The return and fourth shots aren't glamorous; they're the shots that determine whether you're winning matches or wondering why you keep losing to players you think you should beat.
You know what separates the players who climb the rankings from those stuck in neutral? It's not always the flashiest shots or the most aggressive play.
Sometimes it's the fundamentals that nobody gets excited about: like the return of serve and what happens next.
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Pro Ryan Fu just dropped a short but info-packed video on exactly this, and honestly, if you're struggling to with your service game, this one's worth your time.
The core message? Your return isn't just about getting the ball back in play. It's about positioning yourself to win the point before your opponent even hits their third shot.
- Get Low and Stay Low Through Contact Here's the thing about returns that most players get wrong: they're thinking vertically when they should be thinking horizontally. The serve comes from a low point and ends at a low point, which means your entire return motion needs to respect that geometry.
Fu emphasizes getting as low as possible in your stance before the serve even arrives.
If you're standing upright, you're forced to use your wrist to compensate for the height difference, and that's when the ball pops up. Nobody wants a floaty return that you... FULL ARTICLE FOUND ON: https://www.thedinkpickleball.com/the-return-plus-one-mastering-the-transition-from-baseline-to-kitchen-line/
