Why do I keep hitting long when I try to return short, dinky serves?

Question: Why do I keep hitting long when I try to return short, dinky serves?

Answer: The usual cause of this very common error might seem obvious, but many players don't think about it: the court geometry changes when your forward movement puts you much closer to your opponent's baseline. If you spend most of your time hitting from your baseline, 78 feet away from your opponent's baseline, you get quite used to hitting a ball so that it travels roughly 70 feet, let's say. When a dinky serve pulls you 20 feet into your court, the opponent's baseline is now only 58 feet away, so if you hit your most accustomed distance, your shot will go long.

To adjust to the new geometry, you need to aim lower, hit with less power, use more topspin, or any combination thereof, and you need to practice lots of these shots so that you're not so heavily conditioned to hitting the full length of the court.

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