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
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 heel 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 1st serve or
12:00 for a 2nd
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
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
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 (2nd 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.
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
serving.
Tennis
Serve with Florian Meier
a.
Lift
the entire tossing arm
b.
When
the arm reaches eye level, release the ball with your fingertips
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)
a.
Do
not stop in the trophy pose
b.
Drill
#1: Right to left over your head
4.
2nd
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
d.
You
should be hitting the ball
7.
Put
it all together
a.
As
the racket moves through
contact, the forearm pronates
b.
The
serving arm should feel as though it is rotating; this
contributes to
racket-head speed.
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)
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