Tennis Return of Serve Drills That Help Players Stay Ready

The best return of serve drills are simple: help the player see the ball early, set the racquet face to the ball, line up in a semi-open stance, keep the shoulders and hips separated, and then let the swing stretch and release. The return should not feel like a panic swing. It should feel like the player is ready, calm, and able to react, even when the serve is sneaky or unexpected.

The Return Moment

A player stood on the baseline, racquet quiet in his hands. The server bounced the ball. Once. Twice. Then came the hit. In that tiny flash, the returner had a choice. Would he freeze? Would he lunge? Or would he line up, show the racquet face to the ball, and make the court feel simple again? That is where return practice begins. Not with a huge swing. Not with a perfect winner. It begins with seeing the ball and getting the body organized.

Drill One: Face To Ball

The coach's first cue was plain: get the racquet face to the ball. That sounds almost too easy, doesn't it? But for a returner, it is like turning the steering wheel before the road bends. The player starts in a ready position. The server or feeder sends the ball in. The returner does not try to crush it yet. He simply turns, lines up, and makes the strings look at the ball. At first, he may feel rushed. The ball may feel too fast. But after a few rounds, he starts to notice something. The cleaner the racquet face gets to the ball, the less scary the serve feels.

Drill Two: Semi-Open Stance

Next, the player works on lining up in a semi-open stance. He does not need to close himself off like a door. He also does not need to spin wide open and lose control. He finds the middle. One foot settles. The hips hold their line. The upper body turns. Suddenly, the return has a base. The ball comes in, and he is not just swatting anymore. He is receiving it with shape.

Drill Three: Shoulder And Hip Separation

Then came the harder part. The coach wanted the shoulders separated from the hips. The player could feel why it mattered right away. When everything turned together, the swing felt stiff. Like trying to throw a ball while wearing a backpack full of bricks. But when the hips stayed calm and the shoulders turned, the body stored energy. The returner did not have to muscle the ball. He could load, then let the swing go.

Drill Four: Stretch And Release

This is where it got interesting. The coach used a baseball feeling, then brought it back to tennis. Stretch. Release. Stretch. Release. The player began to understand. A good return is not a tight little fight with the ball. It is more like pulling back a rubber band and letting it snap forward at the right moment. The feeder sends a serve. The player turns. He feels the stretch. Then he releases through contact. Not wild. Not forced. Just free enough for the ball to leave the strings with life.

Drill Five: Subtle Finish

Some players make the return too loud. Their finish gets big before the ball has even arrived. So this drill asks for something different: be subtle. The returner blocks and drives with a quiet finish. He still moves through the ball, but he does not announce the swing too early. The coach had used that same idea around serving, asking for a more subtle finish. On the return, the lesson carries over. Small can be strong. Quiet can be dangerous.

Drill Six: Surprise Serve

A returner also has to be ready for the strange ball. One story makes this clear. A player used an underhand serve and came in behind it. The opponent was not expecting it. He lunged, chipped the ball up, and suddenly the server was moving forward with control. For a returner, that moment is a lesson. The serve will not always arrive the way he wants. So in this drill, the feeder mixes in normal serves, soft serves, and short serves. The returner's job is not to complain about the surprise. His job is to see it, move, and make the next ball playable.

Putting It Together

At first, the player thinks the return is about reacting faster. But after these drills, he starts to see the deeper pattern. The return is about being organized before the rush begins. Racquet face to the ball. Semi-open stance. Shoulders and hips separated. Stretch and release. Subtle finish. Ready for the surprise. What he was about to discover was simple: the serve may start the point, but the return decides whether he gets to play it on his terms.

Sources

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