Tip of the Week: How to Serve and Return Aggressively With Safety

February 24, 2020 | By Steve Annacone
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Serving and returning serve are the two most important shots in the game. However, just getting these shots in play is not going to be enough to win the match against a good player.

The first shot that you hit in a match sets the tone for how the point will be played. It is very important to get control of the point the majority of the time with your serve or return of serve. My advice is to use direction and placement to hit these shots aggressively, but also with a good margin for error. Hitting your serve directly at the returner (serve lands close to the middle of the box) is an effective and safe way to start the point.

Once you have established this serve, try moving your serve around, shooting out wide and towards the “T”. Try to keep the ball two to three feet inside the sideline and the center line while still hitting the serve with good speed and/or spin.

The same idea can be used when returning serve. Hit the return deep and down the middle at about 75 percent speed. After using this return for a while, vary the return from side to side again, giving yourself lots of room away from the sideline. I would try to get the return to land halfway between the center of the court and the singles sideline. Keep the pace around 75 percent and try to get the opponent moving on their next shot.

The tendency on both the serve and return of serve is to use pace as the main method of aggressiveness. Placement is more important and will also give you a better chance of being consistent when serving or returning serve.

 


Steve Annacone
Steve Annacone, USPTA Elite Pro, is the Director of Annacone Tennis, www.annaconetennis.com and MyHamptonsPro, www.myhamptonspro.com throughout the Hamptons, NY. In addition, Steve, Phil Lepisto, and Amanda Reller run the ACT (Advanced Competition Team) program at the Tucson Jewish Community Center (Tucson, AZ) for high level players ages 8-18. Please contact Steve at info@annaconetennis.com
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