first serve: flat or topspin-slice?

[wyutani]

I've been advised by me mates that the topspin-slice should be used as a first serve. i've been using the flat for my first all the time.

What do you think eh? Anyway, doesnt roddick and rafter used the topsin-slice serve as their first too?

thanks mate.

[socalstar]

no usually its flat for first and kick or slice for second, btw where are you from?

[jonline]

I try for a flat first serve with an occasional hard topspin slice serve, slice second.

[denty151]

doesn't it depend on the type of game he plays? >_>

and btw, this is the general pro players discussion... unless you are a pro..




edit: nvrmnd saw the sig.

[laurie]

Come on now, if you are going to serve wide to the forehand then you will have to put slice on the first serve. If you want to be a good server then you will have to learn / practice variation otherwise your opponent will have it easy.

[93sq.]

In my opinion you can not use the same kind of serve all the time!You have to use kick/slice variation...

i prefer to serve a ball full of spin than a flat one...

[Marius_Hancu]

should have been posted in the Tips forum, many threads there

[War, Safin!]

1st: flat-out bomb
2nd: not-quite flat-out bomb

Pressure points: 1st: flat-out-bomb followed by a 2nd topspin to the backhand-side

[keithchircop]

If your flat serve doesn't go in or doesn't have any power on it, don't use it. Better use a powerful kick or powerful slice serve as a first in that case.

[gerikoh]

1st serve is flat serve
2nd serve is a slice serve

why? coz a flat serve is so hard to get in but is very fast and is very hard to return. a slice serve is so easy to control thus minimizing the chances of having a double fault but still makes it hard for your opponent to predict where will it land. :)

[93sq.]

A good slice or topspin serve is harder to return than a flat serve...

A very strong kick serve in my opinion is the hardest serve to return!

I always try to serve 1st ball with a lot of spin...as powerful as i can...



But,i go on with another question...

What's better?
an high % of first ball in...or an high number of aces,with the risk of double faults!?

[laurie]

Hold on! Do you guys here play Tennis?? What sort of ridicoulous advice is this?

As 93sq confirms, you have to try and get a good first serve in with pace and spin - that's where the practice pays off. You have to develop this technique, it doesn't come to you just like that.

So, if you are serving to the forehand in the deuce court, you put slice on with a ball toss slightly to the right, if you toss the ball above your head or slightly to the left, you can come over it with topspin as well, then the ball curves and gets good bounce off the court as well, those are difficult to return. Similarly on the ad court, a serve to the forehand should have slice so it goes away from the opponent making it harder to return (unless they stand over there) a flat serve goes into the opponent's hitting zone making it easier to return.

What do you mean flat? Are you going to serve every single serve straight down the centre to the backhand on the deuce court? If you are going to serve wide or into the body you must put slice - you have no choice.

On the ad court, are you going to serve every ball flat out to the backhand? Where's the variation, re down the centre to the forehand? You must put some slice there to do that serve.

Then the second serve becomes interesting because some of those elements apply to first and second serves. What's wrong with hitting kicker serves as first serves from time to time? They can illicit short returns which you can put away with a forehand into the corner or a good volley if you want to come in. As a package your whole service game becomes stronger as a result as you can keep your opponent guessing.

[helloworld]

What do you mean flat? Are you going to serve every single serve straight down the centre to the backhand on the deuce court? If you are going to serve wide or into the body you must put slice - you have no choice.

On the ad court, are you going to serve every ball flat out to the backhand? Where's the variation, re down the centre to the forehand? You must put some slice there to do that serve.

What's so difficult about hitting a flat serve wide ? I do it all the time in tournaments and get plenty of aces. Maybe you just can't find the angle to do that or you are just simply too short. And yes, I hit flat serve most of the time for first serve. I use twist and slice serve for second serve.

[Bottle Rocket]

http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=7708&highlight=serve+RPM

Laurie and some of the others are correct. Those that think a professional with a reliable "flat" first serve isn't putting a bunch of spin on the ball is wrong. It is only flat in comparison to their second serves, but not really flat at all.

Check out the thread above and do some searching. There is data out there on serve RPM of pro's as well as all other shots. Some of it is pretty surprising.

[gerikoh]

Hold on! Do you guys here play Tennis?? What sort of ridicoulous advice is this?

As 93sq confirms, you have to try and get a good first serve in with pace and spin - that's where the practice pays off. You have to develop this technique, it doesn't come to you just like that.

So, if you are serving to the forehand in the deuce court, you put slice on with a ball toss slightly to the right, if you toss the ball above your head or slightly to the left, you can come over it with topspin as well, then the ball curves and gets good bounce off the court as well, those are difficult to return. Similarly on the ad court, a serve to the forehand should have slice so it goes away from the opponent making it harder to return (unless they stand over there) a flat serve goes into the opponent's hitting zone making it easier to return.

What do you mean flat? Are you going to serve every single serve straight down the centre to the backhand on the deuce court? If you are going to serve wide or into the body you must put slice - you have no choice.

On the ad court, are you going to serve every ball flat out to the backhand? Where's the variation, re down the centre to the forehand? You must put some slice there to do that serve.

Then the second serve becomes interesting because some of those elements apply to first and second serves. What's wrong with hitting kicker serves as first serves from time to time? They can illicit short returns which you can put away with a forehand into the corner or a good volley if you want to come in. As a package your whole service game becomes stronger as a result as you can keep your opponent guessing.
what? a flat serve aimed at any corner or at the aimed at the receiver is very deadly to anyone.. though the chances of commiting a 1st serve error is very high, still it's worth.. the best choice for a second serve is a control friendly serve. that's why the slice serve comes coz it's the easiest serve. and partner it with a kick if you are so damn good to make your opponent confused about reading your serve, thus minimizing a counterattack..

[93sq.]

Have you ever seen a s&v player hit a flat serve!?

[gerikoh]

The serve choice depends on your ability and above all on your opponent ability...

(F.E. i can return better slice served to my backhand than to my forehand...)

And...what the f**k...the serve is only a part of your strategy,and your strategy strictly depends on the kind of first ball you serve...


well that's just my recommendation..

Come on...it seems that no one of you has ever played tennis...
you'll eat that when you see a young guy be in rankings in no time
:P

[93sq.]

well that's just my recommendation..


you'll eat that when you see a young guy be in rankings in no time
:P

I just hope that....best wishes!;)

[lolsmash]

what? a flat serve aimed at any corner or at the aimed at the receiver is very deadly to anyone.. though the chances of commiting a 1st serve error is very high, still it's worth.. the best choice for a second serve is a control friendly serve. that's why the slice serve comes coz it's the easiest serve. and partner it with a kick if you are so damn good to make your opponent confused about reading your serve, thus minimizing a counterattack..

I'm sorry but I don't think that using a slice serve and a kick serve for second serves are hard to read at all. I mean, most good players look at the toss and read it to see what kind of serving is coming and the radical differences inbetween the two tosses for slice and kick makes it hard to "fool" your opponent with them. However, if you have a ridiculously good kick serve, it doesn't matter if your opponent can read it.

Also, I wouldn't advise using strictly 1 kind of serve for a first serve. You have to mix it up to keep your opponent on their feet.

[93sq.]

Also, I wouldn't advise using strictly 1 kind of serve for a first serve. You have to mix it up to keep your opponent on their feet.
That's the point

[laurie]

What's so difficult about hitting a flat serve wide ? I do it all the time in tournaments and get plenty of aces. Maybe you just can't find the angle to do that or you are just simply too short. And yes, I hit flat serve most of the time for first serve. I use twist and slice serve for second serve.

Too short? What an assumption!

Boy, there are some comedians on this message board.

[prostaff18]

A flat serve will only work for a short time. If you can control the flat serve that is the only way it will work for you at the highest levels. Also if you just hit a slice serve without it having some topspin on it; it will land to deep in the box and it will not get out wide enough. Those are the ones where you feel like you hit a good serve, but your opponent steps in and crushes it. If you get the topspin on the ball it will land further up the box and it will pull your opponent off the court much more. Also it will make the ball bounce higher getting it out of the strike zone of your opponent. But back to the flat serve: if you just hit it to the middle of the box it dose no good. Maybe in 3.0 travel team matches it will work but at the advanced levels it just comes back harder. The best serve that you can hit is a heavy body serve. If you can get the ball to kick up into your opponents body you will be set up with some easy first balls. I don’t serve to hit aces; I serve to set up the point. Most times I use the serve to set up the first volley or the approach shot. I like to hit mostly kickers, and flat serves wide. And to those who say you have to be tall to serve big: I’m 5’11” and I can serve 115 with little effort. All it takes is a good fluid motion and a lose arm. You can’t muscle it and expect to hit it big.

[wyutani]

im surprised though, not oot advised on using the topspin-slice serve. In my opinion, tp-slice serve is always better than flat. You know, due to my hobbit-height i cant really do a "perfect" flat serve, so the tp-slice serve is kinda good supstitute for the flat. dun you agree mate'?