I'd like to know too... lol...
i think there's really 2 different things:
- be able to read the serve (not only spin but length)
- know how to receive when you have read the serve well (or read it "ok")
for the second item, ask your partner to serve always the same serve and you try different things, you remember the bat angle, how to move your legs etc...
for the first one, it's mostly about playing with many different people with many different kind of serves.
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However there is a little I would like to add
- In my personal case, i realize that i took the wrong habit for years to take a decision too quickly when receiving, WITHOUT looking at the ball. i kinda look only at the general swing of the server, or i commit to a shot, like "i must do chiquita" or "i must receive with FH" only to be surprised when the ball isn't the one i "hoped" would come.
So I must really change that, even if it means my reaction time is slower because i don't anticipate. in the end anticipation = gamble
- another thing, is i should try not to compromise on keeping a good balance. a common advice from coaches, for example is to receive short against short backspin or no spin serve by taking the ball on the bounce.
(easier to keep it short and will force the opponent to react faster)
However when the serve is short to the FH, with my old legs, i can be a fraction late to get it on the bounce and/or i would still be in movement when it happens. I have also less time to judge the ball and its easier to misjudge the spin. Its better to take the ball a bit later than some "ideal" timing, but keep the good balance, that may limit some options and give less quality to the shot, but execution will be better and more importantly it enables to keep the balance and rhythm to come back quicker and play the next ball whatever comes.
- Lastly my senpai is telling me to look more at the WRIST of the opponent. Good servers can make a good last moment use of the wrist to change the spin of serve. I'm focusing more on that lately and I read a bit better. Before that advice, i was told by my coach or videos to look more at the impact, and if the racket is going up or down at that moment , and where on the racket it is impacted (near the handle or not...). its difficult to look at everything at the same time so i decided to focus mainly on the wrist and it seems to work a bit better for me.
EDIT:
- good servers can put a lot of sidespin or kick and the ball can deviate a lot after the bounce. so if you notice that the server is putting a lot of spin, its imperative to watch the bounce well and stay alert for a sudden change after the bounce