Attacking The Second Serve

It is always nice for me when one of my students realizes that they have enough of a grasp of the basics to start playing aggressively.

One of the first areas in which they usually feel comfortable being aggressive is when returning their opponents’ second serve.

Being aggressive off a second serve is a very good tactic, as even in the professional game the second serve is often a player’s worst shot.

However, attacking the second serve does not mean you are trying to hit a winner off every return.

If you take that approach you will simply end up making a lot of errors. Instead, you should opt for an aggressive but tactical return.

See below a basic tactical return from the left and right court.

 

The advantages of this tactic

Attacking an opponent’s second serve has many advantages:

1 – It creates psychological pressure on your opponent every time he misses his first server. If he sees you are attacking his second serve, he will become nervous each time he has to hit one.

2 – If you play aggressive off his second serve, you will likely chase him around a lot more than if you play conservatively. This will cause him to tire much faster than usual.

3 – This tactic is effective at all levels of tennis. Whether you are simply a club player or a professional, putting pressure on your opponent’s second serve is always a good tactic.

How to implement this strategy

The most important thing in implementing this strategy is have good anticipation.

That means that you should have an idea of where the serve is going to come even before your opponent hits it.

This will allow you mentally prepare for the shot well in advance of actually hitting it.

Remember that most people tend to have a “go-to” spot for their second serve. They don’t usually feel comfortable mixing it up. If you can find out where your opponent’s “go-to” spot is, you can attack it effectively.