How to Break Serve with This Simple Return Strategy

[@englishcoach2go265]

Wow, what an awesome video! Love the thorough analysis! Thanks for sharing!

[@Tennisfiles]

Thank you, Sonia! Glad you enjoyed it! :)

[@carolainedecastro8012]

Really nice and helpful demo! Keep up the great work! :)

[@Tennisfiles]

Thank you, Carolaine! :)

[@willecutlip]

Big difference between “good” and “not good” returns shown with the “dipper” is the good returns work when the opposing net player is flat footed. Bad returns were all against an active net player who was up on his toes.

[@colinc275]

slice return has similar effect. plus more time to get into net

[@Tennisfiles]

True Colin, my partner tried it in this video but didn't quite get it low enough. Low slice return is a good play!

[@sharifreiman4213]

Any tips on how to give a good return dipper? Does it require a lot of top spin? thx

[@Tennisfiles]

Great question Shari! It doesn't require a lot of topspin although that does help. Place a target at the intersection of the service line and the doubles sideline and practice hitting it. Brush up on the ball to help you create additional height on the ball so that it dips back down. Hitting short court for a few minutes will help you get the feel for the dipper as well! Do that for a few minutes with a partner then back up and keep the same depth as a target. I'll make a video about hitting the cross court dipper in the future. You can also experiment with low slices that land near the service line. Thanks for your question!

[@PeterFreemantennis]

nice

[@Tennisfiles]

Thanks Pete! :)

[@melissageno4591]

My favorite return is a half-lob. Out of reach of the net person and coming to the service line after returning the ball. A cross court dipper is not a shot most people at my level (4.0) have in their arsenal.

[@peterbraveman941]

Technically, what are you doing to hit a “dipper”?

[@thomasmedeiros5722]

As a player and high school tennis coach my favorite doubles return is definitely cross court. The objective is to keep the servers partner out of the point so you and your partner can double team the server. This is basically 2 on 1 strategy that we use in other sports like basketball, hockey, volleyball etc. Also by hitting cross court the net is lower and the distance by going diagonal opens up more court to safety hit into. Doubles is definitely a game the divides the court into zones and requires constant movement of your position to adjust depending on where the ball and opponents are located. Think of it as an athletic chess match.

[@chevy4x466]

Question coach: In the high school girls game seems like the girls don’t challenge the net player enough on returns. Do u ever coach ur players to take the ball on the up ⬆️ and challenge the net player or lob the ball over the net player when hitting into the wind?

[@ncbassplayer]

I play allot of serve and volley but if I were serving to you, after seeing a couple of these cross court dippers, I'd simply let it bounce and then target your partner at the net off the short ball you just gave me. There's no "best" return for doubles. It's a game of constant adjustments and reading the current situation.

[@MrSRCOCPA]

For me, a 3.0, it’s a serve that over the net and in the court.

[@lucywang2928]

Great video! My go to doubles return is the cross court short angle. It can be hard when the opponent’s first serve is fast but I will usually go for it on an out wide first serve on the deuce side. Is the dipper more effective on first or second serve returns?

[@Tennisfiles]

Thanks, Lucy! Glad you enjoyed it! I think it really depends on your opponent. I find that the cross court dipper is most effective when the server comes to the net. And the cross court dipped is easier to hit on the second serve. So I think it is most effective against a serve and volleyed on the second serve. However it can also work very well against the first serve and you won’t have to hit it quite as shallow because the server will have less time to get to the net (assuming they hit a faster first serve). It is also a very safe and effective shot against servers who stay back, pulling them wide as well. I think you can hit it on both first and second serves with great success :)

[@lindasheehan5919]

I have and do use this same approach!!! Thanks for the demo. Really hit home the benefits

[@Tennisfiles]

You’re welcome, Linda! Glad you found the video helpful! :)

[@colinc275]

why not move in after hitting the dipper ?

[@Tennisfiles]

Moving in after the return is a great play! Slightly more advanced but definitely something I'll do more and show in a video. Depending on where I am when I hit the return and how fast I hit it, I may not have enough time to move up. I usually hope my partner picks it off to make things easier :P

[@davewhitehead5116]

Right. The more effort expended hitting a shot, the longer it takes to recover. That, and the faster the return comes back.

[@thomasmedeiros5722]

That depends on the point score in the game. On a second serve on add out I like to chip and charge. My net game is my favorite skill and it’s fun to shake up the opponent and make them think about what your going to do. Sometimes they doodle fault or give you an easy shot to hit off your return. The percentage can be in your favor if you got the net skills.