Issue link: https://imageup.uberflip.com/i/1465333
| LIFE IN SOLERA | MAY 2022 | 33 A Syllabus on Senior Tennis Serve: First over-establish wide targets and paths, but beware hitting the hard, flat serve. If the receiver is fully extended, it's harder for him to flick it back. But when he doesn't reach it, the top guys still can feather a dropper. For a righty, slice to the deuce court, kick to the ad court. For a lefty, it's the opposite. With the slice, keep it short in the box and have it bounce close to the sideline, going wide of the court. Toss the ball way to your side, and take a tight, wristy stroke. You'll be amazed at the spin you get and how low the ball stays. For the kick, the same placement rules apply, but the imparted spin makes the ball rebound high, different from the "tomahawk." Be sure to take another step forward after you finish in the court. You, too, can always serve-and-volley. You'll at least get to that devil return. Expect to see players with huge racquets, excellent hands, sometimes poked strokes and surprisingly solid spin serves. Groundstroke drop shots are mainly down the line. You won't notice many two-handed backhands, and the ones you see will be dominated by one hand. With these opponents, anticipate more down-the-line shots. You also won't glimpse extreme topspin or kick serves that bounce to the moon. The grips will be continental or usually one bevel, occasionally two, removed. Sliced backhands abound. Be sure to look for the seams on the ball from toss to contact. Don't let your eyes wander; concentrate, focus. Return of Serve: Set up on the baseline, or one to two feet inside. Take advantage of the lack of extreme speed of your rival's delivery. Odds are, he's not going to blow it past you. Shorten your strokes, apply quick blows, and slice the ball or go flat. For the most part, first-rate seniors establish cross-court serves. Once you get comfortable returning these angles, anticipate some serves down the middle, especially on the second serve. Run around to hit a forehand; fake running around; go way in, then retreat (just not outside the baseline), and massage a drop-shot return. As competitors age, it's not the side-to-side motion that goes, but the up-and-back. Athletes lose speed and quickness along with power. Because of this, the staple of the senior game remains north/ south, pull/push, and play. Source: Tennis.com By Ed Paige; March/April 2022; Volume 58, No. 2 TENNIS TITANS Beverly Crowe serving