Improving your Serve - Part One

Tennis used to be purely a game of technique, finesse and stamina. Those three qualities are still essential in a player but a new aspect has been introduced into the game: athleticism.

Tennis players today are stronger, fitter and more powerful than their predecessors and in order to compete effectively, you need to not only match that athleticism but out think and outsmart your opponent.

A way to instantly have the upper hand in any tennis match is to have a big serve. Having a powerful and accurate serve will not only win you points, it will also give you the mental advantage as your opponent will be fearful of your service games and more likely to make mistakes. There is no one correct way to serve, every player has their own routine and style, and it is important to know how and when to incorporate different types of serve into your game. There are three basic types of serve: the flat serve, the topspin serve or the slice, each can be used at different times to outsmart your opponent and leave them guessing.

To start with the basics: a serve in an overhead shot taken from behind the baseline at the start of each point. Whether you are a serve and volley player or prefer to play from the baseline, you need a strong serve.

A basic guide:

• Stand with your feet a little more than a shoulders width apart, side on to the net. Serving from this position allows you to use the power created when your torso rotates when you strike the ball. If you stand facing the net front on, you cannot generate this power.

• Do not hold the racquet grip too tightly. A looser grip allows you to transfer the power generated by the movement of your body to the racquet. The racquet should be comfortable enough in your hand that it feels like an extension to your arm.

• Throw the ball up in the air and slightly in front of you, at the same time deeply bend your knees, allowing you to spring higher and thus achieve more power.

• Strike the ball when it is at its highest point. The higher the ball is when you strike it the greater the angle and the more likely it is to clear the net.

• Remember that the net is at its lowest in the center, so aim to serve down the middle of the court often as this allows for a greater angle and therefore more pace.

• Throughout the serve, always keep your eyes on the ball. Do not look at where you want the ball to go or at your opponent. After striking the ball follow through with the racquet to achieve optimum power and control.

The flat serve follows a straight trajectory and is generally the most powerful. The topspin serve generally follows a high trajectory with the ball kicking up when it lands and the slice has sidespin and moves both in the air and after it bounces.

These are very general rules that we will be going into in more detail later, but the most important thing to remember is......

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Practice! What they say is true: practice makes perfect. If you study the top seeded players today they all have a strong serve in common, not just in power and speed, but in accuracy. On his way to victory in the 2010 US Open final, Rafael Nadal hit just two double faults, and had the same record in the Wimbledon final of the same year.

Study the professionals, watch how they serve, their body position, swing and the trajectory of the ball, and most important....Practice

Tactics to Play against Serve and Volley Players

While there are not as many serve and volley players as there once were, chances are you will run into several over your playing career.  In fact, it also appears that the serve and volley is beginning to make a comeback so you may start to see it a little more often.  One of the hardest styles to defend against, there are some ways you can come out on top.

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One of the main things to remember when playing against a serve and volley player is to have patience.  You don’t have to hit a perfect winner down the line each and every time although you may feel as though you do.  If you are patient, then an easier opportunity may show itself and you won’t be forced into a situation where you are likely to make a lot of errors.

When you are facing a serve and volley player with a big serve and you can’t return the ball cleanly, the best idea is to block the ball back.  Make sure you do so at the feet of your opponent or down the line for the best chance of winning the point.  You can also choose to take the ball early and allow your opponent less time to get in position at the net.

When you are on serve, try to keep a serve and volley player back as long as possible.  You can do this by hitting ground strokes deep into the court.  You can also mix things up by getting to the net first.  You control the action by having the first serve; therefore you can take the offensive position if you are comfortable.  You can also do this if your opponent is following their returns to the net.

Another defense against a serve and volley player is to lob.  Even if you are unsuccessful and one or two are returned, you will put it into your opponent’s head that you aren’t afraid to do so.  This will help keep you opponent one or two steps further back from the net and not in the ideal spot for a volley return.  As a result, you will open up more opportunities for yourself.

Examine your opponent closely to take advantage of their weaknesses.  Typically, they will be better on one side or the other.  Once you determine their weakest side, you can pick on that one and hopefully pick up a point or two.  In addition, notice if they are better at either hitting high or low volleys and aim for their weakness.

Another way to shut down a serve and volley opponent is to use top spin on your shots.  This will allow you to hit the ball harder without having to worry about hitting long.  There is also the advantage that cross court shots will have a tendency to drop in and shots directly at your opponent will dive toward their feet.  This can be an especially effective idea when you are playing a tall person who will find it more difficult to keep bending in order to pick up your shots.

Tactics to Return Big Serves

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So what is a BIG SERVE?  A big serve is a serve that has been hit hard and heavy, usually flat, with the ball travelling at a fast speed. Big servers ace their opponents often and they win most of their points as a result of their effective serve. Every receiver hates being aced and the more often this occurs in the match, the more frustrating it gets. How do you prepare to receive and counter big serves?  I do employ four tactics/techniques on how to counter a big serve.

The first tactic is to get your feet moving through a split-step.  This may sound simple but most players oftentimes neglect to do this.  Split-step is a little hop that you do right when your opponent is about to strike the ball, in this case, the serve.  The idea is to basically jumpstart your body right when your opponent is about to hit. This ensures you can react more quickly to the incoming ball. This tactic helps tremendously with a little effort on your end.

The second tactic is to shorten your backswing.  A short backswing or a half backswing, in contrast with the full backswing, will enable you to time the ball well in a fast-paced first serve.   Failing to properly execute a short backswing would likely to result in a late shot, therefore, mishitting and jamming with the ball, or much worse, getting aced.

The third tactic would be staying a few steps back from the baseline especially when you are still having a hard time returning the serve.  This will give you ample time to see the ball and swing your racquet since the farther the ball sails, the slower it gets.  However, there is a downside to this.  The farther you stay away from the baseline, the more defensive your return will be.  Your opponent might take advantage of this by charging in to the net to play an aggressive put away volley.  once you feel you hit a good return back, you get closer to the baseline to play an even/neutral exchange.

The last tactic to employ is to slice your return.  the ball.  Basically what it does is neutralizing the pace of the serve by absorbing its power.  When you slice your return, you make the impression that the serve is too big and you just want to return the powerful serve in your opponent’s court.  After the successful but defensive return, you hope that the point would be played on a neutral exchange to start with.  When you execute a chip shot, always make sure it’s deep and low so that you would achieve an even/neutral exchange.  If you’re a good volleyer and it happens that your opponent doesn’t make good passing shots, you can bravely chip and charge (rush the net) on your return (if you returned the ball good enough and "sensed" that your opponent is in trouble).

These are the four strategies/tactics that you can do against a big server.  Go ahead and try it next time you play and see how it works and let me know.