Introduction
Aggression off the return is back. The US Open 2025 produced a clear shift toward shorter points and decisive Return+1 forehands. Fresh Hawk-Eye summaries reported a 9 to 12% rise in points ending within 0 to 3 shots in the men’s draw, driven by return plus one forehand finishes (US Open Match Insights, 2025-09-10). The women’s draw showed a 7% increase in aggressive first-strike patterns off second-serve returns, with more inside-in forehands from the ad court (US Open 2025 Analytics Recap, 2025-09-11). Multiple finalists repeated the same mantra in press conferences: own the first two balls (US Open 2025 Press Conferences, 2025-09-08).
That is our cue. The +1 strike window is the small time and space after your return where you can set feet, load, and drive the next ball to a high-value target. Train that window and you convert more games on return. Ignore it and you chase neutral rallies.
Quick definition: Return+1 is the shot immediately after your return. The +1 strike window is the 0.8 to 1.5 seconds you get to organize and hit with intent.
I am a USPTA coach who geeks out on motor learning. I also race a 1:32 half marathon. When my cadence is right, the first 2 km feel easy. When your split step and first move are right, the first two shots feel easy. Same principle. Rhythm creates power.
What the numbers mean for your practice
Shorter rallies are not luck. They are scripted. The Open data points to three behaviors you can practice right away:
- Attack second serves to forehand zones when possible, especially in the ad court for inside-in.
- Play your +1 forehand sooner and closer to the baseline, using depth through middle or inside-in to rush the server.
- Pre-script the first two balls. Do not just react. Decide the pattern before the point starts.
You do not need a tour team to build these habits. You need three tests, a few scripted patterns by side, and a 45-minute progression you can run with a partner or a machine.
The Return+1 Forehand Playbook
Core principles
- Win the toss on timing: split step on the toss apex, land as the ball leaves the strings.
- Move through the return. A small hop or step through stabilizes contact and buys depth.
- Recover into forehand space. Shade to your forehand after the return when the serve direction allows.
- Hit the +1 off your front foot. Shape heavy through middle or drive inside-in. Avoid falling back.
- Keep the backswing compact on return, but allow a full swing on the +1.
High-value target map
- Second-serve returns:
- Deuce court: deep cross through the backhand hip, or heavy middle to pin.
- Ad court: body or backhand hip to open inside-in on the +1.
- +1 forehand after a neutral or short reply:
- Inside-in to the corner if the server recovers toward middle.
- Deep middle with heavy spin if the server guesses line.
- Inside-out to stretch a backhand that stays on the deuce side.
OffCourt cue: Say it before you play it. Example: “Ad side, body return, inside-in +1.” Speak the pattern in your prep bounce.
Three court tests to time the +1 under serve pace
These tests are fast. Run them weekly and log scores. Use your phone timer and simple cones. OffCourt players often track makes, depth window, and decision time in one note.
Test 1: Split-step timing and +1 contact time
Goal: Align your split step to the serve and accelerate to a +1 forehand within 1.3 to 1.6 seconds of return contact.
Setup:
- Partner serves at match pace, alternating deuce and ad. You return cross or middle on second serves only.
- After the return, the partner blocks a neutral ball to the middle third.
- A coach or partner times from your return contact to your +1 contact.
Protocol:
- 3 sets x 8 points per side (48 total).
- Rest 60 seconds between sets.
- Target return depth beyond the service line.
Scoring:
- Green: 70% of trials between 1.3 and 1.6 seconds with a made +1 to target.
- Yellow: 50 to 69% in range.
- Red: below 50% or frequent late contacts.
Cues:
- “Land as the ball leaves.”
- “First step forward.”
- “See the seam, hit the lane.”
Test 2: Depth window off return and +1
Goal: Keep both shots in a productive depth band. Returns land deep half (past service line). +1 lands in a 2.5 meter box near baseline.
Setup:
- Place a 2.5 meter depth box with cones in each corner on the opponent’s side, centered on each baseline corner.
- Partner serves second serves. Partner blocks back to middle or ad/deuce as called.
Protocol:
- 2 sets x 12 points per side. Call the +1 target before the serve.
- Rest 90 seconds between sets.
Scoring:
- Return deep half + +1 inside the box = 2 points.
- Return deep half + +1 outside the box but in = 1 point.
- Missed return or shallow +1 = 0.
Standards:
- Competitive adults: 26 to 32 points out of 48 is solid.
- Juniors aiming high: push 34+.
Cues:
- “Drive the return through the back fence.”
- “Hold posture on the +1.”
Test 3: Directional discipline under pace
Goal: Stick to the script under real serve speed. No bailout cross when inside-in is called.
Setup:
- Stripe two lanes: inside-in lane to the corner and a deep middle lane.
- Partner mixes body and wide second serves. After your return, the partner blocks toward your forehand half.
Protocol:
- 3 sets x 10 points per side. Before each serve, call either “inside-in” or “middle.”
- Rest 60 seconds between sets.
Scoring:
- Hitting the called lane clean is a make. Any other direction or miss is a zero.
- Goal: 70% lane accuracy under full tempo by set 3.
Cues:
- “Commit through contact.”
- “Head still, hips through.”
Scripted patterns by side
Script before the bounce. Keep it simple and repeatable.
Deuce court patterns
- Return cross, +1 inside-out stretch
- Use on second serves to backhand or body.
- Return: heavy cross to backhand hip.
- +1: inside-out to deuce corner.
- Reps: 3 x 8 balls.
- Cue: “Cross pins, out opens.”
- Rest: 60 seconds.
- Return deep middle, +1 inside-in strike
- Use when the server recovers wide after a slice serve.
- Return: deep middle to jam.
- +1: inside-in line if the reply floats.
- Reps: 3 x 8 balls.
- Cue: “Jam then jam the line.”
- Rest: 60 seconds.
- Chip or block return, step-in +1
- Use against pace, shorten the swing.
- Return: compact block to backhand side.
- +1: step in on the rise, drive deep middle.
- Reps: 2 x 10 balls.
- Cue: “Block then blast.”
- Rest: 60 to 90 seconds.
Ad court patterns
- Body return, +1 inside-in finisher
- Matches the women’s draw trend: more inside-in from ad on second serves (US Open 2025 Analytics Recap, 2025-09-11).
- Return: shoulder high body, deep middle.
- +1: inside-in to the ad corner.
- Reps: 3 x 8 balls.
- Cue: “Body binds, inside-in finds.”
- Rest: 60 seconds.
- Backhand take early, run-around +1
- Return: early backhand through middle.
- Recover: shade to forehand.
- +1: inside-out to deuce corner.
- Reps: 3 x 8 balls.
- Cue: “Early BH, free FH.”
- Rest: 60 seconds.
- Slice return low, lift +1 heavy
- Return: low slice to backhand side.
- +1: heavy forehand deep middle to push back.
- Reps: 2 x 10 balls.
- Cue: “Low then load.”
- Rest: 60 to 90 seconds.
Coaching note: Pattern selection should match serve direction. Wide serve often asks for a cross return that buys time. Body serve rewards depth middle. Call it early.
A 45-minute ball-machine progression
Ball machines do not serve, but you can simulate timing and spacing. Set feeds to lower trajectory, moderate pace, and slight randomness.
Total time: 45 minutes, including brief prep and rests.
- Prep and footwork primer (5 minutes)
- 3 x 30 seconds split-timing: partner fake-tosses, you split on the “toss,” shadow compact return, recover, shadow +1 to a called lane.
- Rest 30 seconds.
- Cue: “Land as ball leaves.”
- Block A: Return depth plus +1 middle (10 minutes)
- Machine: feed to your return contact point just behind baseline, moderate pace, 2-ball sequence with 1.2 seconds between balls.
- Pattern: simulate return deep, then +1 deep middle.
- Sets: 4 x 10 balls.
- Target: 7 of 10 land deep half on both shots.
- Rest: 45 seconds between sets.
- Block B: Inside-in lane from ad and deuce (12 minutes)
- Machine: first ball to return spot, second ball slightly inside baseline to your forehand half.
- Pattern: return neutral, step around and drive inside-in.
- Sets: 3 x 8 balls per side (48 total).
- Cue: “Left foot wins space” on the run-around.
- Rest: 60 seconds between sets.
- Block C: Pace tolerance and compact return (10 minutes)
- Machine: faster first ball to body, second ball neutral middle.
- Pattern: block return, big +1 to lane called.
- Sets: 3 x 10 balls.
- Target: 70% +1 lane accuracy.
- Rest: 60 seconds.
- Finisher: 10-ball script under fatigue (8 minutes)
- Alternate ad and deuce. Before each 2-ball feed, call the entire script. Example: “Ad, body return, inside-in.”
- 5 rounds x 2 balls per round.
- Score: both shots on target earns 2 points. Aim for 14+ points.
- Cooldown: 2 minutes easy rallying or shadow swings.
OffCourt tip: Track makes by lane and by side. Over two weeks, the goal is a 10% jump in inside-in accuracy on the ad side.
Live-hitting versions you can run today
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Server plus returner race to 10: server hits only second serves. Returner pre-calls +1 lane. If the returner executes return deep half and +1 target, they score 2. If only one of the two is on target, 1. Server wins the point also scores 1. Rotate every 10 points.
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Coach feed then serve: coach feeds a simulated return ball, then immediately serves a second serve. Returner must reset split and play the point. 12-ball blocks, 3 rounds, with 90 seconds rest.
How to scout local opponents quickly
You do not need full charts. In the warmup games or first two return games, log these on a notecard or in OffCourt notes:
- Second serve direction by court: wide, body, T. Tally 10 serves per side if possible.
- Rally ball after your return: middle, backhand, forehand.
- Recovery habit: do they lean to backhand or stay central?
Plug into scripts:
- If ad body is common, cue inside-in on +1.
- If deuce wide backhand is common, cue inside-out +1 after cross return.
Two-week microcycle for Return+1
Goal: two focused on-court sessions per week, plus one lighter integration day. Keep strength and mobility in place. Taper volume slightly if competing on weekends.
Week 1
- Day 1 (60 to 75 minutes):
- Warmup 10 minutes with split-timing.
- Tests 1 and 2 (choose one side), 30 minutes total.
- Patterns: Deuce set 1 and Ad set 1, 20 minutes.
- Cooldown 5 minutes.
- Day 3 (45 minutes):
- Ball-machine progression Blocks A and B only.
- Finish with 10-ball script.
- Day 5 (60 minutes):
- Live-hitting race to 10.
- Test 3 for both sides, 20 minutes.
Week 2
- Day 1 (60 to 75 minutes):
- Re-test Test 1 on both sides.
- Patterns: Deuce set 2 and Ad set 2.
- Add 10 minutes of server body serves if that is an opponent trend.
- Day 3 (45 minutes):
- Ball-machine progression Blocks B and C.
- Emphasize ad inside-in accuracy.
- Day 5 (60 minutes):
- Match play sets starting every game at 0 to 15 on return for extra reps.
- Track Return+1 winners or forced errors.
Conditioning add-on (optional 2 x week)
- 6 x 20 second on, 40 second off court sprints or side shuffles.
- Keep form crisp. Think of it like raising stride rate. Quick feet fuel the +1 window.
Gear and court-speed tweaks
String control helps when you swing earlier and flatter on the +1. Tournament stringers reported a 1 to 2 kg average tension increase among baseline-heavy players in week two of the Open, with players citing control on Return+1 in faster conditions (US Open 2025 Stringing Team Notes, 2025-09-04; Player Mixed Zone Comments, 2025-09-05). If you sail the +1 long, test a small tension bump on your main setup. Make one change at a time and re-run the depth window test.
Common errors and quick fixes
- Late split on the serve toss
- Fix: watch the toss, not the server’s head. Land as the ball leaves the strings.
- Falling back on the +1
- Fix: exaggerate the first step in and plant the front foot early.
- Over-rotating on inside-in
- Fix: keep the head still through contact and finish over the outside shoulder.
- Return too short
- Fix: contact further in front and think heavy through middle. Use a slightly higher net clearance.
A simple pass-fail before matches
Run this 10-ball quick test in 3 minutes:
- 5 ad, 5 deuce. Call inside-in on ad, inside-out on deuce.
- Return must land past the service line. +1 must hit the called lane.
- Pass at 7 of 10. If you score 6 or less, open the match with deeper middle targets and build into lines later.
Why this matters now
The US Open 2025 rewarded players who owned the first two shots. The numbers tell the story: more points finished early on return plus one. The quotes back it up: finalists trained their scripts. Do the same and take that edge into your league playoffs or fall events.
OffCourt summary: Measure your timing, rehearse your scripts, and track lane accuracy. Small, repeatable wins on the first two balls grow break points fast.
Conclusion
Aggressive Return+1 tennis is a trainable habit. Set your split timing. Pre-call simple targets. Drive your +1 from the front foot. Use the three tests to keep yourself honest and the 45-minute progression to build volume without fluff. Over two weeks, you will feel the window slow down and your confidence speed up.
Quick checklist
- Split step lands as the serve leaves the strings.
- Return past the service line at least 70% of the time.
- Pre-call inside-in or middle on the +1.
- Aim front-foot contact with head still.
- Track lane accuracy by side.
Next steps on-court
- Run Test 1 for both sides and record your +1 contact times.
- Choose one deuce and one ad pattern. Rep 3 x 8 each.
- Complete the 45-minute ball-machine progression this week.
- In your next match, open the ad side with body return to inside-in on second serves and adjust from there.
If you track makes and timing for two weeks, you will see the same trend that showed up in New York. Shorter points, more forehand finishes, and more breaks in your column.