Rocky in return of serve position during the 2014 US Open UnitedHealthcare championships. Photo by restrungmag.com
After you return a serve, one of your goals is to get back into center court (behind the dotted line that marks the safety zone and in a box about 6′ x 6′ toward the back) by moving forward as quickly as possible to regain control of that key area and the match. Basically, your returns should be ceiling balls and passes to get the server out of the middle and so you can cover the return to your shot. Where you stand in the center court box depends on where your shot ends up.
Common Mistakes After the Return of Serve #1:
Mistake 1: You hit the return of serve and just stood there, not moving into center court
The Fix: Immediately move into good center court position.
The Reason: By moving up, you are ready for any shot. If you stay back and do not move, you will be out of position and always scrambling to make a good shot.
Common Mistakes After the Return of Serve #2:
Mistake 2: You hit the return of serve, and no matter what the return is, you run to the dotted line, which is too far forward.
The Fix: Move back to the proper position in the center court box based on where your return of serve lands.
The Reason: Always move after you hit a return or you will be out of position and scrambling to make a good shot.
* More detailed information to Maximize Court Position is available in Championship Racquetball by Fran Davis and Jason Mannino.
For tips and details on more personalized instruction, a weekend camp, instructional DVD’s and tips in our book, Championship Racquetball, ALL which covers all aspects of the Sports Racquetball Triangle and more, please visit www.FranDavisRacquetball.com. Fran Davis is a 2004 racquetball Hall of Fame inductee; Racquetball Woman of the Year 2009; Coaches #2 IRT Pro Player / 1X US Open Champion / 4X and present World Champion, 2X Pan American Champion, Rocky Carson; Coaches #1 Women’s LPRT Pro Player / 6X and present US Open Champion & 4X World Champion, 2X Pan American Champion, Paola Longoria; Coaches Jr. World & National Champions, Jordan Cooperrider, Wayne Antone & Mitchell Turner; Master Professional Instructor/Coach USAR-IP.
