Sound advise as always Paul.

I think that the reason why top players position the rear foot ” on their toes” is to have the rear leg in more of a position  of readiness to move forward. This may only give them a fraction of a second advantage over the conventional receiving stance but at their level any perceived advantage is a bonus.

As Paul says the top players have the strength and training to forcefully move off from this position and avoid injury. 

There is a reason only the top players use this position. Be warned.

If you want to improve your doubles service return make sure that you are in the correct position, given your skill level and agility.

Best way to do this is practice. See how you cope with different serves from  a good server and adjust to find your ideal position then practice more to improve on it.

The default short serve at doubles is to the point where the short service line crosses the centre line. This is the shortest distance to the receiver and cuts down on reaction time.

Remember that you will also have to deal with wide short serves, flick serves to the centre line and wide flick serves so positioning and movement are very important.

I was always told “look to move forwards, prepare to move backwards”.

With this in mind it's important not to be too upright, have your knees bent and drop your centre of gravity, adopt almost a crouching stance. This will help you be in balance when moving off.

Speaking of balance, Paul has a gem of a video on this site with a great tip on how to stay in balance when moving backwards.

Hope this helps

Roger