🎾 Tec 130 - The Serve From Ftptennis

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Tóm tắt nội dung (trích từ tài liệu gốc): Section 01 - Introduction To The Serve - FTP Tennis 8-10 ph�t Introduction The serve is the most important stroke in all of tennis. It is the one (and only) stroke that is done on every single point of a tennis match. Theoretically one would only need to serve and return serve to win a match. No groundstrokes would be required. A player could hit such a good serve on every point that their opponent could never return the ball in play. They could then return serve so well that their opponent couldn't return their return of serve. No groundstrokes are required. Of course this never happens in a

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Section 01 - Introduction To The Serve - FTP

Tennis



8-10 ph�t



Introduction

The serve is the most important stroke in all of tennis. It is the one (and only) stroke that is done on

every single point of a tennis match. Theoretically one would only need to serve and return serve to

win a match. No groundstrokes would be required. A player could hit such a good serve on every point

that their opponent could never return the ball in play. They could then return serve so well that their

opponent couldn't return their return of serve. No groundstrokes are required. Of course this never

happens in a real match, but the point is that players don't put enough importance on the serve. I've

seen literally thousands of people "practicing" who only hit groundstrokes from the baseline. I've seen

them do this for hours on end and never once hit a serve. Mathematically it does make sense to practice

groundstrokes. During a match many more forehands and backhands will be hit then serves, but while

only one serve (or two if you miss the first one) is needed for each point, the serve is the most likely

shot to dictate how the point will progress. This makes it the most important. Since its the most

important stroke it needs to be practiced a lot. But, practicing a technically unsound serve will not

drastically improve your serve. Practicing a technically unsound serve will not improve the serve much

at all, even if it was practiced 100's of hours.

I've seen many instances of a superior overall player taking much longer to beat their opponent because

they don't have a big enough serve and their opponent can easily return the serve and elongate the

point.

A good thing about the serve from a learning standpoint is that there is not much debate on the basic

technical aspects of the serve. There is no "modern" serve. Pro's have served the same basic way for a

hundred years. Do an internet search on serving and they will all be similar. There is no disagreement

on the grip that should be used (continental), or of the general path the racquet should take, There is

little disagreement on body position before serving or that the toss should go above the head and the

ball should be struck over the head. You don't see many people advocating an underhand serve for

instance. Overall, you can get a reasonably good serve by looking at any website or taking a few

lessons from a decent teaching pro. OK, so I just may have shot myself in the foot there... Why use this

site over others if a reasonably good serve can be obtained elsewhere? Well, there are many reasons.

Even though most elements of the serve are agreed upon, there are many elements where there are

disagreements. There are many disagreements on the ball toss, including how high to toss the ball and

where the ball should be in relation to the body at the contact point.



While there are other examples of disagreements, the biggest reason to take this course is the emphasis

placed on correctly doing every element of the serve. Many teaching pro's are fine with a player having

a reasonably close facsimile of a good serve. Unfortunately this is not good enough if a player wants a

great serve. I've seen thousands of recreational players serve at my weekly serving clinics and I would

say less then 2% serve correctly. Every player who did serve correctly (minus one) took lessons. In

other words to learn to serve correctly you need lessons, either through the web or through a teaching

pro.

The hardest element of the serve to learn is to pronate. The reason that this is so hard is that players

tend to put their racquet in a position where they do not need to pronate.What does pronate even mean?

The definition of pronate is to turn or hold (a hand, foot, or limb) so that the palm or sole is facing

downward or inward. For tennis serves we are concerned about the hand. The palm of the hand must

stay down and then inwards towards the body til the very last second of the service motion.



While the serve looks much different then any other tennis stroke, most of the parts of the serve are the

same. There is a starting position that is equivalent to the ready position. There is a unit turn, a forward

swing, a contact point and a follow through just like any groundstroke. The main differences between a

serve and a groundstroke is a racquet raise instead of a drop and needing to use the non-dominate hand

to toss the ball.

Elements of a Good Serve



What constitutes a good serve? At the most obvious level one could say any serve that wins the point is

good. I can't argue with that, but there is a combination of three things that all, to some degree, makes a

serve good (hopefully great). These elements are the speed of the ball, the spin put on the ball, and the

placement of the ball in the service box. Its a combination of all three of these that determines how

good the serve is. Is one element more important then the other? There is not an easy answer to that

question. If I could only pick one element to have I would pick placement followed by spin and last

speed. Although I strive to have someone be able to do all three equally well. I feel that all three

elements are of equal importance as missing one of the elements tends to diminish the other elements.

Speed of Serve



The most impressive part of a serve and the element everyone tends to strive towards is speed. Seems

the faster someone can hit a serve the better everyone seems to think it is. Doesn't matter if they make

it in the proper service box only once every blue moon, the harder it is hit, the better. Of course these

same people have a second serve that moves at about the pace of a tortoise. I call this the tortoise and

hare syndrome. I am sure you know a player like this, maybe you are one of those players? Speed is

definitely important to a good serve, if the serve is too slow it wouldn't matter how good the placement

is as a quick player could just run around and hit the shot they want to. Also, not swinging quick

enough would make the spin but on the ball a non factor.

Increasing service speed will happen automatically when the serve is done correctly. A serve that is

technically correct will automatically generate more power then a serve that is technically wrong.

Because of this speed is usually the last of the three elements of the serve to happen as even technically

doing one thing wrong can dramatically decrease serve speed.

Sometimes speed can be increased without correct technique but it always comes at a cost. Increasing

speed with wrong technique at best can lead to a decrease in serve percentage and at worse can lead to

elbow or shoulder problems.

Spin of Serve



The rotation of the ball when serving can greatly enhance the serve. Topspin on a server, often called a

kick serve, can allow for greater consistency as it allows the ball to be hit higher over the net while also

allowing the ball to bounce higher after it hits the ground. Side spin, often called a slice serve, can help

the ball move farther away from an opponent. A spin/slice serve can accomplish both. Placing spin on a

ball while serving allows for more variety. It is virtually impossible to place the same amount of spin

on two consecutive serves. This means that every time someone puts spin on the ball the serve will

bounce slightly differently. This makes it more difficult for the opponent to groove in on the serve since

it will be slightly different every time.

Placement of Serve

Placement is very important to a good serve. Good placement can allow a server to place the ball to an

opponents weaker side. This is especially important on second serves when the serve is hit with less

speed. A server who can direct the second serve to their opponents backhand (usually their weaker

shot) keeps their opponent from hitting an offensive shot with their forehand.

There are three main zones on the court the ball can be hit while serving. Either down the "T"



Down the middle

Or, out wide



Depth is also important for placement of serve. In most cases it is best to hit the ball deep into the

service box.

While learning a correct serve is the hardest thing to learn in tennis, it is also very much like learning to

ride a bike. Once you learn to serve correctly you will never have to relearn it. You will always have a

proper serve.

The bottom line is that a serve should not be thought of as just a way to start the point, a necessary evil.

A serve is the best and easiest way to dictate how the point goes. Its a good way to put your opponent

into a bad position from the start of the point.



Section 02 - Serving Grip - FTP Tennis



2-3 ph�t



Introduction

As with any shot in tennis the proper grip makes completing the shot successfully more likely to

happen. While most grips feel a bit strange when first trying them, the correct service grip is by far the

most uncomfortable grip to try and get used to. Very few recreational level players use the correct grip.

Most will use a grip that is similar to their forehand grip. Getting used to the correct service grip can

take weeks or longer to start to feel comfortable. Compounding the issue is that most people will start

with the correct grip and then switch it back to what they are comfortable with as they start the serve

swing. Learning the correct service grip is probable the single hardest thing to do in tennis. But, it can

be done with some perseverance.

Proper Serve Grip

For every other shot in tennis more than one type of grip can be used. For the forehand there are more

than 4 different grips that can be used, for the backhand it is close to the same. Even volley's have more

than one grip that can be used. For the serve there is only one, the continental grip. While there is only

one correct serve grip, very few people actually use it.

There are 8 bevels on the handle of most tennis racquets. Each bevel represents 45 degrees (360 / 8 =

45).



To find the continental grip you can place the "v" between your thumb and index finger

on bevel one.

Or place the line from the base knuckle on your index finger to your heal pad

on bevel 2.



Another way to find the grip is to think of the side of the racquet as a hammer and you want to use the

side of the racq1uet to pound a nail into the wall.

When using the proper grip the racquet will be perpendicular to the ground from the service ready

position.



This places the wrist directly over the racquet handle.

To Be Continued......



THE SERVE STARTING POSITION



Section 01 - The Serve Starting Position Explained - FTP Tennis

14-18 ph�t



Introduction

Just as with a forehand or backhand ready position, the service ready position (or as it will be called in

this section the starting position) is a very integral part of the overall success of the serve. A proper

starting position can increase the power of the serve, can increase the consistency of the serve and can

allow a player to have a greater range of placement of the serve. The starting position for the serve (just

like on groundstrokes) is the time to organize the racquet, feet and body, but because it is not

necessarily under a time constraint, this time can also be used to organize the mind and relax the body.

The mind can be calmed, if under a pressure situation. The mind can also be used to set up the point.

Things such as what spin and where in the service box to hit the ball as well as how fast the ball will be

hit can be determined and thought out before serving. Because you and not your opponent gets to

decide exactly where the ball will be hit these things can be guaranteed to happen. Knowing ahead of

time where and how the ball will be hit can help a player figure out how the rest of the point will play

out. There are several ways the body can be relaxed all of which lead to more power and consistency.

Because there is no time constraint there should be no reason a player cannot start in the right position

every single time before serving. But, just like with groundstrokes, a bad starting position can make a

player miss before even hitting the ball.

Pre-serve Routines

Before even getting into the serve starting position, all good players go through a very specific routine.

This routine is generally done to help relax the player as well as start to establish the rhythm of the

serve. A good routine also helps keep the player "busy" which can give them less time to worry about

pressure situations. Pre-serve routines vary dramatically from player to player. Some players bounce

the ball with their hand.



Some bounce the ball with their racquets.



John Isner bounces the ball between his legs.

Maria Sharapova straightens her hair.



Rafael Nadal does this.



                                                                  Many times numerous little things are done by a

player before a serve. The common theme to all these pre-serve rituals is that the players consistently

do them. EVERY TIME before they serve. If they have five things they do pre-serve, they always do

these five things before every serve. I recommend coming up with a pre-serve routine that is easy to

remember to do. And can be done the same before every single serve. I bounce the ball Four times

before every serve. Doesn't matter if its a first serve or a second serve. Some players will alter their

routine depending on whether they are hitting a first or second serve. This is fine as long as they use the

same routine for every first serve and the same for every second serve. It is important to have a routine

when hitting a second serve. Many recreational players will have a first serve routine, but then just rush

right into the second serve. This often times leads to a second serve that is not as successful as it would

be if they went through a routine.

After the pre-serve routine has been performed it is very important to pause before starting the serve

motion.



If a player goes right into the serve without pausing there is a very good chance they will not end up

keeping the racquet and body in sync with each other. I recommend taking a deep breathe in and then

letting it out after doing your pre-serve routine. This gives sufficient time in-between the pre-serve

routine and the actually serve.

Shoulder and Arm Positions

Being relaxed is one of the most important elements to a good serve. The shoulders need to be in a

relaxed position.



By keeping the shoulders relaxed the rest of the body has a better chance of staying relaxed. If the

shoulders are too tense, there is a good chance the rest of the body will be tense. A tense body makes it

really difficult to keep the swing smooth throughout the stroke. It also makes it more difficult to have a

powerful serve.

To help keep the shoulders from tensing up it is a good idea to just let the hitting arm and racquet hang

loose. The hitting arm should be relatively straight.

The shoulders should be perpendicular to the baseline.

(picture)

The right arm and racquet should be so loose that if the left arm was moved, the racquet and arm would

just fall. Hover over the below image to see the racquet drop.



The left arm should also be relaxed, with just enough muscles being used to support the weight of the

racquet.

Hands and Wrists

The bottom hand should be holding a continental grip while in the starting position.

Using a continental grip gives the player options as to what kind of serve the player wants to hit. It also

allows the arm to pronated which will add a tremendous amount of racquet head speed. For a greater

detailed explanation on the continental service grip click here.

Many players will use a grip that is closer to an eastern forehand grip. (Eastern forehand grip details are

here.)

You can tell when a player uses an eastern grip because the racquet is not perpendicular to the ground.

The top of the racquet will be tipped to the left. Whereas with a continental grip the racquet will be

perpendicular to the ground.



An eastern grip is much more comfortable and is the grip most players who have never taken lessons or

just play sporadically will use. The problems with this grip are numerous. It makes it virtually

impossible to hit a "real" second serve (more on that later). An eastern grip will usually force a player

to bend the wrist instead of keeping it straight. This makes it very difficult to control the racquet which

makes it harder to control the serve. An eastern grip also makes it so the hitting arm does not need to be

pronated to hit the ball. This leads to a much less powerful serve. For more information on pronating

click here.

Sometimes a grip more resembling a backhand grip will be used.

(picture)

This can be used when trying to get a little more spin on the ball, just as some players will use a grip

slightly towards a forehand grip when trying to hit a flat serve. The main problem with doing this is

that it is really easy for an observant opponent to see the grip as been switched. They can do this simply

by looking at the racquet head. The racquet head will be tipped slightly towards the body if using a

backhand grip and tipped slightly away from the body if using a grip closer to the forehand side.



A word of caution on the continental grip, it can make learning to serve very difficult in the beginning.

This is because the grip feels very, very uncomfortable. I will never forget when I made the switch

from a forehand grip to a continental grip. It was the most uncomfortable thing I've ever done. I

remember thinking I would never learn to serve with that grip. With enough practice (about a month of

almost daily practice) it started to feel comfortable. If this grip is just too uncomfortable, a grip closer

to a forehand eastern grip can be used. After the serve has been learned, I recommend switching to a

continental grip. This can be done relatively easily by just slowly moving the grip over to a continental

grip. I recommend moving it less than a quarter inch at a time and then every week moving it about the

same amount closer to the continental grip until the grip is at the continental position.

No part of the bottom hand should be off the handle, so part of the bottom of the racquet should be

visible while holding the racquet.



Some people will serve with the bottom of the racquet completely covered so part of the palm of their

hand is not even touching the racquet.

(picture)

This will give a player much less control of the racquet. There may be a slight increase in power as the

racquet will theoretically be longer, but the slight increase in power is not worth the loss of control.

The wrist should be straight and on top of the racquet from the starting position. This can be seen well

in the side view below.



This should happen automatically if using a continental grip. Using a straight wrist will help keep the

arm stable which in turn will stabilize the racquet. A more stabilized racquet will lead to a more

consistent serve.

The left hand should be gripping the ball and be under the right arm and racquet. The left wrist will

support the racquet and right arm.



Holding the Ball

The ball should be held as if it was a cup.... This is explained in greater detail in the ball toss section

located here.

Racquet Position

The racquet should be resting on the left arm. The racquet can either be pointing slightly up.



Or slightly down.



Legs and Knees

Both legs should be relatively straight. Relatively straight, means their should be a slight bend to the

knees, but only a slight bend. Basically the legs should be straight but the knees should not be in a

locked position.



Most of the weight should be on the front foot, but there should still be a little bend to the leg.

The back leg should have very little weight on it. Because of this, the back foot heel should be raised

off the ground.



Feet

The position of the feet can dictate many factors that end up affecting the overall quality of the serve.

The left foot should be pointing towards the net post.

This should give the foot an angle of about 45 degrees in relation to the baseline. The front foot at a

forty five degree angle allows the body to turn sufficiently at the beginning of the serve to get a good

shoulder turn which adds power to the serve. It also allows for the body to uncoil sufficiently on the

forward swing of the serve. This adds power and helps the body maintain good balance.



The back foot should be parallel to the baseline.



The back foot toes can be slightly pointed left or right of parallel to the baseline, but they should not be

too far in either direction.

The back foots instep should be level with the left foots heal.



Some players will keep the back foot further behind the front foot to varying degrees.



This is not wrong, but I prefer the the back foots instep to be level with the front foot's heal. The back

foot being further back can make it easier to rotate the shoulders, which can give a more powerful

serve. But the benefits of having the foot back are not great enough for me to recommend a player

doing this. Most players who start with the back foot further to the left will bring it forward after

tossing the ball. Hover over the below image of Tomas Berdych to see him do this.

If the back foot was not brought forward, the player would have a very hard time uncoiling the body

through the shot. This would lead to a tremendous loss of power. As you can see from the above

images, Tomas brings his back foot up to about the start position I recommend. The key element that he

does (and what makes starting with the back foot back further o.k.) is that as he brings the back leg

forward, he keeps his body turned sideways. Many players who move their back foot forward on the

serve will also turn their bodies too much towards the net before hitting the ball.Hover over the below

image to see the back foot coming too far forward.



Below is a comparison between a recreational player bringing the foot too far forward and over-rotating

and Tomas. Looking at the belly button position shows the over-rotation.

This over-rotation will lead to a significant loss of power as it disrupts the kinetic energy chain and a

potential loss of balance. Hover over the below image to see how balance is effected by over-rotating.



Moving the back foot forward is not wrong, but the benefit of a little extra shoulder rotation, which can

give extra power, does not outweigh the negatives. Just moving the foot adds another element to the

stroke, which means there is one more thing that can be done wrong and as with every stroke, one

mistake can be the difference between an effective and an ineffective stroke.

If the front toes are pointed too far to the right at the start of the serve a player may have a hard time

uncoiling their bodies and can lose power.

This can make it more difficult to hit the ball out wide in the deuce court or down the "T" in the ad

court. This will give the returner an advantage as they will not have to cover as much of an area when

returning serve.

If the front toes are too far to the left they may over rotate which can lead to inconsistent serves as well

as a loss of balance.

(picture)

The feet should be shoulder length apart or slightly more.



Too far apart and the body cannot rotate sufficiently to generate power.

If the feet are too close together, the player can lose balance.



Belly Button

With the feet, shoulders and racquet in the right position, the belly button should be pointing towards

the side fence.

Back

The back should be straight.



Sometimes players will bend their back from the starting position.

A bent back moves the players center of gravity too far forward. This can create an unbalanced body

position. An unbalance body makes it difficult to have a smooth consistent swing. This can add to a

dramatic decrease in power as well. Most of the time a player who bends their back will correct this

during the beginning of the serve and end up with a straight back. Hover over the image to see the

server straighten out their back.



Since they end up with their back straight anyways, there is no reason to start with it bent. By having to

straighten out the back they are adding an additional place they can make a mistake. If they don't

straighten out the back at the right time or don't straighten it out to the same degree every time they

will most likely miss the serve as any mistake can make the serve be missed.

Head

The head should be looking at the service box and over the front foot.