By Dennis Ralston
Illustration by Trevor Johnston

Whether you play singles or doubles, here’s a drill that will improve your return of serve.

Most players spend plenty of time working on their games by doing various drills to develop their strokes or simulate point play. Yet for some reason one of the most crucial shots in the game, the return of serve, is largely neglected. When I ask my students how often they practice the return of serve, they usually admit that they only hit returns during matches. But to improve as a player, in either singles or doubles, it’s vital to spend time working on your return. Often I would spend my entire practice time trying to perfect it. Here’s an easy way to hone your return for whichever game you prefer to play:

For singles, practice your return of serve to these four spots:
1. Deep down the line
2. Deep crosscourt
3. Short down the line
4. Short crosscourt

SINGLES:
Start on the deuce side and have your practice partner hit serves to your forehand. Hit each of the following four returns, not moving onto the next one until you successfully make the shot: (1) deep down the line, (2) deep crosscourt, (3) short down the line, and (4) short crosscourt. After completing the series, repeat it at least one more time. You can implement variations such as hitting hard drives, soft spins, and high or low shots over the net. Then do the same returns on your backhand side. Once you complete at least two turns with the backhand, move over to the ad court and start over there.

DOUBLES:
Have your partner serve to you on the side you normally play. Start with the forehand crosscourt return. Your target should be your opponent’s service line. Hit at least five solid returns and then move on to the backhand return. Next, have your partner serve to your forehand again, but this time hit the return down the line. Again, you’re looking to hit a minimum of five good returns. Then switch to your backhand down the line. You can also add variations, such as the lob return and the chip and charge.