Need help on unreliable serve

[cgtennis10]

I am 15 years old and I play on my high school team. I have been playing tennis for about 2 years and I have a good forehand with a lot of spin and an average backhand. The only thing that I think I need to change is my serve. I have always had problems with it and I am always changing it. I cant seem to keep the continental grip through to the end of the serve because it is always slipping back to a forehand grip. I need some basic tips on developing a solid serve and some tips on how to keep the continental grip through out the whole service motion. Thanks.

[PM_]

Whoa. Why is your grip slipping during the serve motion? Are you thinking ahead of the return from your opponent? Or perhaps not gripping the racquet hard enough?

You need to address these issues. The grip on the handle should be the same when you address the ball through to the end of the serve.

Also, check to see if you have the correct grip size. Here:
http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/LC/Gripsize/Gripsize.html

Often the case may be b/c the handle on the racquet is simply too big for your hand.
Hope it works.

[Bungalo Bill]

I am 15 years old and I play on my high school team. I have been playing tennis for about 2 years and I have a good forehand with a lot of spin and an average backhand. The only thing that I think I need to change is my serve. I have always had problems with it and I am always changing it. I cant seem to keep the continental grip through to the end of the serve because it is always slipping back to a forehand grip. I need some basic tips on developing a solid serve and some tips on how to keep the continental grip through out the whole service motion. Thanks.

Some people will turn the grip back towards an Eastern forehand grip during the motion. This happens because the brain senses something is wrong and tries to fix it by moving the fingers in such a way as to turn the grip as well.

To learn to stay with a continental, try hitting a lot of slice serves in the continental grip. Really try to hit the blade of the racquet on the ball. Do this until your hand relaxes and gets used to the new position during the serve motion.

You can also place a tennis ball is a chain linked fence and slowly use your serve motion in the continental grip to build the so-called "muscle memory".

Also, nothing takes the place of practice. Get a bucket of balls and hit your serves slowly while keeping the Continental grip. When there is no pressure and the swing speed is slower you give a chance for your brain to understand what it needs to do.

[str33t]

wow...this is such a coincidence...i just saw a show on the tennis channel addressing the same problem that you are having...they said try hitting the serve with your thumb under your middle finger...they said it would help keep your hands from slipping away from the continental grip...also try hitting a serve on your knees..if you can get the serve in, your doing it right.

[AngeloDS]

A lot of people have fine service motions from when I manage and coach and such. The bigger problem is with their toss. A lot of people have inconsistent tosses and they try to adjust their serves to their toss. That's not good it should be the other way around, keep the serve but adjust the toss.

As Bill said a good place to start is against a fence, toss into the fence and catch your ball against the fence. It will help you pronate, get timing, and know where you're hitting. It's a good place to start.

[Freedom]

Practice practice practice.

You're doing well if you got on the high school team after only playing for two years, IMO.

[cgtennis10]

Ok well I tried out some of the things you guys said and before I went out to hit some serves, I looked on some websites about the continental grip and I found out that I was holding it wrong. i had my hand just wrapped around like you would hold a baseball bat, instead of making the V with my thumb and pointer finger. So once I changed it I think it got better. I was trying to snap my wrist at the top and keep my toss high. I didn't try bending my knees or ding my full motion because I wanted to focus on my grip and toss. My hand was still movng about a centimeter to the right but most of the times it barely moved. I saw that the serves where going in with pretty good power and they were pretty consistent. But now I need to know how to put it all together. i have done all this before but now that I have the right grip I want to do the rest the right way. Does any one here know of a good website that goes through how to serve and a good picture of the CORRECT continental grip? Thanks to everyone who posted.

[ask1ed]

Check out the serving videos. Come at the toss with the racquet on "edge" and pronate. Sampras had best form ever. Toss to the front, 18" consistently. Toss is very important to rhythm. Develop flat, slice, kick to all corners of each box, and every line. Aim at targets. Do not overhit and damage your shoulder without warm up. If injured, treat with ice/heat, and Juvenon. Use your legs, to transfer weight to front foot, and leap up to the snap. Watch Sampras 10,000 times.

[PM_]

Ok well I tried out some of the things you guys said and before I went out to hit some serves, I looked on some websites about the continental grip and I found out that I was holding it wrong. i had my hand just wrapped around like you would hold a baseball bat, instead of making the V with my thumb and pointer finger. So once I changed it I think it got better. I was trying to snap my wrist at the top and keep my toss high. I didn't try bending my knees or ding my full motion because I wanted to focus on my grip and toss. My hand was still movng about a centimeter to the right but most of the times it barely moved. I saw that the serves where going in with pretty good power and they were pretty consistent. But now I need to know how to put it all together. i have done all this before but now that I have the right grip I want to do the rest the right way. Does any one here know of a good website that goes through how to serve and a good picture of the CORRECT continental grip? Thanks to everyone who posted.
try this:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sportacademy/hi/sa/tennis/skills/newsid_2054000/2054361.stm

[Bungalo Bill]

A lot of people have fine service motions from when I manage and coach and such. The bigger problem is with their toss. A lot of people have inconsistent tosses and they try to adjust their serves to their toss. That's not good it should be the other way around, keep the serve but adjust the toss.

As Bill said a good place to start is against a fence, toss into the fence and catch your ball against the fence. It will help you pronate, get timing, and know where you're hitting. It's a good place to start.

Very true on the toss! Many people dont even know it. they throw it up and wonder what is wrong.