Beefing Up Your Second Serve in Tennis Game
Is your second serve a friend or an enemy to your game? Having a weak second serve can be a big disadvantage. It not only puts the pressure on you to get your first serve in, but it allows your opponent the opportunity to take control of the point early when you hit a second serve. Avoid thinking of the second serve as the shot that you need to get in the box just to get the point started.
The second serve can be a weapon, or at minimum, a way to fight off your opponent from attacking and putting the pressure on early. There are 3 ways to beef up your second serve to make it more of a weapon. The 3 ways to improve a second serve are spin, placement and speed. If you can incorporate just 2 out of 3 of these you are well on your way to having a great second serve!
Spin: There are 3 types of spin you can use on your second serve. Slice, topspin or the kick serve. Being able to use these spins helps to keep your opponent guessing and always having to adjust.
Slice serves are effective, but unless you can really pull someone off of the court with a slice second serve, I recommend developing a topspin serve or a kick serve (AKA, American Twist Serve). The advantages of these two serves is the bounce. Both of these serves bounce very high making them hard serves to attack. The topspin serve acts just like it’s name, it bounces high because of topspin. The kick serve bounces high but also takes a slight change in direction when it hits the court, which makes the ball harder to judge. Many players stand further back when you hit the high bouncing serves as opposed to returning the slice serve. If you can get them to stand further back you will have more time to react to their return and it will also be harder for them to hit a clean winner.
Placement: Placement is where many players fall short on the second serve. Many players have the goal of just making sure their second serve goes in the box, and they don’t really care where as long as it lands in. Being able to place your second serve gives you an advantage. If you can put the ball where you want in the box than you can start to hit to your opponent’s weaker side. If you mix that with spin than you can start to pick on their weaker side. Being able to pull your opponent out wide on a second serve may be to your advantage if your opponent is a slower player.
Placement is key, and if you are not placing your second serve than start to. It takes practice and a certain level of comfort. Grab a bucket of balls and go out to the court alone and practice aiming your second serve. You will thank yourself when you are able to hit to your opponent’s weak backhand as opposed to their rocket forehand!
Speed: I am mentioning speed last because I think it is the least important. Speed can help, there is no doubt about it. But unless you are Pete Sampras or Andy Roddick, most people don’t have fast second serves. Speeding up your second serve will force your opponent to have to react quicker and may earn you some free points. However, of all the options, speed is the one that can get you in the most trouble. Going for too much on a second serve can cause errors. As you develop spins and placement speed naturally follows. As you become more confident with the serve you can trying swinging a little faster and see where that takes you.
My former tennis pro used to tell me this: “Swing as hard at the second serve as you do at the first, just use all spin”. I took his advise, or 90% of it. I swing about 90% as hard at the second serve as I do the first serve, but I use all spin. Spin is a safe bet, it gives you the biggest margin of error over the net and also brings the ball back down once it crosses the net. Once you have the spin down, try placing the ball. Once you can place the ball with spin, try speeding up the serve.
As one of your “internet” tennis pro’s let me tell you this. Developing a decent second serve will improve your tennis game immensely! You will be able to force your opponent to hit on their weaker side, you can move your opponent around, force them to stand further back, open up the court and force more errors. Try to practice your second serve outside of a match when there is no pressure. Set up targets if you have to or set goals for yourself. Working on your second serve can make your life on the tennis court will be better!
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Serve - 9.Mixing Up Your Tennis Serves
Mixing Up Your Tennis Serves
Mixing up your serves during a tennis match can make the difference between you holding your serve and getting broken on your service game. There are tons of variations of ways to serve mixing up pace with spins and so on. Being able to keep your opponents guessing where and how you might serve next will keep them on their toes and will most likely keep them from getting a rhythm when returning your serve.
When most people think about mixing up their serves they think of using placement and spins. You can go beyond these two options and also mix speed and your stance location into the mix. Now all of the sudden you have so many variations of serves that it is not even funny. Below we will take a look at each option in detail.
Placement: Placement is always important, and maybe even the most important of all the options to have in your arsenal in my opinion. With placement you can pull your opponent off of the court with a wide serve. You can also hit the ball at their body and jamb them, or you can direct the serve to their weaker side and control more points. The placement of the serve will be the option that makes your opponent move the most. Moving your opponent out of position, or into the position you want will win you more points.
Spins: There are 4 different types of tennis serves in terms of spins. The flat serve, slice serve, topspin serve and kick serve. Each of these serves has it's own advantages and disadvantages. However, if you use all 4 types of serves effectively during a match your opponent will have to adjust to hit each one and again not letting them get into a rhythm while returning your serve. (To read in more detail about the 4 different types of serves click here.)
Speed: Speed is a tough one to think about because people always think that the faster you can hit a serve the better. Being able to hit a hard serve is certainly an advantage, but without placement it is not nearly as effective. When you mix up the speeds of your serves it makes it harder for your opponent to get a good read on the ball. If you have been hitting 110 mph serves and throw a 90 mph serve in they may swing early expecting a 110 mph serve and hit an error. The same idea goes for the opposite situation. If you have been hitting slower spin serves and all of the sudden you hit a flat serve at a much faster pace it will throw your opponent off.
Stance: This is probably the least important of the 4 ways to mix up your serves. However, if you like to adjust where you stand to hit your serve it can also keep your opponent guesses and wondering where you plan on hitting the ball. This may cause your opponent to stand in a different spot (or uncomfortabel spot) than usual to return serve. If you stand way out wide to hit the serve you will be able to hit a serve with a much greater angle to pull your opponent off of the court.
However, by doing this you also make yourself vulnerable by leaving too much of the court open for your opponent to hit a winner. I have seen players stand out wide to hit serves and it really throws off their opponent because they are not used to people standing so far out wide to hit serves.
However, if you are not used to hitting serves from out wide it might also play with your head as you to hit a serve you are not used to hitting.
In the end, mix up your tennis serves as much as you can. Keep your opponents guessing what serve might come next. If you mix up the 4 options listed above, the number of options you have to mix up your serve are almost limitless!
Mixing up your serves during a tennis match can make the difference between you holding your serve and getting broken on your service game. There are tons of variations of ways to serve mixing up pace with spins and so on. Being able to keep your opponents guessing where and how you might serve next will keep them on their toes and will most likely keep them from getting a rhythm when returning your serve.
When most people think about mixing up their serves they think of using placement and spins. You can go beyond these two options and also mix speed and your stance location into the mix. Now all of the sudden you have so many variations of serves that it is not even funny. Below we will take a look at each option in detail.
Placement: Placement is always important, and maybe even the most important of all the options to have in your arsenal in my opinion. With placement you can pull your opponent off of the court with a wide serve. You can also hit the ball at their body and jamb them, or you can direct the serve to their weaker side and control more points. The placement of the serve will be the option that makes your opponent move the most. Moving your opponent out of position, or into the position you want will win you more points.
Spins: There are 4 different types of tennis serves in terms of spins. The flat serve, slice serve, topspin serve and kick serve. Each of these serves has it's own advantages and disadvantages. However, if you use all 4 types of serves effectively during a match your opponent will have to adjust to hit each one and again not letting them get into a rhythm while returning your serve. (To read in more detail about the 4 different types of serves click here.)
Speed: Speed is a tough one to think about because people always think that the faster you can hit a serve the better. Being able to hit a hard serve is certainly an advantage, but without placement it is not nearly as effective. When you mix up the speeds of your serves it makes it harder for your opponent to get a good read on the ball. If you have been hitting 110 mph serves and throw a 90 mph serve in they may swing early expecting a 110 mph serve and hit an error. The same idea goes for the opposite situation. If you have been hitting slower spin serves and all of the sudden you hit a flat serve at a much faster pace it will throw your opponent off.
Stance: This is probably the least important of the 4 ways to mix up your serves. However, if you like to adjust where you stand to hit your serve it can also keep your opponent guesses and wondering where you plan on hitting the ball. This may cause your opponent to stand in a different spot (or uncomfortabel spot) than usual to return serve. If you stand way out wide to hit the serve you will be able to hit a serve with a much greater angle to pull your opponent off of the court.
However, by doing this you also make yourself vulnerable by leaving too much of the court open for your opponent to hit a winner. I have seen players stand out wide to hit serves and it really throws off their opponent because they are not used to people standing so far out wide to hit serves.
However, if you are not used to hitting serves from out wide it might also play with your head as you to hit a serve you are not used to hitting.
In the end, mix up your tennis serves as much as you can. Keep your opponents guessing what serve might come next. If you mix up the 4 options listed above, the number of options you have to mix up your serve are almost limitless!
Monday, July 16, 2007
Serve - 8.Speeding Up Your Serves
Speeding Up Your Tennis Serves
Who doesn't want to speed up their first serve. I know I do, and I bet you that if Pete Sampras could he would too! But you have to remember, consistency and placement are far more important than the speed of your serve. If you can not get the serve in and within a reasonable distance in where you aimed, then the speed of the serve is almost worthless. I say "almost" because the speed of the serve does account for something and can sometimes win you some easy points. However, I feel you need consistency with your first serve before you read this section. (A good percentage for first serves is anything above 70%) Here are some ways to speed up the serve!
Tossing out front: Tossing the tennis ball out in front of your body helps you to jump into the court when hitting the serve, thus bringing your body weight into the serve. If you are moving forward when hitting the serve this will increase the speed of your serve. Observe the Sampras video below and see how he is tossing the ball slightly in front of him and jumping into the serve.
Good rotation: Good rotation of the shoulders and the waist will give you added power to your serve. This allows your whole body to contribute to the power instead of just the brute force of your arm. The uncoiling is key, be sure to use your legs, shoulders, and waist.
Extension: Check out this Pete Sampras quick video... Look at the extension and his reach on his serve! With extension this good his torque is much greater allowing his to really hit the serve hard. Also notice how his wrist does not pronate, he keeps it firm through out the whole serve. Pronating, or snapping of the wrist does not always help to speed up your serve!
Racquet Adjustments: Get a longer tennis racquet. Look what it did for Michael Chang! The longer the racquet the more power you will get out of your shots. You can also string your racquet with less tension, that will give you more power. But be aware, both of those options will give you more power, but will also give you less control.
Add weight to the head of your tennis racquet: Adding weight to your tennis racquet head helps to produce more force when hitting. It's like driving a bike and hitting a wall, or driving a semi-truck and hitting a wall. The semi truck definitely has more momentum and more force to hit with because it is heavier. I am not saying the difference will be that great of a change, but it will increase the speed of your serve, and other strokes for that matter. You can add weight to your racquet by simply applying sticker like lead strips to the head of your racquet. Make sure you do this evenly on both side of the racquet. Not many of these strips are needed to notice a difference in weight of your racquet, so do not over do it. Just try a little at a time to see if it works for your tennis game. To get the most out of lead tape, check out Alan Vinh's section on lead tape at the following URL. http://www.monumental.com/avinh/leadtape.html
Quick tip: Hitting the serve down the "T" (the down the middle of the court) will create a faster serve for two reasons. One reason is that it has less distance to travel and therefore encounters less air resistance to slow the ball down. The other reason is that the net is low, so it gives you more room for error to hit the big flat serve.
If you have any questions about this article or tennis in general please do not hesitate to contact me @ tennis4you@hotmail.com. Thank you!
Who doesn't want to speed up their first serve. I know I do, and I bet you that if Pete Sampras could he would too! But you have to remember, consistency and placement are far more important than the speed of your serve. If you can not get the serve in and within a reasonable distance in where you aimed, then the speed of the serve is almost worthless. I say "almost" because the speed of the serve does account for something and can sometimes win you some easy points. However, I feel you need consistency with your first serve before you read this section. (A good percentage for first serves is anything above 70%) Here are some ways to speed up the serve!
Tossing out front: Tossing the tennis ball out in front of your body helps you to jump into the court when hitting the serve, thus bringing your body weight into the serve. If you are moving forward when hitting the serve this will increase the speed of your serve. Observe the Sampras video below and see how he is tossing the ball slightly in front of him and jumping into the serve.
Good rotation: Good rotation of the shoulders and the waist will give you added power to your serve. This allows your whole body to contribute to the power instead of just the brute force of your arm. The uncoiling is key, be sure to use your legs, shoulders, and waist.
Extension: Check out this Pete Sampras quick video... Look at the extension and his reach on his serve! With extension this good his torque is much greater allowing his to really hit the serve hard. Also notice how his wrist does not pronate, he keeps it firm through out the whole serve. Pronating, or snapping of the wrist does not always help to speed up your serve!
Hit less spin: Another way to juice up your serve would be to simply hit less spin. Hitting the ball flat creates a lot more pace because you hit the ball more solid. Hitting with spin puts more friction on the ball and does not allow you to swing straight through with all power.
Racquet Adjustments: Get a longer tennis racquet. Look what it did for Michael Chang! The longer the racquet the more power you will get out of your shots. You can also string your racquet with less tension, that will give you more power. But be aware, both of those options will give you more power, but will also give you less control.
Add weight to the head of your tennis racquet: Adding weight to your tennis racquet head helps to produce more force when hitting. It's like driving a bike and hitting a wall, or driving a semi-truck and hitting a wall. The semi truck definitely has more momentum and more force to hit with because it is heavier. I am not saying the difference will be that great of a change, but it will increase the speed of your serve, and other strokes for that matter. You can add weight to your racquet by simply applying sticker like lead strips to the head of your racquet. Make sure you do this evenly on both side of the racquet. Not many of these strips are needed to notice a difference in weight of your racquet, so do not over do it. Just try a little at a time to see if it works for your tennis game. To get the most out of lead tape, check out Alan Vinh's section on lead tape at the following URL. http://www.monumental.com/avinh/leadtape.html
Quick tip: Hitting the serve down the "T" (the down the middle of the court) will create a faster serve for two reasons. One reason is that it has less distance to travel and therefore encounters less air resistance to slow the ball down. The other reason is that the net is low, so it gives you more room for error to hit the big flat serve.
If you have any questions about this article or tennis in general please do not hesitate to contact me @ tennis4you@hotmail.com. Thank you!
Serve - 7.Practicing the Serve
Practicing the Serve
Intro:
I played a match several years ago while my tennis pro stayed and watched the match. Once I was done with my match I stayed out on the court and hit serves for 10-15 minutes. When I walked off the court to my surprise my instructor was still there. He said this to me which I will never forget: "Scott, that is how you will get a head of everyone else, stay out there and practice after and before matches". He was right, when I gave it some thought, most people only hit serves during matches and their quick warm-up for the match. In this article we will discuss why you should practice your serve and different ways to do just that.
The serve is a very important part of the game of tennis. Many people stay out all day and practice the forehand, backhand and volleys but never go out to practice the serve. The only time that these people get to work on their serve is during their matches. This would be the wrong time to work on improving the serve. The serve needs as much attention as everything else if you want your serve to be at it's best!
Practicing Techniques:
A good approach to practicing the serve (although somewhat boring) is to just grab a basket of balls and go out just to practice serving. A good goal while practicing the serve is to set up a pyramid of 4 balls in each corner of the service box on the opposite side of the court. When serving, aim for these balls. This helps people who have not yet learned to aim their serve to do so. When you are able to aim your serve, on both first and second serves, you will have a much more effective serve.
Another good practicing technique is to stand 10-15 feet behind the baseline and hit the serve. This is an effective way to get to learn to hit spin on the serve. This practicing technique was not designed to have you stand far back and try to slam serves. This technique is to develop spin. Stand back, and just use your arm, do not use your legs and to do not rotate your body and get used to the spin. Use the rainbow effect of topspin and learn to develop your topspin serve and kick serves.
When practicing the serve utilize both sides of the court. Do not just serve to the deuce side or just to the ad side. Make sure you practice equally on both sides to fully benifit your game. It is important to be equally comfortable serving on both the deuce side and the ad side.
So please please please practice the serve before and after the tennis match! You have only to benefit yourself, if you don't then you may be benefiting your opponents.
Intro:
I played a match several years ago while my tennis pro stayed and watched the match. Once I was done with my match I stayed out on the court and hit serves for 10-15 minutes. When I walked off the court to my surprise my instructor was still there. He said this to me which I will never forget: "Scott, that is how you will get a head of everyone else, stay out there and practice after and before matches". He was right, when I gave it some thought, most people only hit serves during matches and their quick warm-up for the match. In this article we will discuss why you should practice your serve and different ways to do just that.
The serve is a very important part of the game of tennis. Many people stay out all day and practice the forehand, backhand and volleys but never go out to practice the serve. The only time that these people get to work on their serve is during their matches. This would be the wrong time to work on improving the serve. The serve needs as much attention as everything else if you want your serve to be at it's best!
Practicing Techniques:
A good approach to practicing the serve (although somewhat boring) is to just grab a basket of balls and go out just to practice serving. A good goal while practicing the serve is to set up a pyramid of 4 balls in each corner of the service box on the opposite side of the court. When serving, aim for these balls. This helps people who have not yet learned to aim their serve to do so. When you are able to aim your serve, on both first and second serves, you will have a much more effective serve.
Another good practicing technique is to stand 10-15 feet behind the baseline and hit the serve. This is an effective way to get to learn to hit spin on the serve. This practicing technique was not designed to have you stand far back and try to slam serves. This technique is to develop spin. Stand back, and just use your arm, do not use your legs and to do not rotate your body and get used to the spin. Use the rainbow effect of topspin and learn to develop your topspin serve and kick serves.
When practicing the serve utilize both sides of the court. Do not just serve to the deuce side or just to the ad side. Make sure you practice equally on both sides to fully benifit your game. It is important to be equally comfortable serving on both the deuce side and the ad side.
So please please please practice the serve before and after the tennis match! You have only to benefit yourself, if you don't then you may be benefiting your opponents.
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Serve - 6.The Service Toss
The Service Toss
The Toss: The toss of the serve, how insignificant one may see it, can play a large role in your game. In order to be able to hit a good serve, you must have a good toss. Some tennis players have problems with their toss, and some do not. If you are someone who has an inconsistent toss, it is well worth practicing just the toss.
When learning the 4 types of serves, many players get accustom to throwing their toss in different places for the different serves. This is not a big deal, but it may not be a good thing either. If you have to toss the ball in different places to hit different serves you have already told your opponent what serve is coming before you hit the ball. Good tennis players will read your toss to be better prepared. My suggestion to those who are learning the different types of serve is to learn to hit all four serves from the same ball toss. This will make your serve much more effective. The same theory is applied to the placement of your serves. If you are going to tell your opponent where you are serving, you might as well not serve at all. When you get a chance to watch the top players pay attention to their serve, see how they toss the ball, and watch the consistency of their toss. John McEnroe was an expert at disguising his serve. You want to be able to hit the ball in the same spot for your serve every time. This will also help in disguising your serve.
Eye Contact: Always watch the tennis ball from the very beginning of the toss. Avoid tossing the tennis ball up and then start looking for it in the air. Keep your eye on the tennis ball until contact is made! If you take your eyes off of the tennis ball and look at the court that means you just dropped your head. Where the head goes the face of the racquet usually follows, and you will most likely not come up with a good serve, but instead a fault. This is where nerves can play a role especially on the second serve of big points. When some players get nervous they tend to look to the court before they hit the ball. You will have to remember to stay calm and watch the tennis ball the whole way through.
Toss Height: Don't toss the tennis ball too high or too low. Tosses that end up too high will be affected by the wind and cause timing problems, and tosses that are too low are subject to all sorts of problems! Not only will tosses that are tossed too high be affected by the wind, they will also test your timing to the fullest. The toss should be high enough so that when you extend to hit your serve you hit the ball at the peak of the toss while the ball is in equilibrium. You want to hit the ball at it's peak of the toss. How high is that for you? It depends on how tall you are and how high you like to jump (assuming you jump) to get to the ball. You should be able to figure that out quickly. Tossing the ball too low, or letting the ball drop too low before you serve, will not let you hit a powerful serve. Instead You will get cramped up because the ball is too close to you and you will be lucky to hit a solid serve! When the tennis ball is tossed, or allowed to drop too low you will lose spin, power and consistency, so make sure you have a good toss!
Practicing the Toss: I have heard Venus William's say that when she or her sister feel their toss may be off they practice by throwing the tennis ball at a spot on the ceiling. If that is what it takes then great, mark a spot on the ceiling and toss like you would for your serves. I would keep your racquet in your hand just to make it like the real deal, toss, bend your knees, turn, just don't swing.
The Toss: The toss of the serve, how insignificant one may see it, can play a large role in your game. In order to be able to hit a good serve, you must have a good toss. Some tennis players have problems with their toss, and some do not. If you are someone who has an inconsistent toss, it is well worth practicing just the toss.
When learning the 4 types of serves, many players get accustom to throwing their toss in different places for the different serves. This is not a big deal, but it may not be a good thing either. If you have to toss the ball in different places to hit different serves you have already told your opponent what serve is coming before you hit the ball. Good tennis players will read your toss to be better prepared. My suggestion to those who are learning the different types of serve is to learn to hit all four serves from the same ball toss. This will make your serve much more effective. The same theory is applied to the placement of your serves. If you are going to tell your opponent where you are serving, you might as well not serve at all. When you get a chance to watch the top players pay attention to their serve, see how they toss the ball, and watch the consistency of their toss. John McEnroe was an expert at disguising his serve. You want to be able to hit the ball in the same spot for your serve every time. This will also help in disguising your serve.
Eye Contact: Always watch the tennis ball from the very beginning of the toss. Avoid tossing the tennis ball up and then start looking for it in the air. Keep your eye on the tennis ball until contact is made! If you take your eyes off of the tennis ball and look at the court that means you just dropped your head. Where the head goes the face of the racquet usually follows, and you will most likely not come up with a good serve, but instead a fault. This is where nerves can play a role especially on the second serve of big points. When some players get nervous they tend to look to the court before they hit the ball. You will have to remember to stay calm and watch the tennis ball the whole way through.
Toss Height: Don't toss the tennis ball too high or too low. Tosses that end up too high will be affected by the wind and cause timing problems, and tosses that are too low are subject to all sorts of problems! Not only will tosses that are tossed too high be affected by the wind, they will also test your timing to the fullest. The toss should be high enough so that when you extend to hit your serve you hit the ball at the peak of the toss while the ball is in equilibrium. You want to hit the ball at it's peak of the toss. How high is that for you? It depends on how tall you are and how high you like to jump (assuming you jump) to get to the ball. You should be able to figure that out quickly. Tossing the ball too low, or letting the ball drop too low before you serve, will not let you hit a powerful serve. Instead You will get cramped up because the ball is too close to you and you will be lucky to hit a solid serve! When the tennis ball is tossed, or allowed to drop too low you will lose spin, power and consistency, so make sure you have a good toss!
Practicing the Toss: I have heard Venus William's say that when she or her sister feel their toss may be off they practice by throwing the tennis ball at a spot on the ceiling. If that is what it takes then great, mark a spot on the ceiling and toss like you would for your serves. I would keep your racquet in your hand just to make it like the real deal, toss, bend your knees, turn, just don't swing.
Monday, July 2, 2007
Serve - 5.The Four Different Types of Tennis Serves
The Four Different Types of Tennis Serves
There are four different types of serves that can be learned and each can be used to your advantage. Some of these serves may be effective against certain opponents and other may not.
There are four different types of serves that can be learned and each can be used to your advantage. Some of these serves may be effective against certain opponents and other may not.
Mixing up all four serves through out a match may cause your opponent problems because they can never find a rhythm in returning your serve. Learning to effectively hit each serve is key to advancing the service part of your game.
There are four kinds of serves you need to be aware of, the flat serve, slice serve, kick serve, and the topspin serve. All four serves can be very effective and no one serve is better than any of the others. Each has their advantages and disadvantages, learning how to hit all four is important, and learning to mix them up in a match against an opponent is even more important. Here we will list the advantages and disadvantages of each serve.
Flat Serve
Advantages
1. Speed of the serve gives your opponent less time to react and prepare for the return.
2. Helps to win easy points which in turn can also help you conserve energy.
3. Easy to learn.
Disadvantages
1. Gives serve and volley players less time to get to the net.
2. Percentage of serves that go in can be very low.
3. Harder for shorter people to get the clearance over the net with out some spin.
4. When returnee gets their racquet on the ball the return can come back very fast b/c they are using the power you generated.
Slice Serve
Advantages
1. Ball bounces low, away from or into opponent's body.
2. You can use the spin to make the ball get further away from the opponent stretching them out, or you can use it to spin into their body jamming them.
3. Percentage of serves in is high.
4. Easy to learn.
Disadvantages
1. It's a basic serve, people are used to hitting back slice serves.
There are four kinds of serves you need to be aware of, the flat serve, slice serve, kick serve, and the topspin serve. All four serves can be very effective and no one serve is better than any of the others. Each has their advantages and disadvantages, learning how to hit all four is important, and learning to mix them up in a match against an opponent is even more important. Here we will list the advantages and disadvantages of each serve.
Flat Serve
Advantages
1. Speed of the serve gives your opponent less time to react and prepare for the return.
2. Helps to win easy points which in turn can also help you conserve energy.
3. Easy to learn.
Disadvantages
1. Gives serve and volley players less time to get to the net.
2. Percentage of serves that go in can be very low.
3. Harder for shorter people to get the clearance over the net with out some spin.
4. When returnee gets their racquet on the ball the return can come back very fast b/c they are using the power you generated.
Slice Serve
Advantages
1. Ball bounces low, away from or into opponent's body.
2. You can use the spin to make the ball get further away from the opponent stretching them out, or you can use it to spin into their body jamming them.
3. Percentage of serves in is high.
4. Easy to learn.
Disadvantages
1. It's a basic serve, people are used to hitting back slice serves.
Kick Serve
Advantages
1. Ball bounces high, away from or into opponent's body.
2. Ball bounces opposite direction of which it hits the ground.
3. Gives serve-and-volley players time to get to the net.
4. Hard to attack.
5. A lot of less experienced people have not seen or played much against a kick serve and it may really throw them off.
Disadvantages
1. If your opponent hit's the ball off the rise it takes away the effectiveness of the serve, not allowing the ball to go far in any direction.
Advantages
1. Ball bounces high, away from or into opponent's body.
2. Ball bounces opposite direction of which it hits the ground.
3. Gives serve-and-volley players time to get to the net.
4. Hard to attack.
5. A lot of less experienced people have not seen or played much against a kick serve and it may really throw them off.
Disadvantages
1. If your opponent hit's the ball off the rise it takes away the effectiveness of the serve, not allowing the ball to go far in any direction.
2. Hard to learn.
Top Spin Serve
Advantages
1. Gives serve-and-volley players time to get to the net.
2. Bounces high.
3. Great consistency.
4. Easy to learn.
Disadvantages
1. If opponent hit's the ball off the rise it takes away the effectiveness of the serve, not allowing the ball to bounce high.
2. Easy to hit back.
Top Spin Serve
Advantages
1. Gives serve-and-volley players time to get to the net.
2. Bounces high.
3. Great consistency.
4. Easy to learn.
Disadvantages
1. If opponent hit's the ball off the rise it takes away the effectiveness of the serve, not allowing the ball to bounce high.
2. Easy to hit back.
3. Easy to see coming.
A Quick Breakdown of How To Strike The Ball for Each Serve
A Quick Breakdown of How To Strike The Ball for Each Serve
Please be aware that there is much more to these serves than I am explaining in this section. For the first three I am only going to talk about the motion your racquet needs to hit/brush the ball to execute these serves. Watching the pros is a great way to see how the whole body needs to move as one for the serve! The numbers I am referring to are the numbers on a clock so you can get orientated on how to hit the ball. These are also assuming you are right handed. (Sorry lefties)
The Flat Serve: No spin on the ball, just drive through the ball towards the court!
The Flat Serve: No spin on the ball, just drive through the ball towards the court!
Here is an example of Serena Williams hitting a flat serve.
The Slice Serve: Brush the ball on the right side driving through the ball towards the court. Your swing should move right to left slightly as you hit this serve and follow through.
The Topspin Serve: Brush the ball from low to high, from 6 to 12. The harder you brush the ball, the more spin you will get.
The Kick Serve: Brush the ball from low to high, from 8 to 1 or 2 o'clock. Here is a great example of a kick serve illustrated by Patrick Rafter.
The Topspin Serve: Brush the ball from low to high, from 6 to 12. The harder you brush the ball, the more spin you will get.
The Kick Serve: Brush the ball from low to high, from 8 to 1 or 2 o'clock. Here is a great example of a kick serve illustrated by Patrick Rafter.
Serve - 4.Three Choices of Placing the Tennis Serve
Three Choices of Placing the Tennis Serve
Basics -In the tennis game when serving in singles or doubles you have three different choices of where you can place your serve in the service box. Where you choose to place the serve depends on your opponent's strengths and weaknesses as well as your ability to mix up the placement of the serve. Mixing up the placement of your serve will not allow your opponent to get into a groove and keep them guessing where you might serve next. To always serve in the same spot is a mistake. Your opponent will be ready for the serve and be more likely to hit winners more often. Your three choices are as follows: Out wide, Down the Middle (Down the "T") and at your opponent (Into the body). Each of these three options have their own advantages, which can vary depending on your opponent's strengths. Below we will take a look at the three options in depth.
Serving Out Wide -Serving out wide can be an advantage as well as a disadvantage. If your opponent is not quick on his/her feet, dragging them off the court with a wide serve can create an easy point for you. Serving out wide creates a wide open court for you to put away an easy winner if your opponent's return of serve is weak. If your are playing a slower player they may not be able to reach the ball, or they may not be able to prepare to hit the ball as effectively as they may like. If you are a serve and volley player this serve gives you a lot of open court to put a volley away. If you are a baseliner than it gives you a lot of open court to hit the winner, or to hit the ball in the opposite corner and be in control of the point.
The disadvantage of serving out wide is that you have created an angle by hitting out wide. Now your opponent has a shot in which they too can return the ball at an angle, so be ready! Don't think because you pulled your opponent out of the court that his/her return will be back down the middle. You now have to watch the down the line shot, and at the same time be prepared to cover the cross court angle. This is especially true for serve and volley players b/c you will have less time to react to your opponent's return. When serving out wide the ball has a longer distance to travel than serving down the middle. This means the ball will have to encounter more wind resistance which will cause the ball to slow down before the opponent gets to the serve. The net height is also higher at the ends than it is in the middle, so you have less room for error serving out wide.
Serving Down the Middle (Down the "T") -Serving down the middle of the court, or "down the 'T"', erases the angles that your opponent can hit. With this serve you can expect more balls to be returned down the middle. This makes it easier to serve and volley, however you do not have the open court to hit the volley into. However, with a return down the middle, you can take advantage of this and hit to your opponent's weaker side and start to control the point. If you can plan on where your opponent is going to hit the return of serve this can help you to be aggressive and win the point. Another advantage of serving down the middle is the height of the net. At the middle of the court the net is at its lowest point. This will allow you to have more margin for error on the serve. Also when serving down the middle the travel distance for the ball is shorter than serving out wide. This means the serve will be traveling at a faster pace when it gets to the opponent due to less wind resistance.
The downfall to serving down the middle is that there is no open court to hit the ball into. You will have to create the angle to hit the winner.
Serving at Your Opponent -Serving into the body of you opponent, if done well, handcuffs the opponent not allowing him to step into the ball and hit back a hard shot. This would allow you to approach the net on a weak return, or control the point from the baseline. If the serve is executed correctly it does not let your opponent easily come up with a great angle to hit a winner which can give you the control of the point.
The 2 Bad Choices of Placement - There are however 2 choices of placement which may get you in deep trouble. These two would be directly to the opponent's forehand or backhand. You will have to hit the ball at your opponent's body to effectively jam him/her. If you are off by a foot or so they may be able to easily step out of the way and pound a return within their comfort zone! I heard an analogy once that helped to see the 3 good choices vs. the 2 poor choices. Hold out your right hand (with your fingers extended) towards the deuce service box. All 5 fingers represent choices of placement. The 2 bad choices would be the ring finger and the index finger.
Last Note
In addition to the 3 different options of serve placement there are the 4 different types of serves. This will help you to mix up your types of serves and truely keep your opponent guessing. If your opponent gets used to one serve in the same spot you could be in deep trouble.
Basics -In the tennis game when serving in singles or doubles you have three different choices of where you can place your serve in the service box. Where you choose to place the serve depends on your opponent's strengths and weaknesses as well as your ability to mix up the placement of the serve. Mixing up the placement of your serve will not allow your opponent to get into a groove and keep them guessing where you might serve next. To always serve in the same spot is a mistake. Your opponent will be ready for the serve and be more likely to hit winners more often. Your three choices are as follows: Out wide, Down the Middle (Down the "T") and at your opponent (Into the body). Each of these three options have their own advantages, which can vary depending on your opponent's strengths. Below we will take a look at the three options in depth.
Serving Out Wide -Serving out wide can be an advantage as well as a disadvantage. If your opponent is not quick on his/her feet, dragging them off the court with a wide serve can create an easy point for you. Serving out wide creates a wide open court for you to put away an easy winner if your opponent's return of serve is weak. If your are playing a slower player they may not be able to reach the ball, or they may not be able to prepare to hit the ball as effectively as they may like. If you are a serve and volley player this serve gives you a lot of open court to put a volley away. If you are a baseliner than it gives you a lot of open court to hit the winner, or to hit the ball in the opposite corner and be in control of the point.
The disadvantage of serving out wide is that you have created an angle by hitting out wide. Now your opponent has a shot in which they too can return the ball at an angle, so be ready! Don't think because you pulled your opponent out of the court that his/her return will be back down the middle. You now have to watch the down the line shot, and at the same time be prepared to cover the cross court angle. This is especially true for serve and volley players b/c you will have less time to react to your opponent's return. When serving out wide the ball has a longer distance to travel than serving down the middle. This means the ball will have to encounter more wind resistance which will cause the ball to slow down before the opponent gets to the serve. The net height is also higher at the ends than it is in the middle, so you have less room for error serving out wide.
Serving Down the Middle (Down the "T") -Serving down the middle of the court, or "down the 'T"', erases the angles that your opponent can hit. With this serve you can expect more balls to be returned down the middle. This makes it easier to serve and volley, however you do not have the open court to hit the volley into. However, with a return down the middle, you can take advantage of this and hit to your opponent's weaker side and start to control the point. If you can plan on where your opponent is going to hit the return of serve this can help you to be aggressive and win the point. Another advantage of serving down the middle is the height of the net. At the middle of the court the net is at its lowest point. This will allow you to have more margin for error on the serve. Also when serving down the middle the travel distance for the ball is shorter than serving out wide. This means the serve will be traveling at a faster pace when it gets to the opponent due to less wind resistance.
The downfall to serving down the middle is that there is no open court to hit the ball into. You will have to create the angle to hit the winner.
Serving at Your Opponent -Serving into the body of you opponent, if done well, handcuffs the opponent not allowing him to step into the ball and hit back a hard shot. This would allow you to approach the net on a weak return, or control the point from the baseline. If the serve is executed correctly it does not let your opponent easily come up with a great angle to hit a winner which can give you the control of the point.
The 2 Bad Choices of Placement - There are however 2 choices of placement which may get you in deep trouble. These two would be directly to the opponent's forehand or backhand. You will have to hit the ball at your opponent's body to effectively jam him/her. If you are off by a foot or so they may be able to easily step out of the way and pound a return within their comfort zone! I heard an analogy once that helped to see the 3 good choices vs. the 2 poor choices. Hold out your right hand (with your fingers extended) towards the deuce service box. All 5 fingers represent choices of placement. The 2 bad choices would be the ring finger and the index finger.
Last Note
In addition to the 3 different options of serve placement there are the 4 different types of serves. This will help you to mix up your types of serves and truely keep your opponent guessing. If your opponent gets used to one serve in the same spot you could be in deep trouble.
Sunday, July 1, 2007
Serve - 3.The Second Serve
The Second Serve
I feel that the second serve needs more attention than that of the first serve. Just as the first serve can be you best friend, the second serve can be your worst enemy! Many players have second serves that are easily attackable, meaning the returnee can hit the ball where they want in the court and possibly come into the net to finish an easy point. The problem with many player's second serves is not the fact that they are slow, although it's not a bonus having a slow serve. What hurts these players is the fact that their second serve has little or no spin, and lands too shallow in the service box.
To keep the opponent from attacking your serve I feel you need to do two things. First you need to learn how to hit a deep second serve, this will force your opponent deeper into the court making it harder for them to penetrate the serve and come to the net or flat out hit the winner. The second thing you need to do is use lots of spin to hit the second serve with. The two goals listed go hand in hand. The more spin you can get on the ball (not a slice serve, but kick serve or topspin serve) the deeper the ball will bounce once it hits the ground. This again will push your opponent away from the net creating a second serve that is not as easily attackable. Many people are afraid to hit their second serve hard. If you refer back to the advantages of the topspin serve, consistency is an advantage of the topspin serve, this is due to all spin. A good goal to keep in mind is this, swing as hard at your second serve as you do your first, but use all spin when hitting the second serve. Pete Sampras is the master at this. He hits soo much spin on his serves, more than anyone else ever has, which helps to make his serve the best ever. Practice hitting the topspin serve and the kick serve as second serves before and after your matches, it does not take long to improve on these serves to have the confidence to use them effectively in a match. If you do this, and do it well, you will have a much better second serve and it will take the pressure off of you to not be attacked off of the second serve.
Another problem with people second serve is the fact that they don't aim the serve, especially the second serve! Many people can aim their first serve, but just fire off a second serve just hoping it goes in, not caring where, just as long as it is in. If your opponent has a strong forehand, and is continually hitting winners off the forehand side you obviously don't want to hit second serves to his/her forehand side. Again, being able to aim the second serve can greatly decrease the chances of your opponent controlling the point from the get go. Remember, the second serve is all about spin!
I feel that the second serve needs more attention than that of the first serve. Just as the first serve can be you best friend, the second serve can be your worst enemy! Many players have second serves that are easily attackable, meaning the returnee can hit the ball where they want in the court and possibly come into the net to finish an easy point. The problem with many player's second serves is not the fact that they are slow, although it's not a bonus having a slow serve. What hurts these players is the fact that their second serve has little or no spin, and lands too shallow in the service box.
To keep the opponent from attacking your serve I feel you need to do two things. First you need to learn how to hit a deep second serve, this will force your opponent deeper into the court making it harder for them to penetrate the serve and come to the net or flat out hit the winner. The second thing you need to do is use lots of spin to hit the second serve with. The two goals listed go hand in hand. The more spin you can get on the ball (not a slice serve, but kick serve or topspin serve) the deeper the ball will bounce once it hits the ground. This again will push your opponent away from the net creating a second serve that is not as easily attackable. Many people are afraid to hit their second serve hard. If you refer back to the advantages of the topspin serve, consistency is an advantage of the topspin serve, this is due to all spin. A good goal to keep in mind is this, swing as hard at your second serve as you do your first, but use all spin when hitting the second serve. Pete Sampras is the master at this. He hits soo much spin on his serves, more than anyone else ever has, which helps to make his serve the best ever. Practice hitting the topspin serve and the kick serve as second serves before and after your matches, it does not take long to improve on these serves to have the confidence to use them effectively in a match. If you do this, and do it well, you will have a much better second serve and it will take the pressure off of you to not be attacked off of the second serve.
Another problem with people second serve is the fact that they don't aim the serve, especially the second serve! Many people can aim their first serve, but just fire off a second serve just hoping it goes in, not caring where, just as long as it is in. If your opponent has a strong forehand, and is continually hitting winners off the forehand side you obviously don't want to hit second serves to his/her forehand side. Again, being able to aim the second serve can greatly decrease the chances of your opponent controlling the point from the get go. Remember, the second serve is all about spin!
Serve - 2.The First Serve
The First Serve
The Basics: The first serve can be someone's biggest weapon making it someone else's worst nightmare! I personally rely on the first serve for a large part of my tennis game since I serve and volley. The first serve can be used like Pete Sampras who just pounds it into the court and it is usually unreturnable, or someone like Patrick Rafter who uses well placed serves to get his opponent off of the court only to come in and volley into an open court. You do not have to be strong or work out to have a big or effective first serve. The service motion is not just your arm strength. The use of your legs, shoulder rotation and stomach muscles all play a large role in the speed of your serve. The choices for those with out the option of a big first serve can be to mix up the 4 types of serves and placement options keeping the opponent guessing what might be coming next. The worst thing you could do when serving, besides double faulting, is make your first serve easily attackable.
The Serves: When serving you have 4 different types of serves to choose from and 3 different options of placement. The four different types of serves are the flat serve, slice serve, kick serve and the topspin serve. To learn more about these four types of serves check out the article "The Four Types of Serves". To learn more about your three choices of placement check out the article "The Three Choices of Placement". Using all of your options when serving will give you an advantage always keeping your opponent on his toes! Mixing up all these options will help to keep your opponent from getting into a rhythm from seeing the same serve hit every time. Use all of these options to your advantage for a more effective serve!
Power Servers: I do not suggest just throwing the ball up and hitting it as hard as you can hoping it goes in the service box. Being able to place the first serve is much more important than how hard you hit the ball. Placement of the serve will allow you to keep your opponent guessing and when necessary hit to the weaker side of your opponent. This strategy will give you more control of the point. If you do have a huge first serve and just aim for the service box hoping it goes in, I suggest you slow it down for some added control. At first this may not feel correct, but I promise you it will improve your serve 2 fold! After you have established some rhythm, some timing, and better placement then you can add some power back into your serve. Notice how effective your serve can be when you have added control to place the ball on either side of your opponent.
Non-Powerful Servers: Players like Agassi who are smaller players on the ATP tour use their serve wisely. Since Agassi does not have a huge weapon for his first serve he uses a lot of spin and good placement to give his opponents problems attacking his serve. Basically, if you don't have a big serve, use as much spin and placement as you can to hit your serve. As time goes on and you improve, your serve will get better, faster, and more accurate. Practice makes perfect! Keeping your opponent from attacking your first serve is key. If your opponent is able to attack your first serve you could be on the defensive through out the whole match. This will give your opponent the opportunity to start each point by controlling the flow of the point. The use of spin and placement can be key, knocking your opponent out of the court so that you can control the point and take the offense. This will also help to keep your first serve from being attacked easily. It is more important for the non-powerful servers to hit the serve deep in the service box. If your serves land shallow in the service box your opponent will have the opportunity to step into their return and hit better shots. For some quick options on how to possibly speed up your serves check out the "Speeding up your Serves" article from Tennis4you.
You do not always need power to have a great first serve. Players who do not have the height and power have other options to be effective! Find what works for you and play it to your best advantage.
The Basics: The first serve can be someone's biggest weapon making it someone else's worst nightmare! I personally rely on the first serve for a large part of my tennis game since I serve and volley. The first serve can be used like Pete Sampras who just pounds it into the court and it is usually unreturnable, or someone like Patrick Rafter who uses well placed serves to get his opponent off of the court only to come in and volley into an open court. You do not have to be strong or work out to have a big or effective first serve. The service motion is not just your arm strength. The use of your legs, shoulder rotation and stomach muscles all play a large role in the speed of your serve. The choices for those with out the option of a big first serve can be to mix up the 4 types of serves and placement options keeping the opponent guessing what might be coming next. The worst thing you could do when serving, besides double faulting, is make your first serve easily attackable.
The Serves: When serving you have 4 different types of serves to choose from and 3 different options of placement. The four different types of serves are the flat serve, slice serve, kick serve and the topspin serve. To learn more about these four types of serves check out the article "The Four Types of Serves". To learn more about your three choices of placement check out the article "The Three Choices of Placement". Using all of your options when serving will give you an advantage always keeping your opponent on his toes! Mixing up all these options will help to keep your opponent from getting into a rhythm from seeing the same serve hit every time. Use all of these options to your advantage for a more effective serve!
Power Servers: I do not suggest just throwing the ball up and hitting it as hard as you can hoping it goes in the service box. Being able to place the first serve is much more important than how hard you hit the ball. Placement of the serve will allow you to keep your opponent guessing and when necessary hit to the weaker side of your opponent. This strategy will give you more control of the point. If you do have a huge first serve and just aim for the service box hoping it goes in, I suggest you slow it down for some added control. At first this may not feel correct, but I promise you it will improve your serve 2 fold! After you have established some rhythm, some timing, and better placement then you can add some power back into your serve. Notice how effective your serve can be when you have added control to place the ball on either side of your opponent.
Non-Powerful Servers: Players like Agassi who are smaller players on the ATP tour use their serve wisely. Since Agassi does not have a huge weapon for his first serve he uses a lot of spin and good placement to give his opponents problems attacking his serve. Basically, if you don't have a big serve, use as much spin and placement as you can to hit your serve. As time goes on and you improve, your serve will get better, faster, and more accurate. Practice makes perfect! Keeping your opponent from attacking your first serve is key. If your opponent is able to attack your first serve you could be on the defensive through out the whole match. This will give your opponent the opportunity to start each point by controlling the flow of the point. The use of spin and placement can be key, knocking your opponent out of the court so that you can control the point and take the offense. This will also help to keep your first serve from being attacked easily. It is more important for the non-powerful servers to hit the serve deep in the service box. If your serves land shallow in the service box your opponent will have the opportunity to step into their return and hit better shots. For some quick options on how to possibly speed up your serves check out the "Speeding up your Serves" article from Tennis4you.
You do not always need power to have a great first serve. Players who do not have the height and power have other options to be effective! Find what works for you and play it to your best advantage.
Serve - 1.The Serve, Know the basics
THE TENNIS SERVE, KNOW THE BASICS: :
Practice with your doubles partner or one of your singles friends.
by Mat Galemmo, Racquety-Yak
The tennis serve, with all its varieties and nuances, can be difficult to consistently maintain. Whenever you are struggling with your serve, it is helpful to key on a few basic points, rather than obsessing over too many elements. Let your body do the job you've trained it to, and concentrate on these simple keys:
Grip: Continental, you should be able to bounce the ball with the edge of your racket.
Stance: Stand sideways to the net with your feet comfortably apart and your weight on the back foot. You should be able to draw a diagonal line from the toes of your back foot to the toes of your front foot to the service court. You shoud hold the racket in front of your body, arms in close, and supported with your free hand. The racket is on edge and pointing to the service box.
Backswing and toss: Down together, up together rhythm. The toss is straight up from your extended left arm. The racket swings down past the right hip and then up behind the back.
Point of Contact: Reach up as far as you can, making contact above your head, slightly in front and to the right.
The Slice Serve: The primary purpose of the slice serve is to pull the opponent wide or to have the ball jam the opponent. The lower and further to the right one makes the toss, the more effective the slice becomes. Using the example of the clockface, the racket should "bypass" the ball at 3 o'clock.
The Spin Serve: The spin serve is really a combination of the slice and the topspin or American twist serve. The stroke can easily be disguised by imparting both overspin and slice at the same time, the ball can either curve quite wide or kick high enough to present an awkward shot for the receiver. By using the face of the clock, the racket should "bypass" the ball at 1 o'clock.
Practice with your doubles partner or one of your singles friends.
by Mat Galemmo, Racquety-Yak
The tennis serve, with all its varieties and nuances, can be difficult to consistently maintain. Whenever you are struggling with your serve, it is helpful to key on a few basic points, rather than obsessing over too many elements. Let your body do the job you've trained it to, and concentrate on these simple keys:
Grip: Continental, you should be able to bounce the ball with the edge of your racket.
Stance: Stand sideways to the net with your feet comfortably apart and your weight on the back foot. You should be able to draw a diagonal line from the toes of your back foot to the toes of your front foot to the service court. You shoud hold the racket in front of your body, arms in close, and supported with your free hand. The racket is on edge and pointing to the service box.
Backswing and toss: Down together, up together rhythm. The toss is straight up from your extended left arm. The racket swings down past the right hip and then up behind the back.
Point of Contact: Reach up as far as you can, making contact above your head, slightly in front and to the right.
The Slice Serve: The primary purpose of the slice serve is to pull the opponent wide or to have the ball jam the opponent. The lower and further to the right one makes the toss, the more effective the slice becomes. Using the example of the clockface, the racket should "bypass" the ball at 3 o'clock.
The Spin Serve: The spin serve is really a combination of the slice and the topspin or American twist serve. The stroke can easily be disguised by imparting both overspin and slice at the same time, the ball can either curve quite wide or kick high enough to present an awkward shot for the receiver. By using the face of the clock, the racket should "bypass" the ball at 1 o'clock.
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