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Get that first serve in!
Question:
Why do commentators go on and on about first serve percentages?
Well, they do it because the serve is arguably the most significant shot in modern tennis.
Typically, in a match between two pros, the server has a better win/loss ratio when the first
serve goes in. So it's important that it does go in! The first serve percentage is
obviously used as an indicator of a player's effectiveness in this area.
OK - it's a significant factor in the pro game. Is it significant for us?
You bet it is! Apart from anything else, repeatedly using two serves per point is tiring,
especially in the course of a long match. You can ill afford to waste the energy!
You should be looking to get 60 - 70% of first serves into play.
Missing your first serve means there's pressure on you to get your second serve in, and this
pressure can start to affect your confidence over time. As a match progresses, a good returner
will apply more pressure by moving in on the second serve and looking to attack you. So you find
that it's not enough to just get the second serve into play - it's got to have a reasonable
amount of depth and penetration as well. This added pressure can lead to double faults.
So if you're missing your first serves, put a bit more spin on (for control) and get those
percentages up again.
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Don't Jacknife!
Question:
How can I stop burying my serves and overheads in the net?
One of the most common errors is bending forward at the waist (jacknifing) as you
swing.
Reach up to hit the ball. Don�t wait for the ball to come down to you.
Feel that you are pulling your shirt-tail out of your shorts/skirt as
you reach and swing up and out at the ball.
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Coil the shoulders (and throw the racket) for more power!
Question:
How can I get more power on my serve?
There isn't just one answer to this, but bear in mind that power equals racket speed.
One way to increase racket speed is to rotate the shoulder of your racket arm so that it is slightly
on the inside of your ball toss. Uncoiling the shoulder from this position will produce
increased racket speed. Be careful not to uncoil too early.
The key factor, however, is the distance the racket travels when you throw it up to the ball.
Next time you practise, experiment by tapping your back as low as you can with your racket
before you throw it up to the ball. When you release the ball, your shoulders should be tilted
(the shoulder of your racket arm lower than the shoulder of your other arm). This alignment
then allows you to produce a shoulder-over-shoulder trunk rotation.
Here's something else you might like to try - move your hand further down until the bottom of
the grip is in the fleshy part of your palm. This makes a longer lever of the racket and
should therefore produce a faster serve.
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Serving for clock-watchers!
Question:
What is a topspin serve and how do you do it?
When you serve with topspin, the receiver encounters a ball which kicks up and to his
left, forcing him to play a difficult high backhand.
It helps to place the ball slightly more to your left and maybe slightly further back than
normal. Bend your knees and drive up with your legs. Swing your arm with a bent elbow so that
your racket face brushes up and (left to right) across the back of the ball. It might help to
imagine a clock face on the ball and strike from 7 to 1 on the clock face. Try to create a
swishing sound as you brush up and across the ball.
(The above assumes right-handed players!)
Be patient. It takes time to master this shot, but it's worth it - it could become your stock
second serve. Keep an eye on the clock and get kicking!
(The above assumes right-handed players!)
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Get your serves at Tesco!
Question:
How high should the ball be when you hit it?
As high as possible! You should contact the ball at full stretch. The higher the contact,
the more you can snap the racket over the ball. Tilt your shoulders so that the shoulder of your
racket arm is lower than the shoulder of your other arm. That allows you to produce a
shoulder-over-shoulder trunk rotation, which, combined with a drive up from your legs, enables
you to hit up and out.
Imagine you're at the supermarket and what you want is right up on the top shelf. Reach up for it.
That's where they put the best serves - on the top shelf!
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The art (or science) of consistent ball placements
Question:
How can I make my toss more reliable?
Cast your mind back to those school science lessons - do you remember those tripod
thingies? Well, use your thumb and first two fingers (actually you can use your third finger
too!) to create a kind of inverted tripod. Place the ball in it, not letting it drop down past
the fingertips.
Avoid flicking - and launch the ball by simply opening the fingers as you fully extend your
arm above your head. Think of it as a pushing action rather than a throwing or tossing action.
The ball shouldn't climb any more than a few inches higher than you can reach with your racket
and your fingers should remain extended, pointing at the ball for as long as possible, even
after the ball has been released.
Keep everything straight and you'll avoid flipping the ball off course. Get the tripod out and
let science show you the way to a consistent ball placement!
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It's thumbs down for powerful serves!
Question:
How can I beef up my spin serve?
If your serve has plenty of spin on it, but lacks penetration, you're probably
cutting right across the ball. This action imparts lots of slice, is generally pretty reliable
but doesn't have any pace.
Try accelerating the racket on the outside of the ball and pronating your forearm so that your
thumb points to the ground on the follow through.
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Dozens of service variations in just a couple of sentences!
Question:
My serve is too predictable. What can I do?
Developing service variations can take time and lots of practice and you need to
be competent with your basic service action first.
But wait a minute! If you hit one serve to the forehand, another to the backhand and
another to the body, well - that's three variations isn't it? And if you can hit a slice
serve as well as a flat one, that's six variations (flat serve to forehand, slice serve to
forehand, flat serve to backhand, slice serve to backhand, etc).
If you hit a medium paced serve and vary it with a faster one, that takes us up to 12
variations (medium-paced flat serve to forehand, fast flat serve to forehand, medium-paced
slice serve to forehand, fast slice serve to forehand, etc).
If you serve some from close to the centre line and others from a wider position, the
permutations start getting silly - does that make it 32?
What's that? Topspin too? I can't work these out any more!
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The PRS System
Question:
How do I master a basic service action?
Here at the Cave, we advocate the PRS system. Sounds complicated and
technical, doesn't it? Don't worry - it isn't!
PRS stands for Place, Reach and Snap.
If you're new to tennis, just push or pat the ball into the service box to get the point started.
Don't go thinking that it's "naff" to do that - you'll be getting your co-ordination ready
for a full service action when you're ready for it.
When you feel you are ready for a full service action, get sideways and hold the racket with
a relaxed 'chopper' grip:
PLACE the ball where you can REACH for it at full
stretch with a throw of the racket arm, SNAPping the wrist over as you whip the racket
head through (with a flexible wrist).
Snapping your wrist allows your racket head to go through the impact ahead of your hand.
If that doesn't happen and your wrist leads the way instead, the ball tends to go long. So
loosen up your arm to allow something similar to a whip-cracking wrist action.
Use the PRS system for a PRS - Perfectly Respectable Serve!
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Brush up on your technique!
Question:
How can I get more topspin on my serve?
If you're not getting enough topspin, you should try a steeper brush (imagine
the ball as a clock face and brush up the back of the ball from either 6 or 7 o'clock towards
12 or 1 o'clock). Make a smooth, accelerating swing and allow your forearm and wrist
to pronate naturally at the end of the swing.
I'm often asked about this pronation and how to do it properly. Well, what it means is kind
of snapping your wrist downwards and outwards (to the right if you�re right-handed, to the
left if you're left-handed) at the moment of contact.
You need good lower back flexibility for a topspin serve. If your back's okay, arch it
slightly, bend your knees and push up from the ground. Place the ball slightly further back
than normal and let it drop slightly lower than you would for a flat serve. Try and get the
feeling of throwing the strings directly up through the ball.
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Stick on a Band-Aid!
Question:
My serve keeps going long. How can I fix it?
Providing people with coaching tips "online" can sometimes work very well.
It allows the questioner to consider the suggested solution before attempting to apply it.
Questions like this one, however, demonstrate the limitations! I really need to see your serve!
Could be you're letting the ball drop and then swinging through it, instead of reaching up and
using your wrist. Could be you're leading with your wrist and hitting the underside of the ball.
Could be your grip or your ball placement. Could be a problem with your balance or
co-ordination or rhythm. Like I said, I really need to see it!
And as I can't see your serve, I'm not going to attempt remote surgery! If it's a deep-seated
problem and it won't go away, consult a local coach and seek help with your technique. Sorry,
but if you want a proper cure, it's the only way. If you tinker about with your serve in an
unsupervised way, you may end up introducing even more problems!
However, if it's something that just crops up from time to time, I'll offer you the band-aid
solution! In fact, I'll mention a couple of these. You see, it might sound strange, but
there's some good news about your problem. And the good news is that it's consistent, i.e.
your serve consistently goes long, right? Now, if you're in the middle of a match and you
encounter a consistent problem whereby your serve either goes long all the time or you
hit it short all the time, you can't wander off and find a coach. But what you can do
is stick on one of these band-aids:
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SERVE GOES LONG:
Place the ball further forward
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SERVE GOES IN THE NET:
Place the ball further back
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Simple, I know - but don't knock it! We all encounter these little "cuts and scrapes" as we
play our matches and it's just sensible to have a couple of band-aids available just in case!
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A whippy tip!
Question:
What is pronation? I don't know if I'm doing it right!
It�s nothing more or less than a momentary action that takes place naturally on contact with
the ball on the serve.
If you watch the pros serve, look at how the palm of the racket hand moves - at the start of
the swing, it faces the ear; but after they hit the ball, it faces away from the ear,
indicating outward pronation.
The body tends to do it naturally to alleviate stress on the elbow and shoulder. You don�t
need to think about it really - just keep your wrist and arm flexible enough to allow a whippy
sort of action as you accelerate the racket head through the ball.
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Anyone for one-serve tennis?
Question:
My game is ruined by double faults! What can I do?
There's a well-known tennis truism - you'll certainly have heard it - about being "only as
good as your second serve". The thing is - no one can deny it. It's a significant factor in
matches at all levels.
But we hardly ever practise them! That's true, isn't it? When we warm up serves before a
match, are they first serves or second serves? Yep, let's be honest - they're first serves!
The only way to tackle those second serve gremlins is to confront them face-to-face. Find a
like-minded practice partner and agree to play a set where you only have one serve (so imagine
each time you serve that you've already missed your first serve).
Ultimately, you probably need two types of second serve - a slice serve and a topspin one. And
you must develop the control to serve into either half of the service box with both types of
spin. Remember to accelerate the racket in both cases. Nerves often lead to players
decelerating the racket to reduce the risk of an error. But if you�re trying to apply spin,
racket head speed is really important.
If you practise "one-serve tennis" on a regular basis, you'll eventually conquer the fear of
double faults.
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Hop - but skip the jump!
Question:
How do you jump properly when you serve?
If you watch the top players, you'll notice that they bend their knees and store a load
of energy in their leg muscles before releasing the energy by pushing up from the
ground as they extend up to serve. It's a powerful extension, but not a jump.
These guys are great athletes. If they wanted to jump, they could probably clear the
ground by a couple of feet - even from a stationary starting position. Yes, their feet
leave the ground, but only by an inch or two. They produce a powerful propulsion upwards
towards the ball, but they keep their balance strictly under control, landing (usually
on the front foot) in a manner that's more akin to a hop than a jump.
Try and emulate your favourite server by releasing the ball slightly to your right
(assuming you're right-handed), slightly in front of you and high enough for a full
extension of your body and serving arm. Slightly coil your body and bend your knees to
load up with energy under the ball ready to drive up towards it, simultaneously throwing
the racket up and out towards the contact point.
Hop - but skip the jump!
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Coaching signals?
Question:
How do I set my racket so that my serve is more than a push?
When it comes to serving, what we all need from time to time is a little divine inspiration.
Imagine there's an antenna emerging from the buttcap of your racket.
With the ball released and your hips, trunk and shoulders rotating away from the net,
drop your racket so that the antenna in the buttcap points momentarily straight up at the sky.
Your racket will pick up signals from Tennis Heaven.
Swing the racket up at the ball. Uncoiling your hips, trunk and shoulders, snap your wrist
and quickly roll your forearm through the ball.
Point your antenna and pray for good reception!
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Can you pinpoint the difference?
Question:
Should I use a pinpoint stance like the top pros?
When you take up position to serve, your front foot should be at about
45 degrees to the baseline and as close to it as possible without
touching it. Your back foot should be parallel to the baseline, a
comfortable shoulder-width behind your front foot.
It's a base that allows a good trunk and shoulder rotation and a
smooth transfer of weight from back foot to front foot. Most players
use it at the start of their action, although many top pros change the
position of their feet before they actually execute the serve. Some
keep the feet apart, but the majority bring the back foot up behind
the front foot in what's become known as the pinpoint stance.
Inevitably, there are arguments for and against both options and they
probably just about cancel each other out. Keeping the feet apart
ensures the good balance you'd expect from a wider base. Bringing them
together permits a slightly higher contact out in front of you.
If you're keen to try the pinpoint option, I would simply warn that
making this change in your technique could jeopardise your control
and balance and will require plenty of practice.
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Attennnn-SHUN!
Question:
The wind-up on my serve is too fast. How can I slow it down?
You may be able to resolve this by simply placing the ball a bit higher, but if the
problem is not caused by rushing to get your racket to the ball, maybe this will help:
Imagine yourself as a drill sergeant. You'd typically use commands
that consist of two segments - a preliminary segment that
prepares the troops for a particular action, followed by an executive
segment that tells them when to do it, e.g. attennnn-SHUN, riiiight-TURN,
quiiiick-MARCH. The preliminary segment is delivered slowly in a
tension-building manner. The executive part is delivered in a short
sharp tone designed to elicit a response. Between the two, there's a
short pause.
You can make up your own command when you're next on parade with
your ball hopper. If you can't think of a command, use the name of
your favourite server, e.g. sammmm-PRAS, rusedddd-SKI, etc. If there's
no one else around, you can call aloud; otherwise, just do it in
your head. Try it without actually hitting the ball at first - just
get the command synchronised with your movement, making sure you
build tension with the preliminary part.
For our purposes, the preliminary segment of the command should map
to the preparation phase of the serve (the ball-placement, backswing
and wind-up), the pause should mark the moment the racket drops from
its position behind the head ready for the throwing action and the
executive part should map to the throwing of the racket up and out at
the ball.
Ok, drill over. Stand at ease!
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Help! My centre of gravity won't leave my body!
Question:
I'm too static when I serve. How can I correct this?
You're right to consider this a problem if you're an advanced player.
To get the maximum out of your serve, you need to transfer your weight
forward into the court. The foot-fault rule means you can only achieve
this by shifting your weight from back foot to front foot. You can,
however, exaggerate this by moving your centre of gravity out in
front of your body before you make contact with the ball, i.e. by
leaning forwards. Weight transfer takes place as your body recovers
its natural balance.
The obvious thing to try first is to place the ball a bit more in front of you.
Here's a simple tip that may sound a bit bizarre at first, but I can
vouch for the fact that it really does help:
When you practise serves, you obviously have a stock of balls - maybe
in a ball hopper, maybe loose on the ground, maybe in the hands of
someone feeding you. Instead of positioning this stock of balls
behind or beside you, put them out of harm's way somewhere on the
court between you and the service line. Obviously you'll have to move forwards to
collect the next ball. After a while, you should find forward weight transfer
becoming much more natural.
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Don't be erratic - be pragmatic!
Question:
Is it a bigger problem to hit serves in the net than long?
Irrespective of which shot we're discussing, I always maintain that hitting the ball
in the net is the worst kind of error in tennis.
I recommend you insure against a netted serve even before you start your action. You can
do this by making it the focus of your pre-serve visualisation. Put the emphasis on the
flight of the ball over the net during this visualisation and you should find it easier
to come up with the mechanics required to achieve it. So take up your position behind the
baseline, check your opponent is ready and - STOP! Take a good look at the net and get a
clear awareness of how far away it is and how high it is. Then visualise clearing it with
your serve.
It can be difficult to know where to start if you're trying to remedy an erratic serve. At
least if you're consistently clearing the net, you've made things much simpler - you've halved
the symptoms! And it's a relatively straightforward adjustment to correct a serve
that's flying long - just keep a relaxed wrist and use more of a brushing action to impart
some spin.
You know, it helps to be a bit of a pragmatist when you play tennis and there's a really good
reason why serving long is better than serving in the net - sometimes long serves don't get
called out!
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