Tip of the Week: Look At The Service Box When Returning Serve
Every player has a different service motion. The motion can be long and smooth, short and quick, or somewhere in between. They also all tend to have a different routine before serving.
This presents a problem for the person trying to return serve. It takes some time to get used to what you are dealing with against the server. Our minds are only able to focus for a very short time. The longer the time is before the serve, the more difficult it can become. I believe this is why you see some players bounce the ball numerous times, go through an incredibly long routine, or just flat out stall before serving. There may be other reasons for this but there is no doubt that the returner has to be extremely good at keeping their attention on the ball and the racquet of their opponent.
Try looking at the service box in front of you when returning, not the opponent. Use your peripheral vision to see where the server is in their routine and when it looks like they are about to start the motion, shift your focus to the ball coming out of the opponent’s hand and watch it come off of their racquet. Be wary of those players who vary their routine and sometimes take forever, while other times serving very quickly. Of course, these players are likely not to serve as well because the inconsistency of their routine will often mess up their own timing.
Looking at the service box may seem a little unusual at first, but if you practice this technique it will help you focus and react better to your opponent’s serve.
Steve Annacone, USPTA Elite Pro, is the Director of Annacone Tennis, www.annaconetennis.com and MyHamptonsPro, www.myhamptonspro.comthroughout the Hamptons, NY. Steve, Phil Lepisto, and Gill Gross run the ACT (Advanced Competition Team) program at the Tucson Jewish Community Center (Tucson, AZ) for high level players ages 8-18. Please contact Steve at sannacone@tucsonjcc.org or 865-300-7323
