US TENNIS
July 1995
How to hit a chip return
By Pete Sampras, Playing Editor, with Alexander McNab

Simplicity is the key to consistency

The return of serve was the difference in my 1994 Wimbledon final against Goran Ivanisevic. I had to get his huge serve back if I was going to win. By using the chip return, especially of the backhand, I put the ball in play and made him volley, often from a low position. There was a cumulative effect. I knew that even though he was holding serve, I was making him work. I don't study statistics of my matches, but TENNIS magazine learned from CompuTennis that I got 74 percent of my returns in play when Ivanisevic didn't hit an ace or service winner, compared to his 53 percent. Because I got those returns back, he then began to go for too big a serve, overhitting and missing some. He tapped out in the third set when he'd had enough.

When it's working well, the chip return is a great shot for players of all levels. It's easy to be consistent with it when you're hitting it well because there's not a lot of extra baggage; it's a very simple stroke.

The chip is effective against baseliners as well as serve-and-volleyers. When I play someone like Jim Courier, who has a pretty big first serve, it doesn't make sense to hit over every return because I'm not going to gain any advantage with it. The chip return is safer. It's not as aggressive a shot, but I feel I can make it a majority of the time. The main thing when you play someone who stays back is to keep the ball low, because once it starts sitting up, they'll hit the big forehand on the first shot and you'll be in trouble.

Tim Gullikson and I have worked a lot on my chip return. It's the one stroke that I actually think about when I'm playing a match. Here are key elements.

1. Bend
START LOWER
When I'm playing a big server like Ivanisevic, I have to react to the ball as fast as I can. The only way you can do that is by starting lower to the ground than usual. I can play an average server and get away with being lackadaisical -- which means standing upright -- in the ready position. You want a slight bend at the waist and good flex at the knees so your weight is forward. When I'm not returning well, when I'm popping up the return, it's because I'm too upright to start with.

2. Hop
3. Turn
KEEP IT BRIEF
The chip return basically is a reaction shot, at least at my level when playing someone like Ivanisevic. My first move is a hop forward as my opponent makes contact. On the swing, the shorter, the better. The stroke is only about 2 feet long. It's almost like a volley. You don't have a lot of time to take the racquet back. I've made a conscious effort to shorten my backswing. Keep your hands out in front and make an upper-body turn. Against a big server, you may not have time to step across. So it is O.K., although not ideal, for your feet to stay pretty much open, as mine are here, provided you turn your trunk and shoulders.

4. Squeeze
5. Block
STAY FIRM
As I make contact, I'm thinking about squeezing the racquet handle pretty hard and really punching the ball to go. The shot has a little bit of underspin. It's not a heavy slice, just a block. Use the server's pace as much as possible. When I miss, it's because my contact is too far back and there's too much junk on the ball. That's something I've seen club players do a lot -- hit with too much junk, too much slice. They have too much hand action and not enough firmness. If you've ever seen Ken Rosewall's slice backhand, you've seen the best backhand slice of all time, and it's a firm shot.

As for a target against a serve-and volleyer, when I'm playing Ivanisevic, I'm just trying to get the ball back. If I'm playing Stefan Edberg and have a little more time, I'll try to steer it to the forehand volley, his weaker side. With the chip, even when you go to the forehand, you're O.K. if you keep it low.