In a serial printer wherein a bi-directionally operating motor drives a carriage in an oscillatory motion between two end points, an improvement for minimizing the time for direction reversal of the carriage. There is a ballistic rebound device for transferring energy of the moving carriage in one direction into a resilient member and for retransmitting energy absorbed by the resilient member back into the carriage in a direction opposite the one direction. There is also an electrically operated brake for selectively coupling the ballistic rebound device to the carriage. Sensing apparatus is provided for sensing the position of the carriage with respect to the two ends. Finally, logic connected to the sensing device is provided for removing a drive voltage from the motor and connecting the ballistic rebound device to the carriage at points with respect to the end points which wil cause the carriage to stop motion in one direction at a desired position with respect to the end points and for applying a drive voltage to the motor and disconnecting the ballistic rebound device from the motor shaft at points with respect to the end points which will cause the carriage to stop and accelerate to a maximum velocity in a direction opposite the one direction in a minimum amount of time. One version employs a single brake carried by the carriage and another employs a pair of brakes disposed adjacent respective ends of carriage movement.