Best shots needed for serve return

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I think with the new ball you can win alot by having a good banana flip.
 
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1. Loop (Needed for long serves.)
2. Push
3. Flick/banana flick
4. Drive
5. Chop
6. Strawberry flip
7. Block
8. Smash (? :D)
 
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I prefer to attack serves when I can. I know this can be risky.

I prefer a flick or wrist loop for short serves but few people serve short. Looping is good even if I have to step to my left to loop the ball. It is very effective but very tiring. I am 65 so I can do this for a limit amount of times in a given period.
I will also chop or chop block fast or "running" serves to my back hand. I usually stand square to the table and drop back a leg on faster serves depending on the side. I will advance a leg when the serve is short.

When I am tired I will use my LP and block off the bounce to an awkward location for the other guy but this only works well against people that don't know how to play against LP and slow.
 
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As others have said, it depends on your level
******
I was having a hard time ordering some of these, but then I realized it was because some of these are in a different category.

0. The basic service return options:
Basic drive, push, flick
Reason: prevent immediate punishes

These are obviously very important so that you don't immediately lose when receiving serves.
The rest of these will refer to strokes at higher levels (at least to me).
******

1. Loop
Reason: All-around consistent punish. Everyone makes mistakes. Very applicable
Part of service return basics
It also takes away server's advantage if the serve is long.

Cons: more physical effort

2. Push/Block
Reason: low physical-effort and quick way to return underspin or attacks. Relatively easy to do.
Good defense not only keeps you in the point, it also prevents attacks that are too strong to return (possibly forcing out bad attacks or even stopping your opponent from attacking). It also gives you the option of not having to attack first.
Short pushes takes away the server's advantage when the serve is short.
Part of service return basics

Cons: Slower than attacks, so not as difficult to return.

3. Counterloop
Reason: Punish bad attacks
Although counterlooping is something that most people won't ever use when they play, the ability to counterloop changes the game a lot.
At lower levels, the player that 'attacks' first usually has an advantage. Attacking is usually not a mistake. However, having the ability to counterloop turns bad attacks (slow loops/flicks) into mistakes, which you can punish.
Having the ability to counterloop will pressure the opponent to attack hard (and possibly make mistakes) in order to establish the attacker's advantage.
Counterlooping is also another option when you get attacked, so you don't get forced into defense (having options prevents you from getting backed into a corner strategy-wise). This also gives you the option of not attacking first.

Cons: more physical effort. difficult

4. Lob
Reason: Saves you from punish plays. Very applicable.
when you make mistakes, the option to back up and play gives you a fighting chance, no matter how bad the scenario. Paired with counterlooping, you can gain back the advantage during the point.
Lobbing is so useful that you can get away with some of the worst shots that I have ever seen. You don't have to attack first; you don't have to receive serves well; you can push high; you can block high. Lobbing covers all of that.
Just like number 3, your opponent becomes forced to attack hard and may make mistakes.

Cons: Relatively difficult. physical effort required

5. Flick/Banana Flip
Reason: Punish high short balls.
Part of service return basics
I honestly thought that flicking would be higher on the list, but you can get away without flicking if you are good at numbers 1-4.
It takes away server's advantage if the serve is short

Cons: Relatively difficult to execute.
Only for short balls, so not as applicable.
Also, high short balls can be smashable/drivable.

6. Smash/Drive
Reason: Good punish for high shots, where looping is difficult. Relatively easy to do.

Cons:
Not as consistent due to lack of topspin compared to loops.
Not as useful, since situations for these don't come often.

7. Chop/chopblock
Reason: Can make your opponent stop attacking, or stop attacking hard.

Cons: Difficult, situational. may require special equipment.

8. Strawberry Flip
Reason: Gimmicky shot. May catch an opponent off-guard.

Cons:Situational, and not consistent
 
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In Japan, they have a slightly different terminology regarding pushes

we distinguish

"STOP" : against a short serve, thats returning the ball short. It can be done against any spin. One should take the ball really quickly off the bounce and adjust the racket angle (almost vertical against topspin, horizontal against backspin). Against heavy backspin maybe lift off a bit the ball
"TSUTSUKI": this is the backspin long push.
"NAGASHI": this is a long push where the ball is lifted and pushed deep with no spin / sidespin. Its mostly done with FH straight with sidespin (trying to make the ball out on the right short side of the table)

all are important, but i think stop is the most important, and the one i use most against short serves.
 
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In Japan, they have a slightly different terminology regarding pushes

we distinguish

"STOP" (ストップ) : against a short serve, thats returning the ball short. It can be done against any spin. One should take the ball really quickly off the bounce and adjust the racket angle (almost vertical against topspin, horizontal against backspin). Against heavy backspin maybe lift off a bit the ball
"TSUTSUKI" (ツツキ): this is the backspin long push.
"NAGASHI"(ナガシ): this is a long push where the ball is lifted and pushed deep with no spin / sidespin. Its mostly done with FH straight with sidespin (trying to make the ball out on the right short side of the table)

all are important, but i think stop is the most important, and the one i personally use most against short serves if I cannot flick it
 
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All are important, but one thing I'm learning and relearning and relearning that safety in serve reception is a treaturous, counter-intuitive thing. When holding back and hit cautiously, things tend to go haywire. A cautious push or block is no match for a strong server.

So I'm inclining more and more towards active, sometimes even aggressive, serve reception. Opening up with topspin provides a good safety margin: an ample window to clear the net, a dip onto the table, and a good kick away from it that adds some pressure. Also, once you're taking the initiative and exert your own spin, you're less affected by the existing spin (you'll still need to read that properly, of course).

Takkyu's STOP is a powerful thing, but it requires a very good insight into spin, projection of trajectory and touch to get that angle, wristy chop and timing just right.

One of the things in service reception that it helps a lot if your opponent fears punishment of weak serves. Often, when playing doubles, my opponents fault out when serving, so I notice, when I'm paying extra attention to making an active posture. I think that happens because they're clamming up while trying to get it extra short, extra tight. :)
 
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STOP against topspin is a bit more difficult but against no spin or backspin its not very difficult , as far as i am concerned.
its really about stepping up early to the ball and taking the ball off the bounce and being very very relaxed

of course it is necessary to read the spin correctly, thats perhaps the most difficult part
 
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In my service return in listing shots, it's generally 2 mixed in with a few others occasionally for variation.

I also want to stress that I'm listing these from an intermediate player's perspective and I'd advise anyone else in the same boat to follow suit. If you try to play like FZD thinking you can banana flip 90% of serves I'm going to suggest that's an easy way to give away a lot of points. At least that's how it is for me. I need to maintain some sort of balance in my play to play well. Can't be too aggressive trying to be something I am not.

#1 Loop & Soft Loop:
So essentially any long serve to my FH, I loop. If it's a bad serve and perhaps bouncing little high, sure I'll use more power in my loop. If the serve is heavy on spin, perhaps a little more challenging of a loop, that's where the soft loop comes in handy. You're not trying to kill it. Instead, you're taking a little power off it, spinning it up. It will be slower but loaded in spin. Furthermore, if you add some (or a lot) side in the soft loop, some people really struggle to track those balls or might be caught off guard thinking they're standard. (note: I'm left handed so this might be different for you)

That being said, sooner or later as an amateur player, you'll run into someone whose serve gives you fits. It's long. You think you have a good read on it yet for some reason, you keep missing. Either in the net or looping it long. Rather than being a dummy and giving away free points one after another, you have to adjust. See return #2 here. (side note. If you're looking to purely practice, sure keep trying that loop. But if you want win, you have to adjust)

#2 Push (could be chop if you're an off the table player):
I play penhold and play relatively close to the table. So the push is an important universal shot that you can play vs any type of serve. This could arguably be #1 on the list because vs short or long, this is relatively safe vs any type of spin. Short backspin? You can push. A serve with side/top? Generally, you should attack but you can push. For a long time I didn't know this was an option but it is. If your push is good and if your touch is good, pushing a topspin ball back to the opponent continuing the spin can result in a very, very heavy ball. Assuming you don't push that off the table right into their wheelhouse forehand, you can take the approach of "Go ahead. try to open up on that ball pushed to your crossover point or backhand. I'm betting you can't do it and if you can, I'll be ready to counter expecting topspin back after my push".

As a penholder, there are several versions of this push/chop with the traditional backhand penhold (TPB). You can straight push. push/chop side/ back. Sometimes pure side. For you shakehanders out there, think Koki Niwa in some of his sidespin BH chops. There are lots of variations out there.

It's simply a very useful, not very sexy, but important return to have.

#3 RPB Banana Flip.
So I pull this out sparingly. I don't like the idea of being predictable of someone thinking, as long as I serve them short backspin, they'll always push. Or any short serve. So if I feel I have a good read on the serve or if it looks easy, I'll bust this out just to keep them guessing. It's also a fun shot that not everybody plays so it's fun for some oohs and ahhs. :)
 
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@yoass
being agressive with doing stop is trying to get the ball as early as you can. taking the ball very early is more risky because well you might rush too much and make a net miss typically. you also want to really make a touch shot, to keep it really short and it's dangerous. If there is a lot of backspin in the ball its easy to make a net miss as well...

I often tell myself between sets to get receive more "agressively" or "actively" and for stop it exactly means the above. it doesn't mean trying to make FZD or Harimoto BH flicks... that i don't know how to do anyway
 
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