Do You Know These Steps To Develop Your Tennis Serve?
By Mario Xavier
One of the most important lessons you can learn in tennis is how to serve. I do not know of any other skill that can give you a greater competitive advantage than learning the different ways to hit the tennis ball.
To be effective you must hit the ball in a well timed manner. There is a set sequence of motions when you serve that include how to position your body, how to throw the ball and how to hold the racket for maximum effectiveness.
There are three basic serves that you need to know and master so you can use them when you play a round of tennis. The three serves are:
- Flat serve. Also referred to as the basic serve, this is when you hit the ball on a flat trajectory. This produces a moderate spin on the ball.
- Topspin serve. This is accomplished by performing a high arcing trajectory. This produces a high strong bounce.
- Slice serve. This is a combination of a sidespin and a topspin. This produces a ball that swerves in the air after the bounce.
There are 5 elements to a serve. Each of these are done before the tennis racquet hits the ball.
- Stance
Your feet should be shoulder-width apart, your knees will be bent with your front foot about two feet away from the center mark. It should be noted that some adjustment will be required depending on the serve you are attempting. For right now, the basic stance will work fine. - Grip
You should hold the tennis racquet with the Continental grip. This will give you a powerful stroke with maximum wrist action. - Holding the Ball
You should hold the ball between your thumb and all fingers. - Foot Position
You should always position your feet so your toes point toward the area you want to hit the ball. - Ball Toss
The ball should be tossed slightly to the right and just a little higher than you can reach with your tennis racquet.
There are 8 steps that need to be developed for a good solid serve:
- Ensure you have completed the 5 elements to a serve.
- Put your weight on the ground while keeping your front knee straight. You should twist your shoulder so the tossing arm and racquet arm are aligned.
- Toss the ball by releasing it a little in front of the shoulder with the tennis racquet facing down and retracted. While your tossing arm remains pointed at the ball, bend your other arms elbow to raise the racquet.
- When the ball is at the highest point, move your racquet down and keep your elbow high in the air. Then as the ball falls, drop your tossing arm away from the side.
- Push your weight upwards and forward behind the racquet so your legs are straight. After the ball has fallen around 4 to 6 inches, move your racquet up to hit the ball.
- Hit the ball when all your weight is on your front foot and your arm is fully stretched.
- Now swing the racquet in the direction of your target.
- Follow through by swinging your racquet down on the tossing arm side of your body. Your foot should come slowly down to a finish.
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