Where to aim your serve and return
The serve and return set up the whole rally. Learn the best targets for each, why deep matters more than fast, and how to use spin, the middle and an opponent's weaker side without giving away free points.
Why targets matter more than power
Thanks to the two-bounce rule, the serving team has to let the return bounce. That means the receiving team almost always gets to the kitchen line first, and the serving team has to work its way forward. The serve and return are not really about winning the point outright. They are about who starts the rally in a better position.
This shapes everything:
- A missed serve is a free side out or second server. Under side-out scoring, the serving team cannot score if the serve does not go in.
- A deep return pins the serving team at the baseline and gives the returner time to reach the kitchen.
- A short return gives the serving team an easy third shot and a head start forward.
So the guiding rule for both shots is consistency first, depth second, placement third, pace last.
Serve targets
Deep, then deeper
The default serve target is deep in the service court, within a few feet of the baseline. A deep serve pushes the returner back, which makes it harder for them to hit a deep return and get to the net quickly. Aim for a target box about three feet inside the baseline, not the line itself. That buffer protects you from missing long.
The returner's backhand
Most players have a weaker backhand return. Serving deep to the backhand side, which for a right-handed returner is the wide corner in the left court and the middle in the right court, produces more short, weak returns. Watch the first few returns of the game to find out which side breaks down.
Down the middle (in doubles)
A serve toward the center line of the service court reduces the angle the returner can use. It also makes it harder for the returner to hit sharply wide, and the big margin from both sidelines keeps your error rate low.
Wide to pull the returner off the court
An occasional serve angled toward the sideline pulls the returner wide. That opens the court for your third shot. Use it as a change-up. Repeated wide serves have a smaller margin, so they miss more often.
Change pace and spin, not just direction
Mix a deep, slower serve with an occasional faster one. Add topspin to make the ball kick, or slice to keep it low. Keep spin within the serve rules: the spin must come from the paddle at contact, not from your hand as you release the ball. See the serve rules and spin.
If you have missed two serves in a game, stop aiming at the lines. Return to a big, safe target in the middle of the deep half of the box until your rhythm comes back.
Return targets
Deep, deep, deep
The most important return target is deep, ideally in the back third of the court. A deep return does two things at once: it keeps the serving team behind the baseline, and it buys you the time you need to move up to the kitchen line. A slower, high, deep return is better than a fast, short one.
The middle
A deep return through the middle of the court is a strong default in doubles. It can create confusion over who should play it and reduces the angles available for the third shot.
The weaker player or the weaker side
If one opponent has a less reliable third-shot drop, send the return to them. Make them hit it from deep. If both are similar, target the backhand of the player who just served.
Make them move
Some players like to step to the side and run around their backhand to hit a forehand third shot. A deep return to their forehand corner can pull them wide and leave the court open. Use this only after you have seen the habit.
Get forward
A return is only half finished when the ball leaves your paddle. After the return, move straight to the kitchen line, arriving before the third shot lands. A high, deep return that floats a little actually helps you here, because it gives you extra time to get to the net.
A target map for doubles
| Shot | First-choice target | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Serve | Deep, middle of the box | Big margin, pushes returner back |
| Serve variation | Deep to the backhand | Common weaker side |
| Serve change-up | Wide angle | Pulls returner off the court |
| Return | Deep, middle | Pins servers back, creates confusion |
| Return variation | Deep to weaker third-shot player | Forces a hard drop from deep |
| Return variation | Deep corner to the forehand of a player who runs around the backhand | Opens the court |
Singles is different
In singles there is no partner covering the other half. Serves still go deep, but a serve wide to the backhand corner gains more value, because it pulls the returner off the court and opens space for a passing shot. Returns should be deep and often to the backhand corner, so you can reach the net while your opponent hits from the baseline. See singles strategy.
Drills
- Target towels. Lay a towel about three feet inside each service court's baseline. Serve ten balls to each side. Count only serves that land on or behind the towel. Track your score week to week.
- Return and run. A partner serves. You return deep and must be at the kitchen line, split-stepping, before the partner's third shot bounces. If you are late, the point goes to the server.
- Backhand hunt. Serve ten to the returner's backhand, ten to the forehand, and compare how many returns land in the back third. It tells you exactly where to serve that player.
- Deep-only game. Play a game where any serve or return that lands in the front half of the court, between the kitchen line and the midpoint of the service court, counts as a fault. It builds the habit of depth under pressure.
Keep it simple
If you remember one thing: serve in, return deep, get forward. Placement and spin are bonuses on top of that, never a replacement for it.
