Hey Alex, it’s great that you’ve made so much improvement since joining the Academy! So I’ll answer the question on rubbers first as I use DNA Pro myself on both sides. Yes Platinum is much faster but less spin, I stayed with DNA Pro for this reason as spin and control is more important. I would say yes that DNA Pro on the backhand would be a better option to be honest.
With the serve returns I would say you’re going about it the right way, I think it totally depends on how long the serve is, if it’s just coming off the end and very half long sometimes an aggressive push is the easier option and you can still play a good quality return. If there is less backspin or the ball is slightly longer then I would say to keep going for the topspin and trying to attack the serves as you have been. The best way to control the direction is to really focus on adding topspin to the ball and brushing it well, also being sure to have a good acceleration through the contact point! Let us know how you get on with it!
Tom
