Question: How should I adjust my swing to return harder serves?
Answer: Generally, as the serve speed increases, the length of your return swing should decrease. Decreasing the backswing is of the most benefit, because it makes the timing simpler and increases your certainty of contact with the ball. Your follow-through will naturally decrease along with your backswing, but do follow through at least 18 inches to ensure a more stable racquet upon impact with the ball.
Hitting flatter also increases certainty of contact, but for one-handed backhand returns, slice (with a short backswing) often offers the best combination of control and good contact.
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