The Return Mistake That’s Costing You Easy Points

But your opponent immediately takes control of the point.

Or maybe you miss the return altogether.

Sound familiar?

For many club players, the return of serve is one of the most overlooked parts of the game.

Players spend hours practicing serves and groundstrokes, yet they rarely work on the shot they hit at the start of almost every return game.

Here’s the truth:

It just has to put you in control of the point.

Let’s look at how better returns can instantly improve your match results.

One of the biggest mistakes players make is trying to hit a spectacular return.

They see a fast serve and immediately swing harder.

The result?

The ball sails long.

It finds the net.

Or it lands right in the opponent’s strike zone.

Instead of thinking,

Think,

A deep, controlled return is often far more valuable than a risky one.

When facing a powerful serve, you don’t need a huge swing.

The ball already has plenty of pace.

Your job is simply to redirect it.

Stay compact.

Keep your backswing short.

Meet the ball in front.

Think of it as blocking the ball back with control instead of trying to overpower it

The cleaner your contact, the more consistent your returns become.

Where you stand before the serve matters more than most players realize.

If your opponent has a huge first serve, give yourself a little more space behind the baseline.

That extra time can make the return feel much easier.

Against slower serves, step in.

Take the ball earlier.

Apply pressure from the very first shot.

Good returners constantly adjust their position based on the server—not just where they feel comfortable.

Many players focus on hitting hard.

The best returners focus on hitting deep.

A deep return pushes your opponent behind the baseline and makes their next shot much more difficult.

Aim several feet inside the baseline rather than trying to paint the lines.

High percentage targets create more opportunities to win points.

Remember:

Depth creates pressure.

Power often creates errors.

The return is only the beginning.

What happens next often decides the point.

After your return:

✔ Recover quickly.

✔ Expect the next ball.

✔ Stay balanced.

✔ Be ready to build the rally.

Many players admire their return instead of preparing for the next shot.

The best returners are already moving before their opponent makes contact.

Want more confidence on return?

Try this during practice:

Once consistency improves, gradually increase the serving pace.

You’ll build confidence much faster than trying to crush every return.

You don’t need to hit a highlight-reel return to break serve.

You simply need to give yourself the chance to play the next ball.

Stay compact.

Adjust your position.

Return with depth.

Recover quickly.

Those simple habits will help you win far more points than swinging harder ever will.

Because the best returners don’t try to do too much.

They do the simple things exceptionally well.

Whether you’re playing singles or doubles, improving your return of serve is one of the fastest ways to win more games and become a more confident competitor. Let’s build a return game that puts pressure on your opponents from the very first shot