Tennis Flat Serve

Tennis Flat Serve

1.    Grip

a.     Use Continental Grip (2) loosely (with just the ring and pinkie fingers to allow for the snap).

b.    Use Boris Becker's grip (2.5) for more slice

c.     The index finger must be separated to enable pronation

2.    Initial Stance

a.     Stand a few inches behind the baseline, 3 feet from the center stripe (separating ad and deuce portions of the court)

b.    Left foot is pointing at the rightmost net post (a few inches behind the baseline) to allow for an easier rotation

c.     Right foot is behind the heel of left foot, shoulder-width apart (heel-to-toe alignment), to allow shoulders to load up

d.    Feet are shoulder-width apart (to enable easy weight transfer from rear to front foot) but relatively close with the toe of the right foot at the heal of the left foot

e.     Hold the tennis ball with 2 fingers (thumb, middle), like an ice cream cone, to minimize ball spin during the ball toss.

f.     Lean forward until all of the weight is on your left foot (the right foot's toe should come up slightly)

g.    The racket is placed in front of your body with the ball right at the throat of the racket

h.    Turn your head and look to where the ball will be when tossed (this will prevent additional head movement during the serve). Do not move your head for the whole duration of the serve

3.    First Move - Turn away from the target

a.     With the weight on the left leg and the tossing arm and racket together, start turning your shoulders clockwise and separate the arms (as soon as the back ankle hits the ground on the back foot).

b.    The left tossing arm is straight and releases the ball when it reaches eyeball height. You are placing the ball on the spot where you expect it to land (if not hit). The tossing arm should move smoothly and not too fast. Only the shoulder is used, and the arm must not be bent. The left arm follows the ball as if it never left (pretend they are magnetically attracted to each other).

c.     The thumb of the left arm turns downward as the serve progresses

d.    All your weight is transferred from the front foot to the back foot. (The heel of your left foot should come up)

e.     Your head should not turn during the ball toss

f.     Your right arm moves slowly down

4.    Ball Toss

a.     The left arm releases the ball when it reaches eyeball height, intending to place it at 12:30 (12 o'clock being your head) for a 1^st serve or 12:00 for a 2^nd serve. Once the ball is released, the left arm continues to track the ball.

b.    The left arm keeps pointing straight up at the ball with the palm facing the tossed ball. Spread the fingers on the tossing hand!

c.     Keep your face pointing at the ball (the chin should be close to the left arm), and the body should not jerk during the toss.

d.    Look at where the ball is going to be released, then switch focus to the ball

5.    Trophy Pose

a.     The body should be leaning backward (tilting) with the knees bent, the left shoulder way above the right shoulder, and the left arm pointing straight at the tossed ball.

b.    The right arm moves slowly back (straight, palm down, without any elbow bend, until it reaches shoulder height, at which point the elbow starts to bend.

c.     Your body should be tilting left slightly

6.    Serve Stroke

a.     When the ball reaches maximum height, you push off with your right foot and drive with your hips while also uncoiling your shoulder

b.    Bend your right elbow to move the right arm from right to left, behind your head, with the left edge of the racket gently touching your scalp.

c.     When the elbow is pointing at the ball and the racket, the butt cap is pointing at the sky (behind your right shoulder), release the right arm

d.    The right arm never stops moving to ensure a smooth and powerful stroke

e.     Point with your right arm's index finger to the target! (to help pronation)

f.     When hitting the ball, the right arm pronates (rotates counterclockwise) to hit the ball flat (while the lungs breathe out). The thumb edge of the racket should be pointing down (for correct pronation)

7.    Contact

a.     You should try to hit the ball at its peak (this is when the ball is moving slowest) above your head (on the inside)

b.    The right arm should be fully extended (not bent) during contact

c.     After contact, the right arm bends immediately

d.    The right arm lands on the left side of the body, and then the left arm catches the racket

e.     Your head should stay still, pointing at the ball (not where it's going)

8.    Completion

a.     After the serve, you should land on your left foot a few feet inside the baseline

b.    Your right arm should have your thumb down (for full pronation)

9.    Refinement

a.     To hit a topspin serve (2^nd serve), toss the ball to 12 o'clock. Your body should finish more on the right side.

b.    To hit a flat serve, toss the ball to 1 o'clock. The body should finish facing forward (the net)

c.     To hit a slice serve, toss the ball to 2 o'clock (low and to the right)

10. Pro Tips

a.     Make sure your head does not turn to look at where the ball is headed; always look at where the ball will be tossed, and do not move it.

b.    The secret to the serve is to imagine it as a ball throw shifted upwards. The throwing arm and shoulder should all be in a line.

c.     The serve swinging motion should be continuous without any stops

d.    Think of a serve as a baseball throw.

e.     The wrist should be very loose (for training, hold the racket with just three fingers)

f.     Imagine a window above the net that you're trying to hit and aim for it

g.    Say the word "Yes" after the serve (positive feedback)

h.    When nervous, we have a tendency to rush. Pause after bouncing the ball and before the actual serve.

Tennis Serve with Florian Meyer

1.    Toss the ball with the arm (not the wrist)

a.     Lift the entire tossing arm

b.    When the arm reaches eye level, release the ball with your fingertips

2.    Turn and Toss

a.     Turn the upper body away from the target (pre-stretch)

b.    Toss the ball (slightly right to left)

c.     Right arm is palm down during its motion

d.    The ball should be at 12:30 (12:00 straight above your head)

3.    Fluid motion in the serve

a.     Do not stop in the trophy pose

b.    Drill #1: Right to left over your head

4.    2^nd Serve

a.     Toss a little further to the left (12 o'clock)

b.    Increase the upward angle of your swing (more topspin)

c.     Drill #2: Hold the racket halfway, toss it above your head, and the racket brushes the ball

Practice Suggestions

1.    Divide the court into 6 zones: 3 for the left (ad court), 3 for the right (deuce court). Practice serving into each zone. Only move to the next zone after a successful service to the current zone. For right-handers, zones 3 and 6 are best. For left-handers, zones 1 and 4 are best.

2.    Toss Practice

a.     Toss the ball and trap it with the racket against a fence

Feeling Tennis Tips

1.    The Stance

o   Left foot is pointing at the right net post. 

o   Right foot is parallel to the baseline

o   Heel of the left foot is aligned with the toe of the right foot

2.    The Grip

o   Use Continental grip(2)

3.    Bounce the racket up and down to loosen up your arm and initiate the swing up from a Dynamic state and not a static position

4.    Backswing & Toss

a.     Toss the ball with the other straight arm (hold the ball with the thumb)

b.    The racket during the backswing should end up being close to your head

c.     Finding the trophy position

5.    Serve in two parts

a.     Toss the ball and get into trophy position

b.    Make sure to keep raising the tossing arm and pointing at the ball

6.    The Power move

a.     When the racket starts to drop behind the head, the body must begin to turn

b.    Drive with your hips moving forward at the same time as the racket starts to drop

c.     Make sure to rotate the wrist (as if opening a door) 

d.    You should be hitting up into the ball

7.    Put it all together

a.     When the racket hits the ball, the wrist pronates

b.    The serving arm should feel rotating - all the power comes from rotation.

c.     Serena Williams' serve video

Topspin vs. Flat vs. Slice Serve

1.    In a topspin serve, the racket brushes the ball from 7 o'clock to 1 o'clock. The ball topspin helps the ball to come down earlier in the service box. 

o   To hit a topspin serve, hit the ball at 12 o'clock.

2.    In a flat serve, the racket hits the ball straight on. 

o   To hit a flat serve, hit the ball at 1 o'clock

3.    In a slice serve, the racket brushes the ball from 9 o'clock to 3 o'clock. 

o   To hit a slice serve, hit the ball at 2 o'clock

o   Since a slice serve does not have topspin, the shot may go long (need to adjust)