Returning fast long moderate topspin serve to wide forehand

Good morning, Alois and Jeff

Last Wednesday I played against a very tall right-handed player who is 150 RC points higher than me.

He was serving from his right-hand corner to my wide forehand. Fast and low serves with a little topspin and a little side spin going away from me.

As I was standing in my normal serve receive position slightly left of centre, I was struggling to return his serves. Whenever I did return them, I was way out of position on the right side of the table, which allowed him to easily play a winning shot to my wide backhand.

FYI, I am 78, am not able to move fast, nor do I have long reach.

Thinking about this issue in the last few days I have realised that I should have been standing perhaps slightly right of the centre line.

Your advice on how to deal with this type of serve (irrespective of the rc rating of my opponent) will be appreciated, as I struggle with serves to my wide forehand, both in terms of reaching them and in returning them in a way to put the server under pressure and preventing him/her from playing a winning shot.

With wide pendulum serves to my backhand it is less of an issue given my normal serve receive position. Nevertheless, any advice on this will also be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Hi Philip,

Dealing with fast, wide serves can be tricky.

Here are a few strategies you might consider to improve your response to these serves:

As you've already identified, adjusting your stance slightly more towards the right might help you cover those wide forehand serves without having to stretch excessively or lose balance. This doesn't mean you need to stand far to the right, but a slight adjustment might help you reach those serves more comfortably.

When you do manage to reach the serve, try angling your bat to direct the ball diagonally across to the opponent's side. This can help in two ways – it reduces the angle they have to exploit your wide backhand, and it might force them to play a less aggressive return.

Since the serve has topspin and a bit of sidespin, try to use that spin to your advantage. Instead of fighting the spin, angle your bat to redirect the ball back with the spin.

If you can manage it, another effective strategy is to return the serve short, ideally with some underspin. A short return might prevent your opponent from launching a strong third-ball attack, especially if they're positioned deep expecting a long rally.

Even though you mentioned that mobility is a bit of an issue at 78, light footwork drills focusing on small, quick steps could still be beneficial. This can improve your ability to reach and return wide balls more effectively without requiring large movements.

Over time, try to read your opponent’s serve earlier. This involves noticing their bat angle and body position during the serve. Early prediction will give you a bit more time to react and position yourself effectively. This will come with watching the ball really carefully before during and after the serve has been hit.