Never hold two balls to serve!

[OrangeOne]

Just remembered while reading another thread this tip, and hey - I know it's really basic - but it amazes me that I still see players, even some quite competent players, serving their first serve with two balls in their hand.

1. Doing the ball toss (ball 'place' :)) with two balls in your hand gives you less control of the toss.

2. It means your first and second serve tosses will inevitably be slightly different, which is fine if you're aiming to do that but otherwise undesired.

3. Getting rid of the spare ball should your first serve go in is (I would think) against the rules, and trying to pocket it is silly. Playing with a ball in your hand is just as bad if not worse than both - creates a lack of balance, you don't have that hand to use for racquet take-back, etc etc...

So for any who are still doing this: go get shorts with pockets or get a ball-holder clip (it's not really considerate or practical to go get another ball between serves, imho anyways) is my advice - the easiest way you'll ever improve your serve just a little!

[Mahboob Khan]

You brought in an important point. As a coach, I have seen this happen. In case of girls since they do not have proper shorts or spare pocket to hold a ball, they start with only one ball in their possession. When the first is a fault, they look around for a second ball for the second serve. In doing so, however, their rhythm is compromised, and they commit double fault. This happens again and again. My daughter finally learned to wear long shorts with proper pocket to hold a ball and her serve has improved (we also worked on her serve biomechanics).

And then you have players who hold two balls in their tossing hand so that a spare ball is "close by". As a coach I tell them, "we have already problems with one ball and you are holding two balls. Do not duplicate problems for yourself".

Well done. Good point.

[LowProfile]

Of course not. Hold four. Like Mansour Bahrami.

[Mountainman]

Haha yeah! i don't do it myself but I've seen couple of competent players do it. Most of them have one-handed backhand. As for tossing, they keep the two balls apart while on the toss. I don't find it convient doing it but some players go used to it. Telling them to change it back would mess up their rhythm.

[LowProfile]

http://medias.francetv.fr/bibl/url_images/2005/05/25/image_10909162_192_144.jpg

[Federer The G.O.A.T.!]

It's a no brainer!

You should never have two or more in your hand while serving in a match! Maybe for drilling or warmups it's fine, for convenience (you see pros holding two all of the time during warmups), but never in a match.

Whenever I see people holding two while serving in a match, that shows that they either are beginners or are not all that serious as a tennis player. Big no-no! :rolleyes:

[chess9]

I frequently play and serve holding one or two balls in my left hand. May not be ideal, but I learned that way 50 years ago. I've seen Bahrami, by the way, and the guy is very talented. I suspect many of his tricks might have some training value, such as hitting while sitting down. I use to do a behind the back drill with a partner as a joke. We'd both move to the right to hit a ball with our racquet arm wrapped around our backs. Not real hard to do once or twice. I think we got like 7 or 8 balls in a row back over the net one time. I imagine two Bahrami's could do that all day. :) We also did the same drill between the legs quite often. For some reason, that was always harder.

Anyway, I suspect that for most people the OP's point is well taken.

-Robert

[drakulie]

Until two-handed backhands became the "norm", everyone held two balls in their hand for a serve.

[papa]

It's a no brainer!

You should never have two or more in your hand while serving in a match! Maybe for drilling or warmups it's fine, for convenience (you see pros holding two all of the time during warmups), but never in a match.

Whenever I see people holding two while serving in a match, that shows that they either are beginners or are not all that serious as a tennis player. Big no-no! :rolleyes:

Wait a minute here. Although I don't do it and really don't think others should, there are many accomplished players who like to hold two balls. Doesn't necessarily mean they will serve the second with only one hand in their hand. Again, knowing I don't favor the idea, some are comfortable with the fact that it takes the little finger out of the toss - yes, you can do the same thing without having two balls but some apparently like it.

As far a women are concerned, there are ball clips and they can tuck the ball somewhere in their shorts to get rid of the second ball - it would not be appropriate for me to go into more detail here. I even know men who use ball clips instead of putting the ball in their pocket but to each its own - I've never used one.

[OrangeOne]

Until two-handed backhands became the "norm", everyone held two balls in their hand for a serve.

Two things:

a. I don't necessarily agree, while there may have been "some" correlation, i'd say that it may have been the norm with some people, until the sport learnt that it's probably, physiology & consistency-wise, not the smartest thing. Then coaches started to filter the advice through everyone.

b. This learning affects so many different areas of the game, of any game. Go back 30 or 40 years and you'll find that in the hours before GS finals players had large "roast dinner" style meals, because they didn't know any better. Players would not train doing anything other than tennis, because they didn't know any better. If you follow my thinking - you'll see that learning - in many areas, impacts on the way things are done. And sure, only holding one ball in your hand for the toss is a "little thing", but it can offer assistance. In fact - it has the potential of be much more useful to the juniors (with smaller hands) learning to play the game than the pros, but it's still relevant for all of us, 1HBH or 2HBH.

After all, the serve is the only shot in the game where we have complete control without the input of anyone else.... it'd be silly to waste even a % or two of that control because we can't be bothered to pocket or ball-clip a ball in my humble opinion!

[lvittes]

I know that Graf was holding both balls while serving into the late 90s.

The Australian 2-handed left-hander John Bromwich, who served with his right arm (an incredibly weak shot), held 2 balls while serving, then would drop one behind the baseline to play the point. Like baseball players leaving their goles on the field when they went into hit!

I read once, and can't remember where, that holding both balls while serving was recommended because falling with a ball in your pocket might lead to an injury.

What really fascinates me is how some players are now examining 4 balls before selecting 2 for serving. My memory is that it may have started with Sampras.

Related to this, while Sampras was always careful to hit the ball he rejected (or perhaps chose as the one for his second serve) right back to the ball boy or girl, making sure first to look back and see where they were. All players now, as far as I remember, hit the rejected ball in the general vicinity of the ball boy or girl, without a glance.

[Rafael_Nadal_6257]

I'd like to think I'm an accomplished player. I'm at least a 4.5, and have held two balls in my tossing hand for as long as I can remember. Doesn't seem to affect my consistency at all. I just don't like the feeling of playing a point with a ball in my pocket. Not to mention that some tennis shorts are a lot less comfortable and shorter than basketball shorts. I normally drop the spare ball behind me.

I'm probably going to try to break this habit though...Just will have to see if it has any negative consequences, serving with one ball in my tossing hand, that is.

[lethalfang]

I'd like to think I'm an accomplished player. I'm at least a 4.5, and have held two balls in my tossing hand for as long as I can remember. Doesn't seem to affect my consistency at all. I just don't like the feeling of playing a point with a ball in my pocket. Not to mention that some tennis shorts are a lot less comfortable and shorter than basketball shorts. I normally drop the spare ball behind me.

I'm probably going to try to break this habit though...Just will have to see if it has any negative consequences, serving with one ball in my tossing hand, that is.

Is that why you pull your pants before you serve, Rafa? :lol:

[Rafael_Nadal_6257]

Haha, I'm not exactly a Rafa fanboy so not offended lol...Its just that I grew up playing a ton of other sports like basketball, football, track, and I weightlift a lot...And I'm in high school, so the vanity thing has to be weighed :p. The shorts that my high school team got were EXTREMELY short...

And actually, that habit of Rafa annoys me quite a bit...

[Andres]

Vilas always played with two balls in his hand. He still does :p

[Rafael_Nadal_6257]

I'm really trying to stop serving with two balls in my tossing arm...but are any of you guys bothered with a spare tennis ball in your pocket? For some reason, when I first started playing tennis, it really affected me...

[Djokovicfan4life]

Until two-handed backhands became the "norm", everyone held two balls in their hand for a serve.

But shouldn't your non-dominant hand be grabbing the throat of the racquet anyway, even with a one-hander? Kind of hard to do with a ball in your hand.

[Rafael_Nadal_6257]

I have two balls in my tossing hand during my serve, but I drop one behind me, if I make my first serve. I use a two-handed backhand also...

[Djokovicfan4life]

I have two balls in my tossing hand during my serve, but I drop one behind me, if I make my first serve. I use a two-handed backhand also...

Why? Pockets have been around for a while, dude.

[Double Fault]

I hate to see this happen as well, and it does happen a lot. I can't believe people go play tennis with shorts that don't have pockets. Sometimes, they even place the ball right beside the middle mark and it throws me off because I'm worried they'll roll an ankle if they step on it.

[Hot Sauce]

I've tried serving with two balls in my hand, but I just can't. It doesn't feel right.

[herosol]

Not in matches.
But you should definitely TWO, NO FIVE tennis balls in your hand while practicing serve.

it works.

[Sentinel]

But shouldn't your non-dominant hand be grabbing the throat of the racquet anyway, even with a one-hander? Kind of hard to do with a ball in your hand.
Its not hard to hold the throat while holding a ball in the left hand. It's not ideal, but during rallies i can manage.

My partner rallies with a hand full of balls. Never occured to me, but thats probly why his backhand is so erratic.