Strategy Zone: Return of Serve Control

Is the return of serve the most important shot in tennis? In the Strategy Zone system we identify three components in winning points: Control, Hurt and Finish. In the last two articles, we've looked at control off the ground and off the serve. In this article I want to give you two fundamental ideas for establishing control on the return of serve. These are to counter the first serve with deep neutral zone returns, and to attack the second serve with sharp angle returns. These two return patterns are underutilized at all levels of play. Together they give you the potential for seizing control on more of your opponent's service points. In future articles we'll continue to build our system by looking at how you move from control to hurt, and finally to finishing your opponent, not only on the return points but in all areas of the game. The Process As we saw in the first articles, winning points in tennis is not primarily a matter of hitting spectacular shots. That view is naive at all levels of the game. Two secrets of return control: deep netural zone and sharp angled returns. Too many players are mesmerized by highlight...