diff --git a/index.html b/index.html
index 293499a..d04581c 100644
--- a/index.html
+++ b/index.html
@@ -492,6 +492,6 @@ if (location.hostname !== 'splatter-tennis.wuwi.one') {
     </div>
   </div>
 </div>
-<script type="module" src="src/main.js?v=238"></script>
+<script type="module" src="src/main.js?v=239"></script>
 </body>
 </html>
diff --git a/src/config.js b/src/config.js
index af10f70..e3c5f4e 100644
--- a/src/config.js
+++ b/src/config.js
@@ -661,10 +661,14 @@ export const MENU = [
 // the dial that turns "returns everything" into "plays you". HARD got a second pass after
 // Oliver's "still too easy": it now reads your shot in 0.22 s, covers court at 1.3x, floors its
 // quality at 0.70, and hunts the corner you are not standing in four times out of five.
+// `recover` scales the between-shots jog (the rally block's 0.5 "slow recovery: wrong-footing wins
+// points") — a HARD CPU that ambles back to centre is free points, a recovering one is a wall.
+// Speed calibration: the zombie RUNNER covers 2.8 x 1.8 x 1.22 = 6.15 m/s with no reaction gate,
+// and Oliver clocked HARD as slower than him — HARD now moves 4.3 x 1.5 = 6.45.
 export const DIFFS = [
-  { id: 'easy',   name: 'EASY',   flub: 0.30, quality: 0.62, qMin: 0.45, speed: 0.80, reaction: 0.62, reach: 1.45, serve: 0.75, smart: 0 },
-  { id: 'medium', name: 'MEDIUM', flub: 0.10, quality: 0.86, qMin: 0.45, speed: 1.0,  reaction: 0.45, reach: 1.6,  serve: 1.0,  smart: 0 },
-  { id: 'hard',   name: 'HARD',   flub: 0.01, quality: 1.0,  qMin: 0.70, speed: 1.30, reaction: 0.22, reach: 1.85, serve: 1.15, smart: 0.8 },
+  { id: 'easy',   name: 'EASY',   flub: 0.30, quality: 0.62, qMin: 0.45, speed: 0.80, reaction: 0.62, reach: 1.45, serve: 0.75, smart: 0,   recover: 0.4 },
+  { id: 'medium', name: 'MEDIUM', flub: 0.10, quality: 0.86, qMin: 0.45, speed: 1.0,  reaction: 0.45, reach: 1.6,  serve: 1.0,  smart: 0,   recover: 0.5 },
+  { id: 'hard',   name: 'HARD',   flub: 0.01, quality: 1.0,  qMin: 0.70, speed: 1.50, reaction: 0.22, reach: 1.85, serve: 1.15, smart: 0.8, recover: 0.85 },
 ];
 
 // THE TOURNAMENT (Oliver's pick over the endless ladder, 2026-08-13): four rounds up the club's
diff --git a/src/gameplay.js b/src/gameplay.js
index d62a2e6..77293ca 100644
--- a/src/gameplay.js
+++ b/src/gameplay.js
@@ -1733,7 +1733,9 @@ export function update(dt) {
     const incoming = ball.active && ball.lastHit === 'P'
       && G.aiReactT >= (G.diff ? G.diff.reaction : TUNE.aiReaction);
     const tgt = incoming ? intercept('O') : HOME.O;
-    const spd = TUNE.aiSpeed * (G.diff ? G.diff.speed : 1) * (incoming ? 1 : 0.5); // slow recovery: wrong-footing wins points
+    const spd = TUNE.aiSpeed * (G.diff ? G.diff.speed : 1)
+      * (incoming ? 1 : (G.diff ? G.diff.recover : 0.5)); // slow recovery: wrong-footing wins points
+
     const dx = tgt.x - O.x, dz = tgt.z - O.z, d = Math.hypot(dx, dz);
     if (d > 0.1) {
       O.x += dx / d * Math.min(spd * dt, d);
diff --git a/test.js b/test.js
index c010594..53d8555 100644
--- a/test.js
+++ b/test.js
@@ -1127,7 +1127,9 @@ test('classic wears the match feel, and the difficulty table is a ladder', () =>
   assert.ok(e.qMin <= m.qMin && m.qMin < h.qMin, 'harder raises the quality floor');
   assert.ok(e.serve < m.serve && m.serve < h.serve, 'harder serves better');
   assert.ok(e.smart <= m.smart && m.smart < h.smart, 'harder plays the open court');
+  assert.ok(e.recover <= m.recover && m.recover < h.recover, 'harder recovers to centre faster');
   assert.equal(m.smart, 0, 'MEDIUM aims at random, as the shipped classic did');
+  assert.equal(m.recover, 0.5, 'MEDIUM keeps the shipped recovery jog');
   assert.equal(m.flub, TUNE.classicFlub, 'MEDIUM flub IS classicFlub');
   assert.equal(m.quality, TUNE.classicQualityMax, 'MEDIUM quality IS classicQualityMax');
   assert.equal(m.speed, 1.0, 'MEDIUM leaves aiSpeed alone');