Serve and net tactics for match wins

What this lesson covers

The serve serves one purpose: reaching the net position. Avoid chasing winners on the serve. Aim for slower serves with more angle to buy time for the transition to the net. Once at the net, hold this position at all costs. When lobbed, move the feet back quickly to stay behind the ball. Push the ball back into the court rather than attempting a difficult overhead. This keeps the pressure on the opponents and maintains the net position where most points are decided.

Adding slice to volleys forces the ball to drop sharply off the glass. This makes the return difficult for opponents. To execute this, open the racket face slightly. Brush down on the ball with a high to low motion. These three adjustments help players control the flow of the match and limit unforced errors.