The coach serves wide from the deuce side. The player hits forehand down the line return and starts the rally in down the line direction.
It is crucial to start rally drills with serve and return because these 2 strokes are always at the beginning of every point during the match. By starting drills with these strokes, players get more comfortable using returns so the placement and consistency improve immediately.
In this drill, the player works on return and consistency. Starting the rally with return gives many repetitions so players don't need to spend as much time on separate activities focused on returns. Additionally connecting return with the rally makes this drill more similar to the match's conditions, so players develop skills that they will use while competing.
Most club players practise the serve on its own and then have no idea what to do with the ball that comes back. Serve plus one is the pattern that turns a good serve into a won point.
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