I just can't serve!

[ta11geese3]

Let's just say I'm starting over on my serve. What should I try to do?

My serve used to be some spin and no pace, so I've been trying to flatten things out, but that doesn't seem to work.

Right now I'm just holding my racquet in the backscratch position, turning my upper body, and trying to hit the ball cleanly. My toss is inconsistent, so my poor shoulder gets sore easily from holding up my racquet all the time. I tried starting from before the racquet drops behind my back, but apparently I'm too uncoordinated =[

It's so frustrating! Especially since my groundstrokes are coming along pretty well...

(and pronation makes my racquet's hitting face turn towards the side fence after contact, correct?)

[Marius_Hancu]

check my posting
Serve Power and Placement
in the Sticky at the top
many clips there
start re-thinking everything

[PM_]

Are you flicking your fingers on the toss? If you are, then don't. The toss should be a simple thing as just raising the palm of your hand. DO NOT spin the ball!
Make sure to keep you head up and watch the ball at contact of serve.
It's always the first few things of the serve that seem to matter the most.

[JeffH1]

Stop whinning, break down and take lessons. Okay fine, stand up against a fence (facing it) and practice tossing the ball up and catching it with the sweetspot of your racquet against the fence (fully extended). Go thru the whole motion including weight shift. Nice and slow, nice and smooth. Where you catch the ball is the generally the place pronation starts to take place. Practice this for awhile and then take the motion to the court. Still slow and still smooth. Do you feel the rhythm? Yes, start to add power slowly. No, break down and take lessons.

[fist pump]

Take lessons or get a dvd on how to serve .
practice , practice , practice.....

[ta11geese3]

i just reread my post, and my bad, I AM whining... (it was right after my practice so I was kind of in the helpless/frustrated mood.)

but thanks for the advice guys, I'll try those out the next time I practice. Especially the against the fence thing. I actually went out to practice again today and by going smooth and relaxed i could already see improvements in my serve so I'm sure the fence thing'll help a lot.

I've been trying to not spin my toss as much. It doesn't seem to get much height though...

I've looked at marius' serve links before. Sooo much info. Maybe I'll reread them sometime.

(to tell the truth, I just recently stopped taking lessons cause I just entered college. but then i guess my teachers weren't "official teaching pros")