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JAK'S MONTHLY ESSAY SERIES: Achieving Your Personal Best

ANATOMY of a DOUBLES SERVE RETURN…from the INSIDE OUT

By Jak Beardsworth

In the approximate one-second it takes for the ball to arrive in your receiving strike zone, give or take, depending on serve speed, an always same-sequence of "mental, emotional, physical and mechanical events" takes place to make a successful return – the 2nd most important shot in the game - that, ideally, neutralizes the serve and results in immediately getting you on top of the point…advantage receiver.

Jak Beardsworth, ready for the serveHere's that 6-step simple, at times rapid, sequence in its naturally occurring order:

  1. Always walk to your estimated best return position from behind the baseline to avoid being quick served. If you're not ready put your hand up and do not play, catch, or touch the serve. Yes, as I hear so often, you are expected to play to the server's pace, BUT that's reasonable pace.
  2. Settle into your return ritual for optimal relaxation - bodies in motion stay in motion. Simultaneously pre-visualize your primary cross court, unpoachable target or window/margin directly over the net that connects to your down range intended court placement in the early match stages. Other visualization options may be necessary as the match progresses: lob over the netman, hit through the netman, pass the netman down the line, drop the return short. Always use the net as a reference point.
  3. Visually connect to the ball leaving the server's tossing hand right up to racket on ball contact right as you land your split step, instantly reading forehand, backhand, runaround.
  4. Then the quick pivot (no step yet) while fully loading/preparing, done by the time the ball is passing over the net while maintaining a very still head to maximize ball tracking right into your racket.
  5. With energized footwork, arrive to the strike point at an ideal right place, right time, getting the ball where you want it. Body serves that jam you require fast twitch, small stutter steps, to stay in motion. Serves away from the body demand a final footwork step, timed as you're in the act of striking the return.
  6. Now with the ball well into the opponent's court you're reconnecting visually with the ball (not the opponent directly – he/she is only in your periphery) and reading the effectiveness of your return in order to move forward or stay back depending on depth, angle, or lack thereof.

Sounds like a lot doesn't it. It's not really. Since this sequence never changes, in time with practice and commitment, a quick succession muscle memory takes over and you're thinking about nothing. Just reacting. Only the ball and picturing your shot, along with a keen, underlying sensory awareness of your moving body parts. As a bonus, you will experience a calming perception of more time, resulting in an unhurried return.

Enjoy the opportunity!

Copyright© 2018 by Jak Beardsworth Tennis. All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.

COMMENTS WELCOME: JB1tennis@comcast.net

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Past Essays

  • March 2023 - Classic finish line failure
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  • February 2023 - Defending the lob over your net partner – The "Switch"
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  • December 2022 - E. I. D. - Extended Impact Duration
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  • November 2022 - Movement Enhancement to Stay Better In-Point Connected
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  • September 2022 - Advanced Visualization 301
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  • August 2022 - Tennis' uniqueness: warming-up the enemy
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  • July 2022 - Extracting Double Faults Through Receiving Positions... and more
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  • June 2022 - Consider Serve and Volley
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  • May 2022 - How the Toss Primes the Serve Relaxation Pump
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  • April 2022 - Ball Watching and Science
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  • March 2022 - Caving
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  • February 2022 - Kenny G and Emmo
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  • January 2022 - The Knees
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Essay Archives

Click a year to view more essays

2021

  • December 2021 - The Match is with You
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  • November 2021 - The Backup Racket in Your Bag
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  • October 2021 - Every Tennis Player Can and Should Have a Weapon
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  • September 2021 - LEARNING NEW SKILLS: First the Process, Then the Results
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  • August 2021 - The Challenge of Visualizing… For Some
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  • July 2021 - Playing with both your feet and your hands
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  • June 2021 - Finding the Range
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  • May 2021 - The Focus
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  • April 2021 - About Your Butt Cap
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  • March 2021 - The Essential Forehand and Backhand
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  • February 2021 - On Being a Doubles All-Courter
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  • January 2021 - Same Grip Volleying Myths
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2020

  • December 2020 - On mechanics and style
    [read more]
  • November 2020 - THE BIG 3: The Glue That Keeps Your Best Game Together
    [read more]
  • September 2020 - Protocol and Game Tradition Revisited
    [read more]
  • August 2020 - As Good as Your 2nd Serve
    [read more]
  • July 2020 - Shot Shaping
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  • June 2020 - Getting a Point in Jeopardy Back to Neutral
    [read more]
  • May 2020 - A Positive Mind-Set: On and Off the Court in Today's C-19 Reality
    [read more]
  • April 2020 - The Zombie Tennis Creed – Top Ten
    [read more]
  • March 2020 - A Roadmap Into "The Zone"
    [read more]
  • February 2020 - The service toss: myths and realities
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  • January 2020 - Shot Gazing
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2019

  • December 2019 - The Dreaded High Bouncing Moonball Dilemma
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  • November 2019 - Chalk Flew: Troublesome Line Calling without Hawkeye in Clubland [read more]
  • October 2019 - In the Spirit of Don't Drink and Drive… Don't Think and Hit [read more]
  • September 2019 - Old School vs New School [read more]
  • August 2019 - Getting the Ball Where You Want It [read more]
  • July 2019 - Taking Points Off…What? [read more]
  • June 2019 - Confidence Is Confidence: Take It Wherever You Can Get It [read more]
  • May 2019 - TENNIS INNOVATION IMPLODES [read more]
  • April 2019 - Defending the Court with Older Bones: A Club Player's Guide to Saying "Nice Shot" Less [read more]
  • March 2019 - Do You Have Doubles Rally Tolerance? [read more]
  • February 2019 - I Knew Jimy Van Alen: A Historical Look Back [read more]
  • January 2019 - The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste: Mental Toughness Skills [read more]

2018

  • December 2018 - Less Bling is the Thing [read more]
  • November 2018 - Anatomy of a Doubles Serve Return…from the Inside Out [read more]
  • October 2018 - Older Dogs and New Tricks: Still Improving at Any Age [read more]
  • September 2018 - The All-Important Dynamic of Gripping [read more]
  • August 2018 - The Cinemascope Syndrome: Undermining Your Ball Watching [read more]
  • June 2018 - Serving and Returning Better with a Quiet Eye [read more]
  • May 2018 - The Man Who Breathed for Two [read more]
  • January 2018 - Rituals Anyone? [read more]

2017

  • December 2017 - Why Serving is so Difficult in Clubland [read more]
  • October 2017 - Managing your body and mind in tennis space [read more]
  • August 2017 - Why Bother Breathing to Improve Your Game [read more]
  • May 2017 - The "Maintaining" One's Game as One Ages Fallacy [read more]
  • February 2017 - Punta Gorda Tennis Clubs: Setting the Bar [read more]
  • January 2017 - State of the Club Game: The Growing Death of Sportsmanship [read more]

Check back often for more essays.