The serve is the only shot in the game where you have complete control of the outcome. In a sense you are the pitcher. And as a pitcher you have options. You can throw a straight ball (fastball), a slicing fast ball (slider), a kick serve (curve/ change-up). Those are the basic pitches. Just as in baseball you will develop favorite pitches either by talent or choice. You should be able to locate the ball in the service box with control. Here are the basics:
1) Stance--keep both feet shoulder width apart or narrower and fixed when starting your motion. It is helpful to bounce the ball a few times to maintain your ritual and timing before initiating your motion.
2) Grip--"Continental"--will allow you to hit the most variety of serves though it is tough for new players to square the ball (hit too much slice and reach too low). Your base knuckle of your index finger should be on the second panel from the top of the racket. Keep your wrist loose and drop the little finger off the grip to create more whipping racquet speed. Exaggerate the base knuckle of the first finger grip more toward the first (top) panel for the kick serve. When you first try this you might say--"There's no way," but that's the grip.
3) Toss--keep your wrist and elbow straight as you toss the ball from low (hand down to your leg) to high (full extension pointing up above your head). You should be able to draw a straight line from your front foot to the top of your fingers, up to the ball. This requires balance (do not move your feet).
4) Back-swing--the hitting arm goes down as the tossing arm goes up (some players lift their racket up sooner then others). I find it better timing for most to lag the hitting arm down a bit to build more kinetic energy. The racquet then loops behind your head and the head of the racquet points down with the butt of the racket pointing up (not to close to the back as you would lose power). As the racket goes down behind the back the knees go down; as the knees come up so does the racquet, then reach up to the ball.
5) Follow-through--for the flat serve and slice finish on the opposite side of your body. For the kick serve finish on the same side, hitting up and away to the side.Your weight will now shift to the front foot as you extend up and into the ball. For now don't leave the ground till you master the toss and hit rhythm
Practice:
Keep your feet down while developing your serve. You can first start with your racket already in the back and down position and then toss the ball to establish a high contact point. After you master this, start with your racket in the overhead position (as many pros do in their first few warm-up balls), keep it loose and whippy (maybe hang your little finger off the end to get the feel). You then can add the full back-swing keeping your feet down yet still using the knees (if you've got the feel for that). To help get the timing of the knee bend lean forward to your right a bit from the waste and then as you toss the ball bring your knees forward and bend. This gives the knees a "jump start." At this point you will be ready to work out your own serve style and add the jump into the court from the knee bend. First follow the process of steps because you need the right foundation. don't worry about the knee bend or kick serves till you get your basic motion and grip working down. You'll be amazed how much "easy power" there is with the serve when you time the arms and shoulders correctly.
Once you've mastered a pitch (flat,slice, kick) then work on locating the ball to target in the service boxes. Power is the last tactical priority so don't worry about that until you've mastered the basic fundamentals.
I found this old Bill Tilden Advanced tennis video (much has changed) but the kick serve fundamentals has not. Enjoy. Bill change the game of tennis with all the mastery of spins.
.http://youtu.be/EUA3Yb66YSQ
For the modern view of the serve I found this to be interesting: Roger Federer's serve and Poncho Gonzales. Enjoy.
http://youtu.be/8oaZ-49eebo
And finally here is my own take on the serve explained in the King's English.
http://youtu.be/90JontSZMJA
1) Stance--keep both feet shoulder width apart or narrower and fixed when starting your motion. It is helpful to bounce the ball a few times to maintain your ritual and timing before initiating your motion.
2) Grip--"Continental"--will allow you to hit the most variety of serves though it is tough for new players to square the ball (hit too much slice and reach too low). Your base knuckle of your index finger should be on the second panel from the top of the racket. Keep your wrist loose and drop the little finger off the grip to create more whipping racquet speed. Exaggerate the base knuckle of the first finger grip more toward the first (top) panel for the kick serve. When you first try this you might say--"There's no way," but that's the grip.
3) Toss--keep your wrist and elbow straight as you toss the ball from low (hand down to your leg) to high (full extension pointing up above your head). You should be able to draw a straight line from your front foot to the top of your fingers, up to the ball. This requires balance (do not move your feet).
4) Back-swing--the hitting arm goes down as the tossing arm goes up (some players lift their racket up sooner then others). I find it better timing for most to lag the hitting arm down a bit to build more kinetic energy. The racquet then loops behind your head and the head of the racquet points down with the butt of the racket pointing up (not to close to the back as you would lose power). As the racket goes down behind the back the knees go down; as the knees come up so does the racquet, then reach up to the ball.
5) Follow-through--for the flat serve and slice finish on the opposite side of your body. For the kick serve finish on the same side, hitting up and away to the side.Your weight will now shift to the front foot as you extend up and into the ball. For now don't leave the ground till you master the toss and hit rhythm
Practice:
Keep your feet down while developing your serve. You can first start with your racket already in the back and down position and then toss the ball to establish a high contact point. After you master this, start with your racket in the overhead position (as many pros do in their first few warm-up balls), keep it loose and whippy (maybe hang your little finger off the end to get the feel). You then can add the full back-swing keeping your feet down yet still using the knees (if you've got the feel for that). To help get the timing of the knee bend lean forward to your right a bit from the waste and then as you toss the ball bring your knees forward and bend. This gives the knees a "jump start." At this point you will be ready to work out your own serve style and add the jump into the court from the knee bend. First follow the process of steps because you need the right foundation. don't worry about the knee bend or kick serves till you get your basic motion and grip working down. You'll be amazed how much "easy power" there is with the serve when you time the arms and shoulders correctly.
Once you've mastered a pitch (flat,slice, kick) then work on locating the ball to target in the service boxes. Power is the last tactical priority so don't worry about that until you've mastered the basic fundamentals.
I found this old Bill Tilden Advanced tennis video (much has changed) but the kick serve fundamentals has not. Enjoy. Bill change the game of tennis with all the mastery of spins.
.http://youtu.be/EUA3Yb66YSQ
For the modern view of the serve I found this to be interesting: Roger Federer's serve and Poncho Gonzales. Enjoy.
http://youtu.be/8oaZ-49eebo
And finally here is my own take on the serve explained in the King's English.
http://youtu.be/90JontSZMJA
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