If you watched Wimbledon back in 2006, you may have noticed that Amelie Mauresmo often returned serve by using a short, volley-like stroke instead of her full drives. She was using the chip, a shot not often seen in the pro game anymore, but one which offers a sure-fire way for recreational players to add variety to their games.
As Mauresmo demonstrated, the chip, an abbreviated backhand or forehand ground stroke struck with a compact motion using underspin, is ideal for returns of serve, especially against hard deliveries, because it requires so little preparation; essentially you block the ball back using the force of the serve itself. When you’re having trouble getting the ball in play using your normal returns, the chip is a useful stroke to have to fall back on.
But ease of execution is not the only virtue of the chip. Since it doesn’t require a full backswing to give away your intent, adding the chip to your repertoire is a simple way to add an element of disguise to your game. With the chip minor adjustments at impact can produce a variety of shots: You can punch it deep, caress it short and low, hit a sneaky lob or throw in a devilish drop shot.