If you find yourself falling back in a shot, most of the time it’s the line that’s the problem, not the ball. You’ve let the baseline dictate your path to the ball and now you find yourself trying to return a deep ball that forces you off balance. Play the ball, not the lines.
But… if you do find yourself playing on your back foot, send the ball up. Return the ball high and to the center of the court to give yourself time to get back into position and reset the point.