Which 1st serve is easiest for you to return?

[mikeler]

This thread was inspired by the following thread:

http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=266961

A flat first serve is the easiest for me to return.

[Arzon]

agree with you, I just slice it back no matter how fast it comes.

[bad_call]

i don't think any are easy if they have a lot of pace and well placed. maybe i can serve some flat ones to u just for kicks and grins.

[raiden031]

Slice is easiest for me. Path is more predictable than kick serve. Also doesn't bounce as high as topspin serve. Slower than flat serve, giving me more time to prepare my shot.

[acehole]

i drive a flat serve back at the servers feet, the faster the better.

[sh@de]

The one which I can read.

[Claudius]

Seriously? A flat serve is the easiest to return? You do realize a flat serve is usually used as a first serve and kick as a second.

[Claudius]

I mean in pro tennis, pros usually try to take advantage of kick/topspin serves while the flat serve is used as a weapon to earn free points.


I guess it's the other way around in amateur tennis? :?

[raiden031]

I mean in pro tennis, pros usually try to take advantage of kick/topspin serves while the flat serve is used as a weapon to earn free points.


I guess it's the other way around in amateur tennis? :?

I thought the same thing. Apparently we are a minority.

[acehole]

I mean in pro tennis, pros usually try to take advantage of kick/topspin serves while the flat serve is used as a weapon to earn free points.


I guess it's the other way around in amateur tennis? :?

my tops serves are in the 113 range, my regular hitting partner in the 120 range. we both eat each others flat serves alive. i use it if im really going for the ace, but against him that serve equals me running my ass of to defend a line, and i usually do the same to him. his kick is my worst and my topspin is his worst.

the flat serve is to0 easy to get used to so i use it a little more sparingly, unless against a weaker returner, then it low energy 95mph jammers all day long.

[maverick66]

Seriously? A flat serve is the easiest to return? You do realize a flat serve is usually used as a first serve and kick as a second.

they hit it on the line and with a ton of pace. your average player does not do either. If you get your racket on a flat serve most of the time the ball will get back deep.

[Claudius]

they hit it on the line and with a ton of pace. your average player does not do either. If you get your racket on a flat serve most of the time the ball will get back deep.

I'm not quite sure if my flat serves are in the 100 mph+ range, but I do get more free points off my flat serves than any other serve.

[trenzterra]

i think for flat serves the important thing is placement, not so much about speed. with an above average speed and good placement, the ball would be hard to return. but if placement is bad, you just have to put your racquet there and it often returns deep.

as for slice serves, i had difficulty returning them at the start, but after a while the bounce is rather predictable (i.e. to the right for righties and to the left for lefties). so once you get a hold of that its easy to return. but the thing is sometimes the slice serve goes out so wide and bounces further to the right on the deuce court that its hard to return if you're standing at the wrong position.

[joshburger]

can comeone explain the difference between a kick serve and topspin serve?

[maverick66]

I'm not quite sure if my flat serves are in the 100 mph+ range, but I do get more free points off my flat serves than any other serve.

how good are your other serves? because that is a huge part of it. If you have a slice or a kicker that doesnt move alot of course you dont get free points from it.

[GPB]

I voted "slice" because most of my opponent's slice serves go right into my forehand strike zone. Lucky me!

[Ballinbob]

topspin or kick serve because I have the option of flattening it out or stepping back to take a big cut at the ball and make a good aggressive return. It is hard for me to go on the offense when returning a flat serve because I'm forced to hit a floating ball/block it back

[bad_call]

my tops serves are in the 113 range, my regular hitting partner in the 120 range. we both eat each others flat serves alive. i use it if im really going for the ace, but against him that serve equals me running my ass of to defend a line, and i usually do the same to him. his kick is my worst and my topspin is his worst.

the flat serve is to0 easy to get used to so i use it a little more sparingly, unless against a weaker returner, then it low energy 95mph jammers all day long.

never clocked my flat serves. that said, they have way more heat than my other serves...or so i've been told.

[charliefedererer]

can comeone explain the difference between a kick serve and topspin serve?

Assuming you are right handed, for the kick serve, toss the ball slightly more to the left and brush up on it from 7 to 1 o'clock, while on the topspin serve you are swingint up from 6 to 12 o'clock on the ball. The kick serve will bounce to the left, so it is particulary helpful to serve out wide to the ad court.
http://www.fuzzyyellowballs.com/video-tennis-lessons/serve/kick-serve/
http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=225367

[ZPTennis]

It is going to depend on the player......

Impossible to put a definitive answer on such an open ended question.
Way too many variables.

[Slicendicer]

topspin or kick serve because I have the option of flattening it out or stepping back to take a big cut at the ball and make a good aggressive return. It is hard for me to go on the offense when returning a flat serve because I'm forced to hit a floating ball/block it back

what he said... man.

[imalil2gangsta4u]

flat serves for sure.

[Ballinbob]

what he said... man.

Good to see I'm not alone on this one lol. But it seems me, you, and Raiden are the minority who think this... Which I honestly don't get

[SlapShot]

Depends on the server. I've played some really tall guys that hit straight flat serves with no spin that don't really bounce very high, and they're a challenge, but that's the exception and not the rule.

Generally, I'd rather return something that doesn't have any odd break or spin to it. Meaning flat or topspin, regardless of pace (all thigs being equal).

[mikeler]

Good to see I'm not alone on this one lol. But it seems me, you, and Raiden are the minority who think this... Which I honestly don't get


Raiden, how tall are you? If I remember the pics, slicendicer is probably less than 6 feet tall? I can see a kick serve being easier for a taller person.

[raiden031]

Raiden, how tall are you? If I remember the pics, slicendicer is probably less than 6 feet tall? I can see a kick serve being easier for a taller person.

I'm 6'1" and have a higher strike zone anyways than many of my peers because of my SW grip.

What I don't get by this thread is that I don't see results in league play to back up what people are saying. I always have success serving when my flat serve is having a good day. When my flat serve is having a bad day, I will hit mostly kick serves on the first serve and I don't get nearly the weak responses. It might bother the women or bother some players who are below 4.0, but other than that people are much more likely to tee off on my kick serve. You can say the quality of my kick serve is poor and maybe thats the case, but if so then that shows that hitting a 'good' kicker is very difficult because I have put alot of effort into my serves. I don't see good kickers too much either from opponents so at least I'm on par with my peers at a minimum.

[mikeler]

I am 5'-8" but have a strong kick serve, so I don't usually get bossed around by the returner. I agree that a slower kick serve is not hard to return.

[PeppermintMocha]

(assuming the speed is moderately fast...)

Easiest to return - Topspin slice, unless the server is a lefty.

Hardest to return - Low, hard flat or lefty slice with tons of bite.

[PeppermintMocha]

^^^ Also assume the placement is deep and not hit the corners.

[Slicendicer]

Raiden, how tall are you? If I remember the pics, slicendicer is probably less than 6 feet tall? I can see a kick serve being easier for a taller person.

I'm 6'3" wearing shoes. ;-)

[user92626]

The least paced one.



Pace is the biggest weapon in serve.

[Slicendicer]

I am 5'-8" but have a strong kick serve, so I don't usually get bossed around by the returner. I agree that a slower kick serve is not hard to return.


Return of serve is my favorite shot. The kick serve with pace or not seems to have a lot of time to set up and hit the ball, I like that. I also like to hit flat serve returns, I have to time it just right to put any sting on the ball.

These statements are under pretenses the serves are pretty much neutral. Obviously great placement of any type of serve makes for a bad or defensive return.

I especially like to play serve and volleys when returning. I like to hit a target. I can hit angles I would never attempt or could not be able to hit without a target.

[mikeler]

I must have been thinking of somebody else slicendicer. Not a surprise to me that tall guys don't mind kick serves.

[Ballinbob]

I especially like to play serve and volleys when returning. I like to hit a target. I can hit angles I would never attempt or could not be able to hit without a target.

Lol I absolutely hate playing people like you. I S&V and players like you can't really hit angles when I stay back, but whenever I approach you guys start hitting angles that are just unreal. I don't get players like this, it's like I have to approach for them to hit these shots. I've never beaten a player who plays like this, they don't even give me a chance at hitting a volley to win the point

And that's interesting about Slice, Raiden, and I. I'm 6'2, Slice is 6"3, and Raiden is 6'1. Maybe its just because our height we can return topspin serves better than flat serves

[mikeler]

Lol I absolutely hate playing people like you. I S&V and players like you can't really hit angles when I stay back, but whenever I approach you guys start hitting angles that are just unreal. I don't get players like this, it's like I have to approach for them to hit these shots. I've never beaten a player who plays like this, they don't even give me a chance at hitting a volley to win the point

And that's interesting about Slice, Raiden, and I. I'm 6'2, Slice is 6"3, and Raiden is 6'1. Maybe its just because our height we can return topspin serves better than flat serves


I have a few players like this I'm my rotation. It sucks because I never get to hit volleys.

The next tall guy I play, I am hitting all flat serves.

[rk_sports]

Great Poll ... Results surprise me!!! :shock:

Folks saying
-- easiest to return is Flat (I too chose it)
-- hardest (by poll averages) to return is Kick

Is that really true???

Flat serve in the middle of the court, yes, easy for me.. but on the lines.. I doubt the poll will have the same results..?

[mikeler]

Flat serve is in the lead with Topspin nipping at its heels...