Never Miss A Return Again

Unlock stronger returns with these two strategies...

Author

Shea Underwood
April 13, 2025

Week 47

Welcome back to the Road to Pro Newsletter! Just by opening this issue, you are now automatically eligible for this week’s paddle giveaway. Last week’s winner was Hannah from Pennsylvania!

Here’s what I’ve got for you this week:

  • Two crucial techniques for consistent returns

  • A drill to practice two of the most important pickleball shots

If you’re reading this, you now have a chance to win this week’s paddle giveaway!

At the bottom of this newsletter, find out how you can earn free access to my book, “Literally Everything I Know About Pickleball.”

Now, let's get to it!

Big shoutout to Selkirk for sponsoring this newsletter and making all the paddle giveaways I do possible! I personally have been using a Selkirk paddle for over five years now, and every paddle I’ve used has been better than the last one. I recently started using their newest paddle - the Project 008, and it’s giving me more power and spin than I’ve ever had before. You can pick yours up on their website here and use code INF-Shea for a gift card on a future purchase.

Enhance Your Returns

The one shot I consistently see giving people trouble is the return of serve. There are plenty of factors to keep in mind for hitting a strong return, but I’m going to give you two major points this week to start working on.

1. Position yourself behind the baseline

First up, you need to make sure you’re setting up properly to receive the serve. Instead of waiting directly behind the baseline, take a step or two back. That way, if your opponent hits a deep serve (which is usually what they’re aiming for), it won’t land right at your feet and force an awkward or missed return. Standing a bit farther back also lets you move forward through your shot, helping you reach the kitchen line more quickly. Plus, if your opponent happens to hit a short serve, it’s still very manageable for you to run up and return that as well. Running up for a short serve is a lot easier than reeling back from a deep serve and being caught off-balance as you hit your shot.

2. Stay low through your return

The second thing - and probably one of the most important factors - is to stay low. Don’t pop up during your return. Bend your knees and keep them bent until you’ve made contact with the ball. Stay low with your knees bent so that you can maintain your balance throughout the entire motion. This method will allow you to get under the ball enough to make good contact and add a great deal of topspin. The minute you straighten your legs and stand up, you lose so much control over your shot, and it’ll hit the net more often than not. Staying low = more control. And this goes for nearly every other shot in pickleball as well, so mastering this is going to level you up instantly.

With these two strategies—standing farther back from the baseline and staying low—you’ll be well on your way to crushing your returns and keeping the pressure on your opponent.

I just posted a new YouTube video where I go over these two tips more in-depth, plus everything else you need to know for consistent returns. Go check it out!👇

Serve-Return-Repeat

This drill will help you work on mastering two of the most important shots in a pickleball game. Grab your drilling partner and set up diagonally across from each other, both standing at the backline on your respective sides of the court. To start, one of you will serve and the other will return—then switch roles so you both get reps on both sides of the drill.

Here’s what you do: The server will (of course) serve the ball, aiming to land it deep in the opposite court. The returner should focus on three things:

  1. Starting a few feet behind the backline to prepare for deep serves

  2. Staying low throughout the return motion

  3. Moving through the return so they can get to the kitchen quickly

To help with that transition to the kitchen, use the momentum from the motion of your return to carry you forward into the court.

The server should also occasionally mix in some short serves to challenge the returner and help them practice running forward to pick those up, too.

Do several rounds of serve and return, then switch positions and go again.

This drill will give you great practice hitting consistent returns—no matter what kind of serve you’re given. And the server gets valuable reps trying to keep their opponent pinned back with deep, well-placed serves.

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