3 TIPS TO IMPROVE YOUR TENNIS SERVE
It's all about the toss and location… not power on the serve.
At the recreational level, the serve in tennis is perhaps the most important and least practiced shot. Most players at the club recreational level spend most of their time tuning up a powerful forehand and very little time practicing their serve. As I stroll by players at my local courts, I can't tell you how often I see people spending time hitting forehands as hard as they can and simply “rallying” with no serve involved. The serve should not be disregarded this way.
Matches are won by putting balls in the Court… Consistently.
Don't be swayed by what you see on TV. There is no need to hit the ball as hard as you can. At recreational and club level, matches are won by putting balls in the court consistently. You don't need a professional level 100+ mph serve to win and play well. I recently watched Venus Williams make it to the quarterfinals of the BNP Paribas / Indian Wells tournament serving at only around 85 mph. Williams has definitely served faster than that during her career, but because she took some pace off the serve, she was able to put more serves in play (less double faults), forcing her opponent to play another ball. Of course, when it was a key point, she would go to the tool box and increase the pace on her serve. Think about it: if you have an amazing heavy and fast serve, but can produce it for only 1 or 2 points and then double-fault the next 2-3 points, you are putting yourself in a losing position by not making your opponent play (giving away “gifts”).
Location, Location, Location
The serve not only starts the point, but it also sets the momentum of the the next ball that a player receives after the service motion. Think about it: depending on where you place your serve in the service box it sets up the location of return you receive from your opponent. For instance, if you serve down the “T,” you can expect a return with less angle from your opponent, towards the middle of the court. Based on a player’s tendency to stand away from the “T” and cover the middle or wide serves, serving at the “T” may also surprise your opponent. That’s the power of simple placement without any extra pop, power, spin or slice even added.
Where should you start?
You may think spending an afternoon serving out a bucket of balls will improve your serve. The problem with this approach is that it is more likely to set you up for injury (repetitive motion), unless you focus on the right elements of the service motion.
There are many ways to approach this, but here are a few key tips to get your started on practicing your serve:
#1. Focus on your toss. This is key. If you only change one aspect of your serve, it should be your toss. For basic serving (not a kick/slice serve), practice keeping the ball in the same place when you execute your toss. Also, work on tossing the ball straight up without imparting any spin (rotation) on the ball. You want the tossing arm to glide smoothly - no jerky movements. The more free flowing and easy your toss is, the more second nature this motion will become. As you practice tossing, be sure to look at the ball as it goes in the air.
#2. Focus on placement. Work on serving to targets. Set up cones and practice serving to specific spots in the service box: wide serve (deuce court), down the “T” and wide serve (ad court). When a server can place the ball wherever he/she likes, this is a massive weapon, as you can then target an opponent's weaker side on the return. For example, if you notice your right-handed opponent has a weak back-hand return, serve to the “T” in the deuce court.
#3 Until you have mastered #1 and #2 above, keep AWAY from the power. At the recreational level, even in local USTA leagues, consistency is a far better weapon than power. If you can execute your first serve into the box and at any spot you chose, it allows you to mix up your serve location, which may throw your opponent off. After you have mastered placement, gradually mix in some power (e.g. snapping your wrist at impact with the ball, pronation of the wrist, etc.)
Overall, make your service motion a repeatable and ritual like movement. The service motion should feel instinctive, like you can complete it blindfolded.