Serve positioning on the baseline?

[ionutzakis]

What's the most versatile position, for instance, on the deuce side, do you stay left, middle or next to the sideline?

What is the best position? What are the adv and disadvantages?

Why does Gonzo serves from the midlle of the distance hetween the center and sideline?

And why is Nadal always serving right from the middle???

[WBF]

In singles, it's better to stick to the middle; you can still hit unstoppable wide serves, and you won't be caught across the court if your opponent manages to get it back. In doubles, you would want to be more wide, to cover any balls your opponent might hit wide.

But then, individual differences in servers play a role as well. I personally serve from between the tee and the middle, in both singles and doubles, moving only to confuse my opponent or occasionally if I want an ace up the middle or out wide. I haven't come across any player who's made me rethink this strategy.

[ionutzakis]

I serve right next to the T on the deuce site, and maybe 0.5-1 meter left from the T on the ad side. On the ad side I get caught ocasionally with a DTL shot that I can't retrieve due to my positioning.

[ionutzakis]

quick question, for singles.

Can I start the service motion with one foot past the sideline of the singles court, to the left, let's say from the ad side? And then, when I toss the ball, the left feet comes to a pinpoint stance in the normal serving court (not being past the sideline to the left)?

[dave333]

The farther from the middle, the easier it is to hit wide.