Short Return After a Big Serve: Don’t Take the Drive Bait

Summary

John Cincola on the classic trap: huge serve, short return, all the momentum — and you rip a drive that goes long, nets, or gets volleyed at your feet.

From the transition zone your job is still to get to the kitchen. A low short ball is bait, not a free put-away. Take the higher-percentage soft option that lets you keep moving forward instead of restarting from no-man’s-land.

Key takeaways

• Short ball after a big serve ≠ automatic drive
• Goal from back: reach the kitchen, not hero-ball
• Low short returns often net, sail, or come back at your feet

Action items

• Practice: serve → short feed → mandatory drop/roll into NVZ approach
• Next match: every short return, say “kitchen” out loud before you swing