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