Contact Moves: Rally Returns

Top players neutralize hard serves hit directly to them with the two foot pivot. In the last two articles, we looked at the Contact Moves for aggressive returns (Click Here) and defensive returns (Click Here). Now let's turn to what happens when you hit what I call a Rally Return. By rally return I mean a return in which the player is trying to neutralize the effectiveness of the serve. This often means the serve has forced the returner on time, or jammed him with the ball location. On a Rally Return, the returner's goal is to maintain his court position and get into the point on an even footing. My research shows there are two basic Contact Moves players use to hit Rally Returns. The first is what I call the Two Foot Pivot. The second Contact Move for a rally return is the Low Spin. Both moves can be hit on either the forehand or backhand side. This month we'll start with the Two Foot Pivot returns, and next month we'll look at the Low Spin. So, as we have for the other return contact moves, let's go over the components involved in hitting a great Two Foot...