Returning tomahawk serve
Receiving
Shrihari K Asked 8 years ago
Can you give some tips to get a good defence bit like Jan over Waldner. Actually I am a senior player, my age is 16 I am inspired by him. He is pretty good at his defence and blocking the ball please give me some tips.
I wanted to know how to return a tomahawk serve.
Alois Rosario Answered 8 years ago
Hi Shrihari,
Waldner has very good feel for the ball but the basic block stroke he does is a simple stroke. Take a look at our lesson on the Backhand Block which is in our Intermediate Strokes section.
To return a Tomahawk serve you first need to see and understand the spin on the ball. The ball will go to your left when you hit it so you need to angle your racket to the right hand side to counteract the spin. You also need to adjust for the backspin or topspin on the serve. For our Premium members there is a video on Understanding Spin which will help.
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Recommended Video
Returning Short Topspin Serves: Two Options
Returning a short topspin serve can be tricky because the spin wants to lift the ball up. In this video, we look at two effective options: developing an attacking flick and learning how to push the ball safely.
For the flick, the key is to be positive. Take a few risks, hit through the ball a little harder, and aim for a fast, flat contact. In practice, don’t worry too much about making mistakes as this is how you learn to control the shot under pressure.
The second option is the push. You can push a short topspin serve, but you need to adjust your contact. Instead of getting under the ball, come down the back of it more, almost feeling like your bat is moving slightly backwards. This helps counter the topspin and keeps the return lower and more controlled.
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