Practicing a Flat Tennis Serve

To improve my flat tennis serve, I recorded it using my GoPro4 Silver during my regular serve practice routine and shared it with my coach.

The service is broken into 8 phases. I made comments on errors I have observed in red.

1. Grip: Continental
2. Initial Stance: Platform
3. First Move (turn away from the target)
4. Ball Toss (using  fingertips)
5. Trophy Pose
6. Serve Stroke
1. During the stroke, I should approach the ball with the edge of my tennis racket - not with an open tennis racket. This is causing a "push" stroke. The racket should open at the very last moment - during pronation.
7. Contact
1. I was releasing the pinkie finger on my tennis hand before contact. Need to correct this error!
8. Completion

Tennis Serve Fundamentals

1.    Grip

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

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

3.    The index finger must be separated to enable pronation

2.    Initial Stance

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

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

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

4.    Feet are shoulder-width apart (to enable easy weight transfer from rear to front foot)

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

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

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

8.    Turn your head and look 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

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

2.    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 the ball never left (pretend they are magnetically attracted to each other)

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

4.    Your head should not turn during the ball toss

5.    Your right arm moves slowly down

4.    Ball Toss

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

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

3.    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.

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

5.    Trophy Pose

1.    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.

2.    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.

3.    Your body should be tilting left slightly

6.    Serve Stroke

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

2.    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.

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

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

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

6.    When hitting the ball, the right arm pronates (rotates counter-clockwise) 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

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

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

3.    After contact, the right arm bends immediately

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

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

8.    Completion

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

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

9.    Refinement

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

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

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

10. Pro Tips

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

2.    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.

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

4.    Think of a serve as a baseball throw.

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