Tomahawk serve return
Receiving
Ludi Kure Asked 8 years ago
Hi Alois,
I am a left handed player who often struggles when returning a tomahawk serve from right handed players. Could you please tell me what would be the best stroke to use in my case when a ball has a heavy under/side spin and when it has top/side spin?
Thanks,
Ludi
Alois Rosario Answered 8 years ago
Hi Ludi,
The ball coming in towards you can be awkward for the left hander. It is a serve I don't feel comfortable against either.
Think about giving yourself enough room to make the return. You may need to move more to the right than you normally would to give yourself that space.
Then your choice of returns. If the serve is short with backspin, use a push stroke to return it. If it is short with topspin then you can flick the return. If the serve is long with either backspin or topspin, then use a topspin return for the best effect.
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Ludi Kure Posted 8 years ago
Thanks Alois for a speedy reply.
If it is short with topspin, should I try a forehand or a backhand flick?
I find the forehand flick easier in this situation because the bat is at a better angle naturally to cope with the sidespin but it is a matter of your own feeling for it.