Returning against the I-Formation can lead to indecisiveness or making a poor shot selection. This is because the returner doesn’t know which way the net person, who takes up a starting position in the middle of the court, is going to move after the server starts the point.

However, it’s usually safe to assume the net player won’t be where they started, making it a smart play to aim back down the middle of the court.

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Ben Zaiser is a head tennis professional at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Fla.