How to Return Serve Close to Net

Dear Coach:

I lost the match in a tournament that was going on in my office.  In the first set, I was having trouble returning my opponent very low serve.  It was going into the net.  My mind was telling me to lift the ball above the net, but I could not do so.  The second set went very close and he won the match.  I was going for the smash at critical moments of the game and the smash went away. Moreover, I was a bit nervous while playing.  In the end, even though I lost, I was happy with the way I played, but I felt a bit disappointed with the loss and it was hard to sunk in.

Kindly give your valuable guidance on how to return serve very close to net whether the serve has backspin, topspin or no spin and also whether we need to change the bat position depending upon my opponent's serve.  

Regards,
Ram

Hi Ram,

It is good to hear that you have played well.  It is natural to get nervous in a match.  Each time you play a match you will get better and better because you will have more experience.

If the serve is close to the net, it is best to push the serve back.  If the serve is a little high you can flick it.  If there is topspin or no spin then a flick is a good option.  If there is heavy backspin then use the push.