Returning Serves
Jennifer Mast
3/1/2006

Returning serves is one of the most important things that decides whether you win or lose a match. Sometimes you can’t even hit the ball on the table. Other times you make a weak return, and your opponent then makes a strong shot, forcing you ino a bad position. He might even sometimes make an outright winner. Here are some tips that help me to return serves better: Let the ball bounce; don’t rush. Take your time,and see how the ball bounces (short, long, what kind of spin). If the lettering on the ball is visible, it doesn’t have much of any kind of spin. Don’t just touch the ball back if you’re not sure what kind of spin is on it. If it’s short, either confidently make a good push,or close your racket more and make a good flip. If you’re undecided about the spin and hesitantly just touch the ball, the spin on it will do exactly what the opponent wants it to. If you totally can’t tell what kind of spin is on the ball, try to anticipate what your opponent will serve next. Some players will save the serves that you have problems with for the end of the mach or to get a key point. So be ready for them!

[Playing Tips.]