Improve Return Game - Backhand Return

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Hello i want too improve my backhand return game, i hope you could help me.

My Opponent serve with his backhand to my backhand or middle. Always half long or a little bit longer, sometimes the ball shots to me very fast (the opponent throws the ball very little like lebesson hight, this should not take credit from his serve because it had very high backspin)


i return 90 percent with my backhand ciquita (mostly with sidespin) it is a reflex and goes mostly good, but here i had problems to read the amount of spin and mostly put it into the net when i used it over the table , i made mistake after mistake,

i lost confidence, and in the last set i was mostly passive, than he mixed his service and served topspin with his backhand and i put it out of the table.

after the first set i let the ball come to me and spin it up with a backhand loop (instead of return over the table) but i was not trained to these very good, what would you give me for an advice to put more balls on the table, should i push more and topspin more and let the ciquita away against this dangerous service or should i have been more agressive/spin (wait for the ball to come at me ) it up instead of using the flick over the table ?

thank you very much
 
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its difficult to give advice without a video of you executing the shot.
anyway receive is very difficult because every serve is different and you have to read well the spin and anticipate quickly as well.

if you put the chiquita in the net, its because 1) there is more backspin that you can deal with 2) you're taking the ball too late, you should time it near the top of the bounce (just after against backspin)

whatever the serve short or long, its generally the better idea not to wait for the ball but take it early and go to the ball. For long serves, take it off the bounce. For short serves, near the top of the bounce.

The only time you would wait for the ball, is maybe a chop return (more for defensive players) or a slow long backspin serve then you would pivot and loop.

So if the serve is long or half long, its more a BH loop than a chiquita and the timing is a bit different. i think you should try to time the ball a bit earlier than you do.
 
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Looks like your opponent found a weakness and hammered it.

Since this is a match and it is about winning, you should do something
1) that you can do
2) that your opponent likes least
If it is a real weakness of yours it's unlikely that you'll completely turn the situation around and start trashing this serve, so you just want to find something that you're reasonably comfortable doing and that at least gets you into the rally.

The answer is not in your technique, it's in what your opponent really likes and what they don't like as much (tactics). Maybe it's a specific placement, or a return with no pace, or loaded with spin, or a bit high and short/deep, whatever. It's not easy because we're talking about a serve that you don't like too much / don't read too well. I'm pretty sure "chiquita" is not the answer though.

Thinking about technique is best kept for practice and practice games. In tournaments/league you make do with what you have, unless you're willing to throw the match.
 
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If I find myself in this situation, I just tell myself to get the ball on the table. This may mean a more passive return - a push return for a backspin serve or a block return for a topspin serve. I want to make my opponent play another shot and beat me, rather than just gifting him a cheap point. You don't need to attack all serves aggressively. Mixing up your service return can be very effective. Push some, float some, block some, topspin some. Try out different things and see what your opponent likes and does not like.
 
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