If you want to hold your own on the court, you need to master the tennis serve as quickly as possible, because every point in a game of tennis begins with a serve.The basic serve is called a flat serve, but once you develop your skills, you can surprise your opponent with a kick or slice serve.The underhanded serve is easier to execute than the traditional serve.If you want to learn how to serve a tennis ball and start beating your opponents in no time, see Step 1 to begin.
Step 1: Get there.
You have to stand behind the baseline on the opposite side of the service box to serve the ball.You should stand sideways and point your left foot to the opposite post of the net.Stand close to the center mark for singles.Stand closer to one side for doubles if you and your partner have a plan for how you're going to serve.If you're serving toward your opponent's right box, you should stand on the right side of the court.If you're serving toward your opponent's left service box, you should stand on the left side of the court.The service box where you are serving should be pointed in the direction of your right shoulder.You have two chances to serve the ball.You should move to the other service box if you miss both times.You can have an unlimited amount of lets if your ball hits the net and goes into the service box.The instructions for serving are for right-handed players.If you're a lefty, you should use the opposite hands and feet.
Step 2: Make sure to grip the ball and racket.
The ball should be lightly touched to the fingertips.Bring your ball hand toward your racket to help line up the serve.If you want to get a feel for the court, you should bounce the ball at least two or three times.You should hold the tennis racket with a Continental grip.If you want to make a "V" shape with your thumb and index finger when you look down at your hand, you should hold the racket parallel to the ground.Many new players try to hold the racket tightly.This should not happen when you serve.Keeping your grip relaxed will give you more power and flexibility.
Step 3: Bring your racket with you when you toss the ball.
When you serve the ball, you should toss it high up in the air, a little bit in front of you, because you can "fall in" to the court if you make contact with it.A great toss can be the key to an amazing serve, and a bad toss will ruin a serve more often than not.Bring the ball to the flat racket face in front of you.Drop your racquet head and bring it behind you by shifting your weight back and forth.The ball should be thrown in front of you toward the court.This can be done slowly.You should let go of the ball when it's at the top, because you're not throwing it.You are placing the ball on a shelf.You can reach the ball with your racquet, but it should be a bit higher.If you want to have the highest chance of hitting the ball, you need to throw it straight up or slightly toward the net.You can keep the ball above you after you release it.
Step 4: Use your racket to scratch your back.
Most beginners just raise their racket in the air and go after the ball.Not you!If you want to achieve optimal success, you should bring the racquet head up above you and bend your elbow so as to drop it behind your head, as if you were to scratch your back with the side of your racket.The racquet head will give the ball more power if you bend your knees.Once you get good at it, you'll have this down as one fluid motion, tossing the ball up with one hand while "scratching your back" with your racket.You can practice the toss as much as you want before hitting the ball, just not during a game, or you will try your opponent's patience.Some beginners lift the racket up behind their back to throw the ball.This will make it easier to hit the ball, but it will result in less power and momentum.Load your back knee with most of your weight as you release the ball.If you have most of your weight in your back leg, you can use it to spring forward when you make contact.
Step 5: The "sweet spot" of the racket is where to hit the ball.
The racquet head should be brought up to hit the ball with as much speed as possible.If they were throwing a ball, your shoulders would move in the same way.Try to be fluid instead of trying to hit as hard as possible.Make sure you put your wrist in the center of the racquet to hit the ball.In every type of serve, pronation is necessary.You won't have as much control over where the ball lands if you hit it off-center.If you hit the ball with the frame of the racket, it won't land in the box.
Step 6: Hit the ball in the air.
If you want to maximize your shots, you should hit the ball at the highest point you can reasonably hit it at after tossing it.The higher the ball, the easier it will be to clear the net.The snapping motion will allow you to hit the ball if you hit it over the fence and it bounces on the ground.Many beginners throw the ball too low, just over their heads, and strain their bodies to get it to fall into the other box.It's an unwieldy shot and won't give you the best results.
Step 7: Bring your racket down to the bottom of your foot.
You can get the ball in the best position by snapping your wrist downward at the end of the contact.Transfer the weight from your back leg to your front leg.You can end the serve with your dominant leg lifted off the ground.
Step 8: After your serve, fall into the court.
As you finish the serve, you should step forward into the court.The ball will come back.Look at the ball.Don't look at the opponent.You can anticipate where the ball is going to fall.If you want to hit the ball if it is returned to you, you need to take hundreds of tiny baby steps to get to the optimal position.Well done if your opponent can't return the serve.
Step 9: You should not cross the service line before making contact with the ball.
You can't cross the service line until you make contact with the ball for it to be a legal serve.The goal is to get the ball into the service box from the side of the center mark.Even though refs and opposing players rarely call a "foot fault" during play, it's good to get into this habit.Serena Williams was the only one who lost the match because of a foot fault in the US Open women's semi-final.
Step 10: It's practice.
Use your leg strength to attack the ball, as well as increasing the racquet head speed, if you want to add power to the serve.The serve is one of the hardest strokes to master in tennis, so don't give up and keep practicing.You can practice getting into the grove with your serve by taking an entire bucket of balls to one side of the court.On the other side of the coin, if you have a weak serve, it will be hard for you to dominate a game.
Step 11: Keep your opponent on his toes.
You can begin to think about where you'll be hitting your serve once you have mastered the flat serve.If you always hit the serve in the middle of the service box, close to the center court, your opponent will know where your serve will land and will be prepared to hit back in.Use your feet and shoulders to help land the ball in different parts of the service box to keep your opponent guessing.If your opponent has a weaker forehand or backhand, you can look out for it.Many beginners struggle with the backhand.If you find a weakness, try to land your serves in the part of the service box that will force your opponent to use their weaker stroke.
Step 12: The slice serve can be used.
The slice serve can be used to stop the ball or make it change direction once it hits your opponent's service box.The slice serve will make it more difficult for your opponent to return the serve.To get a better angle, move farther away from the middle of the baseline.Stand halfway between the middle of the court and the sideline.Continue using the Continental grip.The ball should be thrown in front of you and to the right.Take a picture of yourself hitting the ball.If there was a clock on the ball, this would be like hitting it from 9 to 3.Go forward with the edge of the racket.Make sure you face your body toward the target by rotating your shoulders.The back of the ball should be brushed toward your side.You should hit the ball on your dominant side.The side spin slice will make the ball curve to the left for a righty.
Step 13: The kick serve can be used.
The serve kick can be accomplished by throwing the ball over your head and hitting it on your non-dominant side.The motion brushes the ball upward, toward your dominant side, and will make it easy to clear the net in a high trajectory with a heavy topspin, making it difficult to return.This type of serve can be used to surprise your opponents.You can toss the ball behind your head instead of in front of it.Bring your hips forward by bending your knees.Keep your head up and hit the ball with your elbow.Use fast racket-head speed to brush the back of the ball.You should uncoil at the very top of your swing.Follow through.
Step 14: The twist serve is used.
This serve is an even more extreme version of the kick serve, which requires you to brush the ball from its 7-8 o'clock position to the 1-2 o clock position.You should swing the racket faster than you would during the kick serve.You can change the direction of the ball completely if you do this correctly, but it requires a lot of skill and flexibility.
Step 15: The underhanded serve can be used for children or beginners.
The underhand serve is a great serve to use for beginners and children because it's easier to get the ball to clear the net and land in the service box.The underhand serve is done by positioning your feet parallel to the baseline.The ball should be held with your non-dominant hand.The ball should be parallel to the racket face if you hold out your racket with your dominant hand.If you were to hit a forehand, move your racket back behind you.Drop the ball and serve it over the net as if you were hitting a forehand shot.
Step 16: Continue to change it up.
You can hit a flat serve or slice serve.If you want to keep your opponent guessing, mix it up.Hit flat serves for an entire game, and then suddenly hit a slice serve for the next few points.You can serve only the slice serve and shock your opponent with a kick serve.Make sure you're not becoming too predictable if your opponent gets too settled in a routine or you feel like your serves aren't having their intended effect.The more skilled you are at serving, the more likely you will dominate a game of tennis.