn Teamwork and Cooperation

High School Tennis AthletesTennis, in its most basic form, is a seemingly solitary in nature. There is singles and doubles competition. The dynamic changes when the setting becomes a high school team. Now your singularity becomes plural, and the sense of inclusion is more profound. The team setting allows you to become closer to your peers, with a shared interest. These relationships can outlast high school graduation, and span a lifetime.

Community Representation

High school sports promote school pride. From the uniforms, to the pre match chant, the athletes come together as a conjoined unit. The fans are gathered to support the team, win or lose. The common goal is winning, cheering and defeating the opponent. The pride experienced creates a bond between the individual and the school. The relationship transcends time, and resurfaces when your alma mater wins a state championship years after you’ve graduated. It is a certain joy that you experience when your family, and friends, play for “your high school.”

Improved Academics Among High School Tennis Athletes

High school athletes are held to a different level of criteria than other students. The term “student athlete” arises out of each school’s requirement that team members must maintain a certain grade point average to participate in sports. For some students the only reason to keep their grades up may be strictly because of their desire to play on the team. Athletes are also monitored off the school campus. Team members know that if they get in trouble they may not be eligible to participate in the next match, or suspended from the team. Sports can be a great motivator for some athletes to challenge themselves academically and monitor their behavior off, and on the court.

High School Tennis Instills Sportsmanship

Of all the sports played in high school, tennis stands apart. The work that is done on the court is individual, but the results are tallied as a team. Coaching in tennis is not constant. Tips and consultation can only come when players are changing sides of the court, or between sets. Tennis relies on the honesty and integrity of the players to call their own lines, keep their own score and play until the match is completed, not until the clock stops. “Time outs” in tennis are limited and occur very briefly, making need for conditioning paramount. Fans of tennis are held to a different criteria as well. As a courtesy to the players, the noise during points is virtually nonexistent. Cheering should be done only when a shot has been executed successfully, not because an opponent failed at an attempt.

Responsibilities of the Student Athlete

Athletics, in general, provides life skills. They instill effort, and the notion that success is only achieved with 100% effort. Athletes have to work hard. They have to practice, condition, become students of the sport, and students in the classroom. High school athletes must be disciplined in balancing their studies and use of their free time. Athletes are role models, and must conduct themselves in a responsible manner, as a representative of their school, in order to stay on the team. Finally, our players have to recognize that in order to achieve the goal of winning, much like realizing success in life, they have to work together.

As we head into Individual, and Nevada State, tennis competition over the next week, we wish all of our student athletes the best of luck and remind them to have fun.

We hope this post motivates you to start thinking differently about high school athletics. We appreciate you, and if you have a moment, share any thoughts you have about your high school experience and how athletics has played a role in your life.

6 Simple Ways to Be a Better Tennis Coach

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We have all either had, or have heard, about that overbearing coach that yells at their students when they make mistakes. Maybe they used negative reinforcement throughout their instruction. Some people might defend the coach by praising their knowledge and expertise. However, teaching tennis technique, and proper form, is actually the easiest part of being a tennis coach.

Think about your favorite mentors or coaches. What made him or her special? How did they  connect with you? How did they make you feel? Perhaps it was their willingness to go out of their way to help you?

6 Simple Ways to Become a Better Tennis Coach

Great tennis coaches support their students and act as their guide. They instill confidence in their students and assist them to self-discover how great and capable they are. Here are some key aspects of a great tennis coach.

1.     Be Positive

better tennis coachCoaches create the environment for the students, and it should be both positive and safe. When providing instruction focus on what will help the student the most, and explain the benefits behind the change. For example, “Next time you hit your overhead, remember to make contact out in front of your head, so that you have a better chance of making it into the court.” When working with kids, or tennis players, that are critical of their abilities, provide positive reinforcement for effort, not results. Teaching tennis can take a lot of patience, but positivity is essential.

2.     Focus on the Student

Great tennis coaches focus on their students. Each lesson is a finite amount of time, and it’s an opportunity to make each student shine and progress toward their goals. On court conversations are best when they are about the student’s goals, or are initiated by the student.

3.     Engagement & Accountability

better tennis coachBeing able to captivate an audience, and keep them engaged, for an extended period of time takes practice and creativity.  Most tennis coaches do not have the luxury of hand picking their students, and often start out by working with younger, beginning tennis players. Engaging students is the responsibility of the tennis coach, and there is no one formula for success. What works best for a student takes creativity and innovation.

4.     Look the Part & Deliver Results

Tennis coaches should appear outwardly professional, a walking billboard of anticipated results.  Great coaches have genuine conversations with their clients, to establish what it will take to reach their goals. Clients are paying money, to essentially make them better versions of themselves.

5.     Continue Learning

Great coaches realize success is a moving target and in order to stay relevant they must be committed to life-long learning. Tennis professionals should, at a minimum, be certified. Certification establishes foundational education, credibility, and on court insurance. Insurance is important for independent clubs or smaller tennis operations. A client injury can capsize a business if not insured properly.

6.     Get a Mentor

Best Tennis Coach Reno, NVA key recommendation for tennis coaches that are looking to improve, is to find mentors that can act as a guides. The hardest part to teaching tennis technique is knowing what to look for. People that have been teaching tennis for an extended period of time can help others see cues, and clues, to a player’s betterment. Just as a doctor looks at symptoms to determine the cause before making recommendations, coaches should do the same.

Coaches provide support and guidance on, and off, the court. The lesson doesn’t end after the hour is completed… Following up and having a genuine interest in the student is what makes a great tennis coach. Be patient, continue learning, and enjoy the journey.

If you enjoyed this article please leave a comment or connect with us on social media. Our tennis professionals live and breathe tennis, and would love for you to come by the club and take a lesson while you are there.

Tennis Conditioning Drills that Bring Focus and Purpose

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On Court Tennis Conditioning Drills

Here are some tennis conditioning drills that Chris Ferguson and myself do regularly to push ourselves on the court.

Recommended Areas of Focus when doing Tennis Conditioning Drills

  1. The drill has to be challenging. Just enough so that we are pushed out of our comfort zone and need stretch our abilities to rise to the occasion.
  2. We focus on staying loose and seek to feel effortless control when hitting the ball so that we are more likely to get into the zone.
  3. We set the drill to a time limit so that we know we have a fixed amount of time to bring our best.

For the drills shown today we did intervals of 6 minutes. These are advanced drills and you can find the pros do these effortlessly on YouTube here so you can see the difference. If you would like to see the drills we used to build up to these comment below and we can share them with you.

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Cheers!

Randy & Chris

Warm Up Tennis Drills for Pre-Match Play

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Warm Up Tennis Drills

Warm up tennis drills are a great way to structure a tennis warm up at all levels of play. We have all seen a group of friends or a family step out onto the tennis court and start hitting groundstrokes from the baseline for a few minutes and call out, “Let’s play first good serve.” There has to be a better way to get warmed up on the court prior to match play.

In order to perform at your best you have to have a game plan to get you there. Today, it is common practice to have a dynamic warm up routine to get your body ready to start hitting the ball. But what are some quality warm up tennis drills you can use to get your timing and feel for the ball prior to your match?

Below are 5 warm up tennis drills that Chris Ferguson-Mcintyre and I, both former Division 1 college tennis players, do prior to playing our matches.

Warm Up Tennis Drill #1: Short Court

Warming up with short court helps you get your feel for your spins and timing established prior to moving back to the baseline. Both you and your partner start behind the service line and rally groundstrokes as if it were the baseline.

  • Key Areas of Emphasis

    • Establish your footwork and keep the proper distance between you and the ball.
    • Stay loose and meet each ball out in front.

Warm Up Tennis Drill #2: Reflex Volleys

To get your eyes and timing adjusted to a fast pace of play do the reflex volley drill. You and your partner will start behind the service line and volley to one another, aiming for each others chest, while closing toward the net after each volley when appropriate.

  • Key Areas of Emphasis

    • Split step and turn your feet sideways as much as possible on each volley.
    • Keep your center of gravity low.
    • Step forward into each volley as often as possible.

Warm Up Tennis Drill #3: Groundstrokes 2 Feet Inside the Baseline

To get use to taking the ball early, which is a best practice in doubles, stand 2 feet inside the baseline and adjust your feet to take the ball on the rise. This drill will help you pick up deep hard hit balls that occur during match play and build your confidence taking the ball on the rise.

  • Key Areas of Emphasis

    • Keep your center of gravity low.
    • Stay level throughout your stroke.
    • Stay intense with the legs and loose with the upper body.

Warm Up Tennis Drill #4: 2 Volleys and an Overhead

For this drill you will start behind the service line and your opponent will start behind the baseline. To simulate match play, you will get the first volley near the service line and close in toward the net for the second volley, followed by an overhead, and repeat.

  • Key Areas of Emphasis

    • Split step and have your center of gravity low.
    • Keep your shoulders over your hips as you close toward the net so you can adjust back for the overhead effectively.
    • The net man closes toward the net as often as possible.

Warm Up Tennis Drill #5: Serve and Return Drill

The server and returner set up as normal. Once the server serves the ball the returner aims to return the ball deep where the servers feet land near the baseline. The server hits his first ball as he would in a match.

  • Areas of Emphasis

    • Server adjusts back quickly after hitting the serve.
    • Returner aims for the specific area on the court. Aim small miss small.
    • Returner prepares his racket low and takes it back as early as possible on hard hit serves.

Tennis Drills to Come

That concludes the match preparation tennis drills for this post. Be sure to subscribe to the blog to receive the most recent posts from Tennis Nation Racquet Sports. The next tennis drills will be for a dynamic warm up routine so stay tuned. See you on the court!

Measuring Grip Size – Selecting a Tennis Racquet Grip

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The Common Question

One of the common questions that arise when selecting a tennis racquet is, “what is my grip size?” It is a very good question and one that should be determined prior to selecting your tennis racquet. You wouldn’t work out or play tennis in shoes that were too big or too small because if you did you wouldn’t perform at your best and may get injured as a result. The same consideration should be taken when selecting the grip size of your racquet. Having the right sized grip will make your tennis experience more enjoyable and pain free over the long run.

Determining Your Grip Size

Option 1

Step 1: Hold your racquet in the eastern forehand grip with your index knuckle and heel pad on bevel number three. For detailed information on finding the eastern forehand refer to the grip section of the blog.

Step 2: Place your index finger of your non hitting hand in the space between your palm and index finger.

Step 3: Determine if the grip size is too small, too big, or just right. If there is not enough space between your hitting hand’s ring finger and palm for your non hitting hand’s index finger than the grip is too small. If there is more than enough space for your index finger than the grip is too big. If your index finger fits comfortably, then the grip is just right.

Step 4: Adjust the grip size until you reach the ideal size. You can do this by selecting a racquet with the ideal grip size after doing the finger test or by selecting a slightly smaller sized grip and adding an over grip (adds 1/16 inch) or a heat shrink sleeve (adds 1/8 inch). You can repeat this process until you reach the ideal grip size. *This will increase the weight of the racquet slightly by 7-16 grams however the benefits of having a proper sized grip significantly outweigh the added weight.

Option 2

Step 1: Using a ruler measure your hand. Do so by raising your dominant hitting hand with your fingers close together as if you were asked to go under oath.

Step 2: Measure from the top of your ring finger to the second horizontal crease in your hand with the ruler. If the measurement comes out to be 4 ½ inches then you would select a 4 ½ inch grip size.

Step 3: If you are in between grip sizes select the one that is smaller rather than larger and add to it as described in option 1, step 4 until you arrive at your ideal grip size.

Why Having the Proper Grip Size is Important

To simply put it, by having the proper grip size you are going to have a more pleasant playing experience and lessen the likely hood of having tennis elbow problems. When the grip is too small it requires more grip strength to keep the racquet from twisting in your hand. Overtime utilizing a grip that is too small increases the risk of getting tennis elbow. When the grip is too big it limits your wrist movement and also requires more grip strength which overtime also increases the risk of tennis elbow.

Now that you have the found the right sized grip for you, check out the system for finding all tennis grips, or follow the link provided for a complete list of guides on tennis technique.

Novak Djokovic Diet

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Flashback: Novak Djokovic to 2010

Who would have thought changing the Novak Djokovic diet would make all the difference…

Think back to 2010 and earlier matches, when Djokovic would reach the later rounds of tournament play and appear to be playing exceptional tennis but when the match got extended or turned into a battle it seemed his energy would fade or he would begin to breathe heavily as if he had asthma.

Recall how Djokovic withdrew from the semifinal match at Wimbledon in 2008, the quarterfinal match at the Australian Open in 2009, along with the long injury breaks during the U.S. Open in 2009? Djokovic’s post match interviews attributed the majority of the match let downs or match withdrawals to health issues.

But then everything seemed to change for Djokovic in 2011…

The Big Question

How can it be that Djokovic went from struggling physically in the later rounds of tournament play to becoming arguably the fittest tennis player on tour? Novak won 10 tennis titles, 3 Grand Slams, and 53 consecutive matches in 2011.

Undoubtedly several factors played a role in Djokovic’s acceleration to the top of the tennis world, which include physical training, rest, and diet. However, from personal experience I would say that the greatest impact came from a change in the Novak Djokovic diet.

Novak Djokovic Diet

In early 2010 Novak Djokovic met with a Serbian doctor by the name of Igor Cetojevic who played a role in uncovering that Novak had gluten intolerance. Gluten intolerance is diagnosed by eliminating gluten from a persons diet and as a result the person has resolution of symptoms. Gluten is a protein that can be found in grains we eat such as wheat, barley, and rye. Most people associate being gluten intolerant with Celiac disease due to the initial symptoms being similar. However, Djokovic suffers from gluten intolerance which can vary in sensitivity where as Celiac disease can be debilitating and life threatening in some cases.

What is Celiac Disease?

The Celiac Disease Foundation simply states, “Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that can occur in genetically predisposed people where the ingestion of gluten leads to damage in the small intestine.” When individuals with Celiac disease ingest gluten their immune system reacts and damages the small intestine that can lead to the body being unable to absorb nutrients into the bloodstream.

What is the Impact?

People who have gluten intolerance or Celiac disease can be impacted negatively when they consume gluten. The symptoms of being gluten intolerant include feeling bloated, gassy, having stomach cramps, and appearing anemic among others. As a result of not being able to absorb all the nutrients consumed into the blood stream people with gluten intolerance or Celiac disease are not taking in the calories that a normal person would and as a result can become malnourished.

It is no wonder Novak Djokovic was fatigued during his tennis matches prior to his diagnoses. Undoubtedly, his body was not absorbing all the nutrients that he was consuming. He was playing his tennis matches with his gas tank half full.

Celiac disease and gluten intolerance has impacted my family as well. My mom was diagnosed with Celiac disease when I was in high school and I can recall years of her battling through the symptoms. My mom is an amazing cook and I can recall her lying down after dinner trying to calm her stomach. The rest of the family didn’t think much of the stomach aches; being all guys we attributed being gassy to her having a sensitive stomach or over eating. Hopefully she finds humor in it now. However, when her energy began to decline rapidly we all took notice.

My mom has always been a dedicated tennis player playing around three times a week, working out with light weights and doing cardio on off days. One morning she went out for a morning run and came back in total disgust. She said she couldn’t even jog a mile without stopping. It was as if she were being held back unable to muster the energy to do what she wanted to do. Days later my mom began seeking the advice of multiple physicians and was advised to take the same ELISA test Djokovic had taken and then it all made sense.

How common is Celiac Disease and being Gluten Intolerant?

Celiac disease is far better known then even a decade ago. About 1% of the population has Celiac disease and the diagnose rate is rising as the public is becoming more aware.  Also, 6% of the population has gluten sensitivity but these individuals do not have Celiac disease, according to Celiac Central.

Novak Djokovic Diet Solution = Gluten Free

The only cure to Celiac disease or gluten intolerance is to lead a 100% gluten free diet. Leading a gluten free lifestyle takes persistence and dedication. A person pursuing a gluten free diet would substitute wheat pastas and breads for alternatives that are made out of rice, corn, or oatmeal to name a few. Being cautions of anything you consume is also a must. For example, when my mom goes shopping she checks the back of food packages for modified food starch or other cues and clues that may indicate if the product contains or could contain gluten.

Fortunately for Novak, he has a whole team around him, including a dietitian and nutritionist to help him transition to a 100% gluten free diet. My mom was also fortunate due to being a registered dietitian herself and having experience with the effects that food and diet can have on people through her clinical work in the hospital.

A blood test can be done to screen for celiac disease and a bowel biopsy may be needed to confirm the results.  You must be consuming wheat, rye or barley food items daily before having these tests to have accurate results.

Novak Djokovic diet right for everyone?

Not all of us need to avoid gluten entirely in our diets, unless you have medical reasons or have been advised from your physician to do so. However, Djokovic and my mom’s story speak volumes to the effect diet can have on an athlete’s performance.

Think of the small steps that can be taken in your own lifestyle or diet that may translate into big results for your health and tennis game and share them with us by commenting below and subscribing to the blog.

Thanks for reading and I will see you on the court!

Taking the Ball Early on the Rise in Tennis

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Taking the Ball Early: The “Go To” Mindset

Taking the ball on the rise in tennis is a mindset that takes focus and determination. Moving to the ball is demanding on the body and takes much more effort than waiting for the ball. That is why so many recreational players tend to wait for the ball, because it is easier on the body and naturally we do what feels best. However, if more players were aware of the benefits of moving to the ball and how the benefits apply to multiple sports, I am sure people would buy in.

Think of some of the great athletes and ask yourself if they go to the ball or wait for the ball to come to them. Dennis Rodman went up aggressively to get rebounds as they bounced off the rim. He didn’t wait for the ball to come to him. Wes Welker moves toward the ball when catching the football on a crossing route in coverage. Andre Agassi and Roger Federer move into the court and attack the ball on the rise. When Roger gets a floater he takes the ball out of the air as a swinging volley rather than waiting for the ball to bounce. I think you get the point. All of the athletes mentioned above have the “go to” mindset. Therefore, they are more aggressive and more likely to dictate play. Not convinced? Let’s talk benefits.

Taking the Ball Early: Benefits

Pressure

  • Opponent has less time to react and set up for the incoming ball.
  • Make the opponent pay for hitting short balls and balls that float through the air.
  • Being closer to the net you can produce sharper angles that cause your opponent to cover more court.

Positioning and Set Up

  • By taking the ball early you cut off your opponent’s angles and don’t need to cover as much court.
  • By being further in the court it puts you in a better position to be offensive and attack the net.
  • By going to the ball you have greater control over the height and the contact point at which you stroke the ball.
  • Due to taking the ball on the rise you can minimize the impact of spin.
    • A prime example of this would be taking a kick serve or slice serve early so that the ball doesn’t have the opportunity to move outside of your comfort or strike zone.
  • It is favorable to simplify the backswing of the stroke to handle and redirect hard hit balls, which can help lessen unforced errors.

Taking the Ball on the Rise: Best Practices

  • When playing try to stand close to the baseline and move forward to dictate play. If your opponent hits the ball with good depth, adjust accordingly.
  • Simplify your backswing so that it goes back far enough to establish a strong load but no further. A shorter backswing will help with your timing and comfort when taking the ball early.
  • When the ball is low work on establishing a neutral or square stance and bending your knees so that your center of gravity is low. This will help maintain good posture and balance as you set up below the ball.
  • Focus on your opponent’s body language and strings prior to hitting the ball. By doing so you may get some cues and clues to the quality and direction of ball your opponent is likely to hit.
    • For example, you may hit a deep ball to your opponent’s backhand and notice that he will be reaching to hit a slice that is likely to float through the air. This may cue you to move in quickly and hit a swinging volley, if that happens to be your style.

Taking the Ball Early: General Footwork and Set up Tips

Taking the ball early requires the same great footwork you would use on all your strokes and more. These general footwork concepts are going to seem obvious if you have been around the game for some time, however a refresher never hurts.

  • Always initiate the split step prior to your opponent making contact with the ball so that you can react explosively to the ball.
  • Utilize your adjustment steps, small calculated steps, as you approach the ball and assess the optimal setup point.
  • Work hard to move your feet out behind the ball so that your last step to the ball is forward into the court rather than horizontal toward the sideline.
    • By doing so you allow your hips to unload into the ball, where as if the last step is to the side the hips have a difficult time rotating through.
  • Focus on keeping your head still through contact. This will help with your point of contact and timing.
    • If your head were to change elevations or move horizontally at contact, more than likely your racquet head will follow which commonly results in miss hits.

The Drill for Taking the Ball Early or on the Rise in Tennis

Taking the ball on the rise can be taught and implemented through training. Working on taking the ball early can be physically exhausting and mentally draining. As you practice remember to enjoy the process of what you are doing and as long as it is effective, the results will come.

The drill that I have found effective for improving my ability to take the ball on the rise is where my partner and I stand inside the baseline and exchange ground strokes. First, position yourself two feet inside the baseline. Second, begin to rally with your partner. Third, move in on each short ball ensuring to take the ball on the rise. Lastly, lets cover what to do on balls that most people find challenging during this drill.

Low Balls: Lower down with your legs on balls that are hit low around your feet and hit your ground strokes. If you have to take adjustment steps back to allow for the ball to rise up to your preferred contact point do so, however only when necessary.

Balls that Sail Long: If the ball is headed long go ahead and practice your swinging volley. This will help you attack balls that float through the air and improve your hand eye coordination.

Taking the Ball Early: What You Need to Implement

Taking the ball early in tennis isn’t all sunshine and rainbows; it takes a lot of hard work and dedication. Through practice and doing the best practices and the drill mentioned previously you should be able to improve these key skills for taking the ball on the rise:

  • Read the ball sooner
  • Set up for the stroke earlier
  • Improve your timing and hand eye coordination
  • Improve your footwork and move quickly to the ball
  • Begin to hit with more topspin, court distance is shorter, need more spin to keep the ball in.

I hope you found the article helpful and please share your thoughts below by commenting and subscribe. See you on the court!

How to Hit a Tennis Return of Serve

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Tennis Return of Serve: Importance

The tennis return of serve is the second most important shot in tennis behind the serve. The first shot you hit in half the games you play will be the return of serve. Most players would be satisfied neutralizing their opponents serve with their return. Others have developed their return into a weapon putting pressure on their opponent and giving them an advantage. Andre Agassi had one of the greatest returns of all time and is a great person to emulate and learn from.

The biggest mistake people make on the return of serve, myself included, is not practicing the shot enough. The only way to develop the return of serve into an effective shot is to put in the hours of consistent practice and focus on doing the fundamentals correctly.

Where to Stand for the Tennis Return of Serve

tennis return of serveLet’s begin with the basics on positioning yourself horizontally on the baseline. When you select where to stand for the return, imagine there is string tied to your opponent’s racquet and the string extends all the way over the net into the service box on your side of the court. One string is extended down the center of the service line and one out wide where the service line and singles line intersect. To be neutral you can stand in the center of those two points to play both options equally. However, if your opponent favors one service location over the other, you may decide to favor that side by opening up the court to his/her least desired serve, which could be your strength as well. Realize where you stand for the return should be influenced by several factors.

What Works Best?

On the tennis return of serve there are different options for where to stand which can be influenced by your style of play, your hand eye coordination, and your opponent’s serve. The standard for where to stand on the return without taking into account any other variables is around three feet behind the baseline. However, all the different variables are important and should be considered, so keep that in mind throughout this post.

Generally as an all court attacking player, standing as close as you can while having enough time to react to the serve and control the return is a great option. By standing closer to receive serve you can cut off angles and have a better opportunity to play spin serves that may be moving away from you. For example, second serves generally are hit with more spin with less pace than first serves and that is why the majority players move in to return the second serve. Additionally as an attacking player you want to take the ball earlier and be positioned closer to the baseline after the return so that you can have the best opportunity to dictate play.

Baseliners, such as clay court specialists, or players that extend rallies to wear down their opponents may choose to stand further back on the return. If your goal is to wear down your opponent and extend rallies you may find standing further back to be a good option. You have more time to react to the serve and more than likely will be able to get the serve back into the court to work your way into the point or even neutralize the serve. The disadvantage would be that by standing further back you open up the court to greater angles and provide your opponent with more time to set up for the next shot.

Your Tennis Return of Serve

It is up to you to determine where to stand for the tennis return of serve and it may vary depending on the player you face and what takes place during the match. Be open to mixing up your strategy if it isn’t working.

Hitting the Tennis Return of Serve: Preparation

When preparing for the return of serve you want to be in the ready position. The ready position is the athletic stance where your feet are around shoulder width apart, standing light on the balls of your feet, and ready to react to your opponent. For a more in depth explanation see the ready position listed under the Footwork section.

When thinking of the preparation phase of the return of serve, there are a few other key elements that come to mind. You want to stay loose and energetic for the return of serve, focus on the ball, and react to the ball.

Stay Loose and Energetic

Being light on your feet and loose is crucial on the return. Many professional athletes bounce up and down on the balls of their feet prior to their opponent beginning their service motion. By being light on your feet, your split step and movement toward the return will happen more quickly. Also, by keeping your upper body and hands loose for the return will allow you to accelerate the racquet head more effectively.

Focus on the Ball

Watching the ball from the beginning of your opponent’s service motion to around four feet in front of you is critical to prevent miss hits. By watching the ball during your opponents service motion you can pick up on the location of the toss and how the racquet is making contact with the ball. These factors can help you anticipate what type of serve is coming and where it is headed. For example, if the ball is over your opponents head, generally you can anticipate a topspin serve is headed your way.

Once the serve reaches about four feet in front of you it is very important to keep your head still and level through the return. Often, players will move their head prior to impact to see their opponent or where their ball is headed out of habit. When the head changes elevations your racquet head changes elevations as well which commonly results in miss hits. When the ball gets to be around four feet in front of you, it is extremely difficult to watch the ball further due to the ball traveling so quickly. Don’t worry if you cannot see the ball all the way to contact on the return because it is essential that your head stays still through contact.

Reacting to the Ball

When your opponent is winding up for the serve take a step forward and look to time your split step. The step forward prior to initiating the split step is utilized to generate some forward momentum and the step forward can be done with whatever foot you choose. When the server is making contact with the ball the returner is still slightly in the air and in the process of landing the split step. The reason why the returner is still in the air when the opponent is contacting the ball is because he doesn’t know where the ball is headed until well after the ball leaves the server’s strings. By the time you land the split step you will know which direction to react and your weight will be loaded in your legs so you can react explosively to the serve.

Pro Tip

Timing the forward step into the ball, followed by the split step, is critical to your return of serve. The timing of the forward step is dependent on your opponent’s service motion. Each player has a slightly different motion which may be longer, like Pete Sampras’s motion, or shorter like, Andy Roddick’s motion. The key take away is to time the forward step so that you are in the air or in the process of coming down into your split step as your opponent makes contact with the ball.

Tennis Serve Return: Set Up

Once landing the split step react toward the ball and take the racquet back. The first movement is to turn your hips and take a step out to the ball with your outside foot. The turn of the hips will naturally rotate your shoulders and create your backswing. The backswing on the return is much shorter than a normal groundstroke and doesn’t include a loop due to having less time to react and set up for the ball.

The movement to the ball is forward and diagonal when the serve is hit away from your body. On the return of serve it is okay to step across the body to hit the ball due to the serve generally traveling at a higher rate of speed the movement is frequently needed out of necessity.

Tennis Return of Serve Swing

tennis return of serveAs you step toward the ball you will swing your racquet forward to make contact with the ball at the same time. Like a forehand and backhand the contact is out in front of the body and the follow through takes place finishing around the other side of the body to complete the stroke.

Pro Tip

Focus on keeping your backswing as short as possible. I have found that practicing ground strokes so often and neglecting the return translates into having a larger backswing on the return. It is going to take a lot of hours of practice to correct but it will be worth it when you find yourself progressing on each return game.

Tennis Return of Serve Best Practice

When I split forward for the return of serve I think about allowing my elbows to come forward off my body so that my elbows are resting slightly out in front of my core. This helps me limit my back swing when I rotate my shoulders and hips. Try it out!

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Want to share some of your return of serve best practices? I would love to hear from you by leaving a comment below. See you on the court!