Return of Serve Drill

*practice crosscourt returns for doubles    

   Last week we talked about the basics of the return of serve. A good return of serve is important in doubles…because if it’s bad, there is a hungry net player ready to eat it up. The return needs to be consistently crosscourt, away from the net player.

   A good way to practice crosscourt returns is to have a real or imaginary obstacle sticking up at the center of the net…like the handle of a court squeegee or broom. Have a partner serve to you and practice hitting the return well wide of the obstacle into the server’s side of the court. Serves down the middle and out wide will be particularly hard to hit away from the obstacle and/or keep in the court. Practice your crosscourt returns and take the net player out of the equation!