subject: 5 Tips For A Dominant Serve [print this page] 5 Tips For A Dominant Serve 5 Tips For A Dominant Serve
The serve is one of the two most important strokes in the game of tennis, the other being the return of serve. Watch professional tennis on TV, and you will see that all pro tennis matches revolve around the serve. It is a must have stroke, and if you improve your serve, it will take your game to the next level. The five most important things that you have to address to improve your serve are the grip, toss, stance, trophy position, and finish.
Grip
The best grip to use The grip to use is the continental grip or a variation on it. It is the same grip that you should use for volleys and slices. You can move the grip slightly either direction to either gain spin or to hit a flatter serve. For a flatter serve move it slightly toward the eastern forehand grip, and for more spin move your grip the other direction towards backhand.
Ball Toss Position
Correct toss positioning is essential to have a big league serve. The ball should have little or no spin when you toss it. For a flat serving right hander, you want to have the toss slightly to the right of your body and forward into the court. In order to hit a serve with more spin you should toss the ball more overhead and to the left for a righty. Also, if you want to hit a kick serve you should toss the ball over your left shoulder so that you add side spin and topspin to the ball.
Stance
Your stance should allow you to jump up at the ball powerfully and comfortably. There are several variations on the serve stance. Roddick has a narrower stance, but Sampras and Federer have wider stances. You should use a stance that you feel gives you the most power and stability.
Trophy Position
Your trophy position is very important, because your position there greatly affects how well and consistently you will hit your serve. You need a good shoulder to turn to produce the power you want. Your toss arm should be straight and your fingers on the tossing hand should be reaching as far upward as they can, as if you are trying to shoot lightning bolts out of your fingers. Your racket should be at an upward angle and the racket strings should be facing slightly downward so that you can produce the spin you need to control and place the ball. You should watch the ball all the way through contact so that you can avoid shanking the ball.
Finish
Your finish involves all of the previous steps and your contact, because if those are not correct your finish won't be either. After contact you should have the leg you are not landing on kick out behind you. This should happen, because you are jumping forward into the court. Djokovic does this more than any other top player. He really snaps his body down into the serve. This helps him get more power. Your back leg should then come forward naturally as you finish your forward movement. Then, if you are serving and staying back, you should recover just behind the baseline and split-step so that you are ready for the next ball. If you are serve and volleying you should continue to move forward and then split-step to be ready for your first volley.
If you correct these five areas, then your serve will begin to develop into the weapon it can be. Don't let your serve get in the way of your success in tennis. Make these changes and watch as your serve quickly becomes your favorite stroke. Having a monster serve not only wins you free points and helps you hold serve, but it also frees you up when you are returning because you are no longer under the constant pressure of not knowing whether or not you can hold serve.
