Make Sure These Two Shots are In the Court (Post 5)

There are just two shots in a point that are pressure free.  They are the serve and the service return.

 If you miss hitting a good serve, you give up half your chance of scoring any points.  If you watch a lot of pro matches you will find top pros in the women's and men's side who put no effort in hitting a tricky or fast or difficult shot on the serve.  They are willing to trade that for not missing a serve.  I miss one to two a day, usually when  I'm trying hit a serve that will kick wildly and I like to hit it near the center line.  When it misses I regret the lost opportunity, I am ashamed, I cry for my partner's anguish and disappointment.  Try for fancy shots when you have a seven point lead, not when the game is tight, beginning, or you're behind.  Tip: try hitting serves with a bit of side spin, it will make it easier to keep them from going long.

Service returns are much the same.  You can cross the net at any height, your angle is not that important, up the middle is fine - added bonus to your side if you can hit the line.  A lob is fine, a drive is fine.  The crime here is hitting it long or into the net.  What's worse is that you give the opps an easy point.  Now I admit that there are some folks out there that hit the serve pretty hard.  There is no shame in not getting back good serves.  But strive to return all of them. Tip: the slower/higher/more "lobby" your return of service is, the more time you have to move forward.

Most of the pros will return a serve with a modest cut spin.  That will help keep the ball in the court and will help keep the ball from bouncing too high.  A low spinny return will also require the serving side to lift the ball, which might allow you to score an easy point as it comes over the net.  You are going to be at the KL when it comes across, right?