Footwork for retirning high serve

E

EdwardCali

Regular Member
Hello. My problems are:1.my opponent high serves it. Me, with my slow footwork, can't get to it fast enUgh. By the tome I reach the biddy, it's already to low for me to smash or do a good clear. I can only really backdrop it.2. I am using 2 hop back court footwork, where I do hop hop clear/smash/dropBut somehow, I'm too slow to reach the birdy.Please give me some tips on how to increase the explosiveness of my footwork.Thanks in advance, Edward
 
guys please correct me if i'm wrong, but yeah you might want to establish your base a little further back if you have trouble, and try having your left foot in front you just for the service return. You can start skipping back easier without having to pivot your body if your right leg was in front
 
Presumably you mean flick serve in doubles? Cos in singles high serve you have all the time in the world to walk slowly back and get it. Unless its the not really high serve in singles, then just stand further back, its not as if you are gonna jump on the shuttle like in doubles.

For doubles, other than standing further back, its nice to keep the racket head highish so that you can intercept any low serves. This forces them to serve higher, which gives you more time. And then its not really possible to wind up for a big smash. The most is usually point (wrist) smash/drop/clear.
 
Something a friend of mine taught me and I find useful is this. When preparing to receive a serve in doubles think 80% it's going to be flicked, 20% it's coming short. Of course if the opponent is any good they won't flick four out of five of their serves but being mentally and physically prepared for it going high makes it a lot easier. It takes less physical effort to return a short serve so it's easier to quickly change and react to that than the other way round. I can't explain why but it works for me.
 
Alternatively, my method is to

physically prepare for a short serve (stand near the line)
mentally prepare for a flick serve
 
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