A serve-and-volleyer wants you thinking about the serve. The better plan? Make them think about the next two shots. Hit a skidding return cross-court, drive one at their shoes, then—when they start charging on autopilot—send a lob over their head. Suddenly, the player who expected a quick trip to the net has to stop, bend, turn, and scramble. That is a very different point.
You do not need a huge return or a perfect passing shot to disrupt an attacking server. You need a clear target, a compact swing, and the nerve to vary your reply. Here’s how to use low cross-court returns, returns at the server’s feet, and well-timed lobs to make serve-and-volley tennis feel far less comfortable.
First, understand what the server is trying to do
A serve-and-volley player is trying to take time away. The serve pulls you wide or jams you, and the server follows it forward, hoping to meet your return above the net and volley into open court. If you swing too big, aim too ambitiously, or simply float the ball, you may give them exactly the contact they want.
Your job is not to hit a winner on every return. It is to make the first volley awkward. A low ball forces the server to volley upward, reach down, or move through contact. That can give you time to recover and make the next shot much easier to read.
Watch the server’s movement as well as the serve. Do they charge hard behind the first serve but hesitate behind the second? Do they favor the same serve direction in big points? Does their first step carry them toward your backhand side? Those details help you choose a return before the ball reaches you.
Build a reliable return before adding tricks
Against a fast serve, keep the backswing compact. Start with the racket in front, turn your shoulders as the serve is coming, and use a short, controlled punch rather than a full groundstroke swing. You are borrowing pace from the serve. Trying to muscle every return often makes contact late and sends the ball long.
Get balanced enough to react. A small split-step timed around the server’s contact helps you push toward the ball instead of reaching from a static stance. If the serve is wide, let your feet and shoulders turn with it. If it jams you, create space with a small adjustment rather than leaning backward and hoping your wrist rescues the shot.
And give yourself permission to block or slice. A firm, low chip can be more useful than a flashy topspin return, especially on a quick court. The goal is a deep-enough ball that stays low—not a perfect highlight-reel shot.
Use the low cross-court return to make the first volley difficult
Cross-court is often the safest starting target because the net is lower over the middle of the court and you have more distance to work with. But the real value is not simply that it is a safer direction. A well-struck cross-court return can travel away from the server’s approach path and arrive low, forcing them to volley while moving.
Think “low and useful,” not “short and cute.” If you slice the return, keep the face steady and guide the ball through contact. Aim over the lowest part of the net and give the shot enough length to land around the service line or deeper. A return that dies too early can be an easy put-away volley.
On a wide serve, avoid trying to redirect every ball sharply down the line. The server may already be moving into that space, and the line gives you less margin. A compact cross-court block can send the ball behind or across the server, making them volley on the move. If the server is charging diagonally, that change of direction may be enough to unsettle their balance.
There is a useful lesson in watching great returners such as Andre Agassi: the return does not have to be a full swing to put pressure on an opponent. Against a serve-and-volleyer, that kind of compact control matters even more. You are trying to make the server play one difficult volley, not win the point with the return alone.
Where to aim
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On a wide serve, favor a low cross-court ball that passes in front of the server or makes them volley while moving laterally.
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On a body serve, use a short, firm block through the middle or cross-court. First make clean contact; a fancy angle is optional.
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On a serve that lands closer to the center, look for a low cross-court angle, but keep enough depth that the server cannot simply step in and volley down.
Read the server’s position after contact. If they are already covering the cross-court lane, don’t stubbornly hit there just because it is your planned target. The target is a guide, not a command.
Return at the server’s feet
A ball at the feet is uncomfortable because a volleyer has to make a quick decision: bend and volley it, half-volley it, or let it bounce and try to play the ball from low down. Any of those choices is harder than meeting a waist-high ball in front of the body.
To find the feet, aim at the space the server is moving into—not necessarily at the shoes they are wearing at the instant you hit. If they charge straight forward, a firm return through the middle can arrive at their feet. If they are moving toward one side, play into that movement or just behind it, depending on the open space.
Keep the swing short and the racket face controlled. A topspin return can dip sharply, but only if you have time and contact in front. On a fast serve, a stable block or slice is often the higher-percentage choice. Keep your head steady through contact and avoid trying to lift the ball at the last second; that late flick often turns a useful low return into a floating sitter.
There’s a practical difference between “at the feet” and “down the middle.” A ball through the middle is not automatically a good return if it sits up at chest height. The value comes from the low bounce, the server’s forward momentum, and the uncomfortable contact point.
When the feet target is especially useful
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When the server is rushing forward quickly and cannot easily brake.
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When you have identified a pattern in which they serve and follow directly into the center of the court.
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On a second serve that gives you time to step forward and make contact before the ball gets too low.
Don’t force this target off a first serve that has pushed you far outside the court. From a stretched position, prioritize a safe, low return back into play. You can get more precise when you are balanced.
Use the lob as a change-up, not a panic button
The lob can punish a server who charges too close to the net, but a rushed defensive lob is often just a high, slow invitation to smash. The best time to lob is when you have a clear cue: the server has crossed the service line early, is leaning forward, or has started anticipating a low return.
Two lobs can work. A topspin lob can dip inside the baseline and is useful when you have time to swing upward and finish with racket speed. A higher defensive lob gives you more time to recover, but it also gives the opponent more time to get underneath the ball. On a fast point, choose the one you can control—not the one that sounds more impressive.
Look over the server’s non-racket shoulder or into the space behind them, but don’t stare so hard that you telegraph the shot. Keep your preparation similar to your normal return as long as possible. Then lift the ball with a controlled swing and enough height to clear the server comfortably. Too flat, and they can reach it; too short, and they can turn around for an easy overhead.
The strongest lob is often the third or fourth variation, not the first. Show the server the low cross-court return. Then play at the feet. Once they start leaning forward and dropping the racket head to handle the low ball, send the lob over the space they have left behind them. That sequence makes the lob much less predictable.
Former serve-and-volley stars such as Patrick Rafter and Stefan Edberg built their net games around anticipation and movement. That is a reminder for the returner, too: the contest is partly about patterns. If you repeat the same low return every time, an experienced volleyer will start moving toward it before you strike. Mix your choices enough to keep them honest.
Make your choices based on the serve
Here is a simple match-day decision plan:
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Fast serve, late contact: Block it low and cross-court. Prioritize getting the ball down and back.
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Serve into your body: Make space with your feet and guide a compact return through the middle or at the server’s feet.
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Manageable second serve: Step in if you can stay balanced. Drive low at the server’s feet, or use a cross-court angle.
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Server charging aggressively: Consider the lob if you have time and can disguise it. If you are stretched, play the highest-percentage low ball instead.
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Server waiting back or slowing down: Don’t lob just because you planned to. Use the space in front of them with a controlled return.
Also vary your return position. Standing farther back can buy time against a big serve, while stepping forward can take time away from a slower second serve. Avoid making a dramatic move before the toss unless you have a reason; a smart server may simply serve into the space you leave.
Practice the pattern, not just the individual shot
A useful drill needs a server who follows the serve to the net. Ask a partner to serve from both sides, then hit three different returns: a low cross-court ball, one at the server’s feet, and a lob. The server plays the first volley or overhead, and you continue the point. This teaches you to recover after the return and read what happens next.
Try a simple scoring rule: give yourself one point for a return that lands low and forces a volley below net height, another if you make the next shot, and an extra point for a lob that clears the server and lands in. Don’t reward a risky winner more than a solid return that starts the point well. The point of the drill is decision-making under pressure.
You can also rehearse the response to each return. After the low cross-court shot, recover toward the likely volley angle. After a return at the feet, be ready for a short, floated reply. After a lob, move forward only when you can see that the opponent is actually under pressure; charging blindly into an overhead is not recovery.
In a match, keep the plan simple for a few games. Start with low cross-court returns and watch how the server adjusts. If they begin standing closer or bending early, try the lob. If they hang back to guard against it, attack the feet. You are not guessing randomly—you are responding to the opponent’s position.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I always return cross-court against a serve-and-volleyer?
No. Cross-court is a dependable starting target because it gives you margin, but the right direction depends on the serve and the server’s movement. If they are covering the cross-court lane early, a return through the middle, at their feet, or occasionally down the line may be more effective.
Is a slice return better than a topspin return?
Neither is always better. A slice can stay low and is often easier to control against a fast serve. Topspin can dip more sharply and may help when you have time to step in. Choose the stroke that lets you make balanced contact and keep the ball from sitting up.
When should I try a lob return?
Use it when the server is charging close to the net, leaning forward, or clearly expecting another low ball—and when you have enough time to control the height and depth. Avoid forcing it from a stretched position or treating every serve-and-volley point as a lob opportunity.
What if the server’s volley is still strong?
Keep making them volley from a low or moving position, and pay attention to where their replies tend to go. If they handle the feet well, change the height with a lob or angle the return away from their body. The aim is to make their first volley less comfortable, not to expect every return to win the point outright.
Final Thoughts
Returning against a serve-and-volley player is a small battle for the next shot. A low cross-court return can force a moving volley. A ball at the feet can jam the server’s forward rush. A well-timed lob can punish them for leaning too far into the net. Put those options together, stay compact against pace, and watch how the server responds.
You don’t need to hit harder than the server. You need to make their first volley lower, later, and less predictable. Do that consistently, and the net starts to look a lot less like their territory.
