Tennis Serve Technique for Setting the ToneTennis serve technique is important to master because you need to “hold serve” in order to have a chance to win the set and match. If you win the toss it is best to receive serve, so that you can work your way into the match. The other player may falter, especially if nerves are a factor.
The players today can hit huge serves. Andy Roddick, Ivo Karlovic, and John Isner have big serves that can win matches. Their holding serve is almost a given, so they can concentrate on breaking their opponent. However, sometimes these players rely so much on their serve that other parts of their game never fully develop, i.e., ground strokes. Roddick uses what we call a “power stance” in The ACE System. The feet are no more than three inches apart, so the player can spring up and out off both feet into the court. The players that slide their feet up into position often end up jumping off one foot. Plus, there’s also a chance for a foot fault when the back foot moves up.
The higher your contact point the greater margin for error, so jump into the serve. The further into the court you hit the ball the more speed you can generate. The most important thing on the serve is to get the “kinetic chain” to fire correctly. This happens as your ankles, knees, hips, shoulders, arm, and wrist uncoil in just the right sequence. A videotape can help a player see how the uncoiling process is working. You can also hear the “pop” on the ball when it is struck properly. The “heavy” serve is produced when everything fires just right. The ball tends to push back the opponent when it is hit with a heavy serve. Even if you hit a great serve, make sure you do recovery footwork just in case your opponent hits it right back at your feet. Hopefully he’ll hit a short or weak ball that you can strike and put him on the defensive. Hitting a high percentage of first serves will ensure you get more opportunities to strike first.
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