New serves

[1KoreanChief]

I just got into tennis seriously in the past couple of months but I only have two different serves really. A flat serve that I use for my first serve and a slice serve for my second. What are some other pretty easy serves that I can do just to mix them up and keep my opponent guessing.

[finchy]

topspin serve. instead of tossing the ball right (if you're a righty) for a slice, toss it right above your head and brush up fast. the ball should dip fast and kick high if you master it.

[skuludo]

If the sholders open up too soon would that ruin the topspin serve?

Also I have trouble understanding what toss behind the head is.

For the first choice it would be behind the head and along the baseline.

or

The secound choice is behind the head and further behind the baseline.

1st or 2nd?

[Bungalo Bill]

When practicing new serves always do them slowly. You need to get the feel of the brush and spin emphasis you're trying to achieve.

If you practice new spin serves with your normal fast motion, it usually doesnt allow enough "feel" for your brain to understand what it is doing.

If you stand near the back fence and spin your balls high in the air and get them to land in the court you will be able to see the effect of your swing and how the ball bounces.

The height, spin, and speed of of the ball will determine how high the ball bounces (topspin or twist serve) and how much the spin will cause the ball to do what it is suppose to do.

[joe sch]

If you stand near the back fence and spin your balls high in the air and get them to land in the court you will be able to see the effect of your swing and how the ball bounces.

Excellent advice ! It really takes alot of time to develop the diff serves in tennis, just like developing diff pitches in baseball and for young players, you really want to go slowly since it is very easy to injure your undeveloped shoulder with unnatural motions.

[finchy]

Excellent advice ! It really takes alot of time to develop the diff serves in tennis, just like developing diff pitches in baseball and for young players, you really want to go slowly since it is very easy to injure your undeveloped shoulder with unnatural motions.

this is exactly what i kinda did a few weeks ago. except that i do have different serves, they just arent fully developed and i had unnatural motions.

[jun]

Toss behind head...it would land on your head, or on your left foot. In the beginning you could try to exaggerate and toss further to your left. Or if you were to stand to serve, it would land behind you (less than a foot). This is a bit extreme, and you shouldn't resort to it.

Instead of trying to learn all three serves at a time, concentrate one at a time. Concentrate on making your flat / slice serve consistent, with good racket speed and good motion. Then try kick serve

[gmlasam]

This link may help. http://www.**********.com/lesson-lounge/operation-doubles/article-014.htm

[1KoreanChief]

Thanks for all the help. My slice serve and my flat serve are good enough for consistency (unless I'm mad and go at 100%) so I think I will start learning the top spin serve. I think the top spin and the kick are pretty much the same thing, just where you brush the ball. So I'll start with the topspin.

[skuludo]

Toss the ball to the left of my head and travels along the baseline means a toss behind "my head" correct?

[1KoreanChief]

I think thats what they mean because when I see some of the tennis pros at my tennis center serving topspin/kick they toss behind the head.

[skuludo]

Are you sure it means toss to the left side of the head? For you when you personaly hit the serve, do you toss to the left or actualy behind your head where it travels further away from the baseline rather than along the baseline?

When you said toss the ball behind the head and the word "think" I just lost confidence in your response. Seems like you don't believe in your own answer, so I had to ask again for confirmation on my question.