Three ways a routine on your serve and return of serve can improve your game instantly!
All the top men and women in the tennis world use a routine before they serve and return serve. Why is that? Do other professionals in other sports have routines as well? Sure they do. Think about baseball pitchers, quarterbacks, batters, gymnasts, basketball players.....they all have their own unique routines. I challenge you to think about this for a minute. You have a routine every time you get up in the morning. You may get in the shower, brush your teeth, brush your hair, get dressed, eat breakfast and on your way to work or school. You probably have a routine when putting on your shirt. Your head goes through first, followed by your left arm and then your right arm. You did not even have to think about it!
What are the advantages of a routine on your serve and return of serve?
1) Play at your pace.
Novak Djokovic is a prime example. During the 2008 Australian Open, many times he would bounce the ball 20-25 times before he served. He was in control and his opponent was continuously guessing as to when the service motion would begin. As a returner, by rule you must play at the server’s pace. But, if you feel your opponent is playing too fast, raise your hand and let them know you are not ready to receive service. Steffi Graf played very fast. If I were her opponent, I would wave her off a few times during the match to let her know that I was not ready to begin the point. This strategy could disrupt her rhythm and now I am in control.
2) It is rest time.
If you just played a long point and are winded, take more time during your routine phase of the serve and return of serve to catch your breath. Bounce the ball a few more times before serving to relax and to regain your breath and strength. You could fetch a towel before you approach the baseline for the return of serve to also catch breath. These little things can go a long way.
3) Repetition creates champions.
Doing something over and over again begins to happen naturally. Whether you bounce the ball 3 times before you serve or 23 times before your serve, be consistent and practice, practice, practice.
There are many tricks you can use in your routine. Implement a few of these to take your game to the next level! Also, I encourage you to watch the pros on TV to see what they do in their routines.