You are in a doubles game. Your opponents are both right handed. So are you and your partner. Opponent serves to you. Would you GENERALLY return to the backhand area of your opponents? I did a few forehand returns but were quickly intercepted by the server. And his intercepts were either fast drives or drive-downs that were not easy to retrieve. My partner (a more advanced player) kept reminding me to return ALL serves to their backhand area, as a general rule of thumb. What is your view?
That is right. Backhand is pretty much a weakness to majority of the players. So if you are keen on winning points, try to aim for the backhand to set you up for the kill. However, if you keep on returning serve to the opponent's backhand, chances are opponents will be able to figure out your plan and they will position themselves more to their left side of the court so that they can do overhead shots. So play some varieties, if you have to return forehand, try to push it higher/wider (best to do it when the shuttle is high around the net) to prevent the server from intercepting.
Yes. But depends on which service court. If in the right court, push to the backhand mid court alley to create confusion. Or drive low to the rear backhand corner to get a poor return. If in the left court, then push to the forehand mid court alley or drive thru the server to the rear backhand corner.
Awareness of the server's backhand is one factor in selecting a serve return. There are many others. For example, suppose you play a drive to a rearcourt corner. Because the server is standing offset to one side, and not exactly in the middle, one corner is "towards" the server and the other is "away" from him. If your drive goes "towards" the server and onto his forehand, that's often dangerous. If your return goes "away" from the server and onto his forehand, that's less dangerous (he has less chance of intercepting it). To be specific: The server is left-handed and serving from his left service court. Drives to his forehand are dangerous! Same situation, but the server is right-handed. Drives to his forehand are not so dangerous. If you're playing a net shot (for example), it's much less of an issue.
I agree with Gollum on the net shot, plus as with anything, it depends. A good player can make a decent defensive shot even from a backhand if positioned well. I prefer to a slight push to the midcourt between the players as this can cause confusion and force an unbalanced shot that can be killed or set up for the next shot.
I am playing a the local league. I am very anoyned with some driven server and the thing is that people who do that serve their hands are high so the drive is very anoying and difficult to return. Since we are all armatuer players so I cantnot/ difficult complain to them that "Your service is wrong and you are not allowed to do that serve". What can I do?
Gollum, Wasn't that just a long way to say avoid the server's forehand and return to his backhand? Almost agree with you. But depends at what level of play. At advanced levels, any drive to the forehand off a serve will be returned with added interest. But at lower levels, the reactions are too slow to intercept and it can cause problems for the rear receiver if aimed at his body.
Not sure about that. You may be right, but it sounds too general a statement to me. Research opportunity! The direction of serve also makes a big difference. If your opponent serves wide, then a straight drive down the tramlines is a tempting reply, regardless of where his forehand side is.
No, don't always play in down the backhand side, that's the most stupid thing I've ever heard, if your opponent has any brains about them, they're realise what you're doing within 2 rallies. Vary it! Returns of short serves should be downwards, so long as they go downwards, it doesn't matter where you play it - I often use the tactic of hitting it straight at the other player who isn't serving (racket hip-shoulder) - that's your job as the returner - if it gets driven past you and you played a downwards shot, it's for your partner, they should be able to deal with it. FYI, if the server is still intercepting these, he's standing too far back after he serves, play a netshots until he moves back in. The shuttle must be taken early for both tap downs and netshots.
