Perfect Return of Serve in 3 Steps - Perfect Tennis (Episode 4)

How To Hit The Perfect Return in 3 Steps - Perfect Tennis (Episode 4)
The return of serve in tennis is the second most important shot after the serve itself. That's why it's very important to master these three elements.
In this lesson, Coach Simon Konov will help you to hit the perfect return of serve in three steps.
Step One: The ready position - against most players you play, you'll want to wait with your forehand grip on the bottom hand and your backhand grip on the top hand (for two-handers).
If you play with a one-handed backhand, you can also use the same method however, with the non-hitting hand you can hold the throat of the racket.
At the same time, you'll want to have a wide athletic stance that will allow you to push off to wider balls.

Step Two: The swings - many players struggle with their returns as they try to use their normal forehand and backhand swings. Typically, we have much less time when returning. This means we need to shorten the backswings and be much more compact. A good coil with your upper body will give you a semi back swing and allow you to create power from the trunk muscles using the rotation of the upper body.

Step Three: Footwork and movement - often when returning, players block themselves off by using incorrect footwork patterns. Try to always step out with your outside leg and load on the leg closest to the ball. Then you can use a power-step during the strike zone to create power and cover wide balls.

Video Timeline:
00:00 - The ideal grip to return with
01:34 - The ready position on the return
02:52 - The backswing when returning serve
03:55 - Think coil and hit
04:52 - Creating power on the return
06:04 - Returning 2nd serves
06:47 - The chip return
07:27 - Return of serve footwork patterns
09:52 - Where should you aim your return?