Attack the second serve

The decision

Decision: The second serve sits up. How do you attack with margin?

You are behind the baseline. The defender is near the middle, deep in court.

• Deep attacking return — Step in with margin — GOOD READ: Behind the baseline, this placed shot gives you a large in-bounds target. The ball lands 3.8 m inside the sideline. The defender travels 0.6 m very little and returns deep in this example.
• Flat return — Low drive — TOUGH CHOICE: Behind the baseline, this low path leaves little room for error. The ball lands 1.3 m inside the sideline. The defender travels 3.8 m across court and returns deep in this example.

What to take into the next point

Stepping in does not mean your target must be tiny.

What a good read looks like

The read this lesson trains: Attack a second serve without aiming at a line. Returns that neutralise pace, find depth, or attack a second serve — and the ball that must follow the return. In the interactive lesson you play the rally, make the call, and then read why it worked or did not. The coaching grades the decision, not just the point outcome — a good read can still lose the rally, and the lesson says why.

Part of the Return of serve pattern

Every lesson that trains this pattern is collected on the Return of serve pattern page.

Related lessons in this pattern

• Chip return deep through the middle — ORIGINAL LESSON · lesson 13 of 50
• Neutralize the big first serve — ORIGINAL LESSON · lesson 36 of 50

Free to play

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