Return of serve drills for more useful starts to the point

A return does not have to finish the point to do its job. Sometimes the useful outcome is a controlled ball that lets you join the rally. In another situation, you may have time to take a more active position. Begin by separating the type of serve you are facing and the outcome you want from the return.

This Stakhovsky Tennis guide connects four return tasks with a simple practice record. Leonard Stakhovsky offers match diagnosis and on-court assessment in Prague for players who want help choosing the right priority.

Define a useful return

Agree on the task before you score it. You might want a playable return into a large central area, a ball reaching a chosen depth, or a return followed by a controlled next shot. Those are different tasks. Keep “return landed in,” “return reached the target” and “point won” as separate outcomes.

Record first-serve and second-serve practice separately. Also record the server, serve placement and whether the direction was predictable. A high return percentage against a known feed should not be presented as a match statistic.

Task 1. Return to a large neutral target

Set up: Ask the server to use a manageable pace and a known part of the service box. Choose a broad return target. Agree a starting position that lets you respond to this serve without guessing.

Task: Prepare as the server plays, make the return and recover for a possible next ball. Keep the task focused on a controlled start to the rally.

Count: Legal serves faced, returns landing in court and returns reaching the target. A serve fault is not a missed return. If you cannot judge a target outcome clearly, mark it uncertain rather than forcing a score.

Adjust: Start with one serve location. Add a second location when the task is manageable. Keep a separate record when pace or placement changes.

Task 2. Make a decision against a second serve

Set up: Use repeatable second serves and agree two possible return targets. Begin with targets that give you room for error.

Task: Choose a target based on the serve you receive and your position. Try to make a clear decision rather than attacking every second serve by default. Record the choice and the outcome separately.

Count: Legal second serves faced, returns made and target hits. Add a short note when the decision felt rushed or the contact was crowded. This helps distinguish a decision problem from execution.

Adjust: Begin with an announced serve location, then let the server choose between two locations. Only add more pace when the original task still has a useful number of completed attempts.

Task 3. Return and play the next ball

Set up: Choose a return target. Ask the server to send the following shot toward a manageable area at first.

Task: Return, recover and play the next ball. Notice whether the return leaves you able to respond and whether you prepare before the opponent hits again.

Count: Complete sequences out of legal serves that lead to a playable next ball. Record return errors and opponent errors separately. Do not quietly remove difficult but valid serves from the sample.

Adjust: Let the server vary the next shot, then continue the point. The task becomes closer to a match as the opponent gains choices.

Task 4. Play a short return game

Play a short set of normal service points while keeping one return observation. For example, count whether the return reached the chosen broad area and left you prepared for the next shot. Keep the ordinary point score alongside that observation.

After the set, compare first-serve and second-serve situations. Look for a repeated pattern, not a conclusion based on one good return. If the task changes your position, target or preparation, record which element changed before repeating the test.

Use video to check the sequence

A useful recording shows the server, the returner and what happens after the return. A cropped clip of the contact may hide positioning or recovery. Keep the filming arrangement within the court’s rules and obtain the relevant permission from the people recorded.

The match-filming guide explains how to prepare footage. The match-analysis template gives you a broader point log. Add the return task to that record instead of creating a second incompatible set of definitions.

Turn the observation into a practice priority

If you miss the first ball, review the incoming serve, preparation and contact. If the return lands but leaves you in difficulty, review the target, pace and recovery. If the return is useful but the next ball breaks down, keep that next response in the practice task. These are questions to investigate, not a diagnosis from one statistic.

At Stakhovsky Tennis, Leonard Stakhovsky can help you review the pattern and choose the next task. Request an assessment in Prague, ask about a remote match review, or explore the junior review if you are a parent seeking a second perspective on a young player’s matches.