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Tennis Serve Tips

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Tennis Serve Tips to Improve Your Game

Looking for tennis serve tips? The tennis serve is one of the most important aspects of the game for establishing and controlling the tempo of the point.  Is it any wonder that most games in tennis are won by the player that is serving?  A strong and accurate serve can immediately put the opposing player off guard and on the defensive.  A well-placed serve can put the opponent in a position where they are simply trying to return the ball without regard to hitting a winning shot.  It can also set up other aspects of the game, including serving and volleying.  But the serve can be complicated.  It consists of a series of diverse motions and requires coordination with all parts of the body. 


In addition, there are even different types of serves.  There are flat serves, slice serves and topspin serves.  Flat serves are basic serves without much spin.  They are the easiest for a beginner to master.  Slice serves can create sidespin and topspin serves can create a high bounce and a high arc.  For now, we'll concentrate on the basic flat serve.  Below are some of the basics to concentrate on to improve your serve and maximize your chances of winning the game.

Tennis Serve Tips - Where You Should Stand

One of the most essential tennis serve tips involves where to position your feet. Proper foot positioning is essential to serving correctly. Without the proper foundation, the entire remainder of the serve may be disjointed and out of rhythm. For a right handed player, the left foot should be behind the baseline pointing towards the right net post. The right foot should be a few inches behind the left and parallel to the baseline. If either foot is over the baseline, it is a "foot fault" and is illegal.

For the left handed player, just reverse the positioning. Right foot toward the left net post and the left foot a few inches behind and parallel to the baseline.

Tennis Serve Tips - How to Grip the Racquet

One of the other important tennis serve tips you'll find deals with how to grip the racquet. The ideal grip for your tennis serve is the continental grip. The Continental is used primarily for serves, volleys, overheads, slices, and defensive shots. You can use the Continental by putting the base knuckle of your index finger on bevel No. 1, which puts the V created by your thumb and forefinger on top of the handle. Lefties put the knuckle on bevel No. 4.

Tennis Serve Tips - The Proper Toss

Want to know some tennis serve tips on how to toss the ball? Hold the ball with your opposite hand. Your thumb, index, and middle finger should lightly cradle the ball to the side or slightly below. Bring both hands to meet around the belly button, then lower your ball hand (not past your thigh) while your racquet hand dips. At this point your knees should slightly bend if you'd like more power.Start your serve with your weight on your back foot. As your tossing arm goes up, shift your weight forward onto your front leg. This will help you get your toss in front of your body. It will also get you leaning into the serve and your body moving into the court as you swing through the ball. With the ball in front of you, rather than behind your head, you can hit a stronger flat or slice serve. Initially you may feel like you're falling forward, but with some practice this momentum will add even more power to your serve.

Slowly raise your ball hand up and release your fingers as if a rose is blooming. Now your racquet hand is behind your head, pointing near the ground. The toss should be aimed at the opposite net post and about a foot in front of you.

Tennis Serve Tips - Proper Contact Point

One of the most underappreciated tennis serve tips involves where to hit the ball. Hitting the ball at the proper contact point is important for delivering an effective serve. If the ball is hit when it is too low, there is more chance of hitting it into the net. After tossing the ball, it should be hit when it is at its apex. Hitting it at the highest point allows more margin for error in avoiding hitting the ball into the net. It also allows you to hit the ball when it is temporarily stopped before descending again. The serve is a complicated, whole body movement and striking the ball when it is at its apex removes another variable that may cause the ball to be misstruck.

Tennis Serve Tips - The Swing

Of all of the tennis serve tips, most people like to know about the proper swing. Many people have described hitting a tennis ball as similar to throwing a ball. The arm comes back into a "backscratch" position and then follows through with the racquet striking the ball at its apex. At the same time, the body is jumping and turning to meet the ball properly. This picture should give you a good indication of the proper swing form for a serve. As with anything else in tennis, practice is essential to developing a strong and effective serve.

Tennis Serve Tips - Where to Find More Information

Tennis TipsThere are plenty of great tennis serve tips out there and plenty of great information out there on how to improve not only your serve but all aspects of your game. Check out the big link below or go to www.top-tennis-tips.com for a comprehensive guide on how to improve your game. Their great, low-cost resource covers every aspect of your game to help make you a better players almost instantly. I highly recommend it and I think you'll find it to be a constant source of reference as you progress as a tennis player.

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