I can serve at 100mph but my 2nd serve is way way too slow?

[Username_]

I think I'm having troubles with my second serve. I can't get any speed on it as well as the topspin on it.
I can serve a 110mph first serve but my second serve is only 1/4 the speed (or even less)
I am really struggling on how to put speed as well as the spin to make it dive in, as my second serve is like an opportunity to hit a winner for the opponent 50% of the time if they wanted to.
I've read around the forums with people saying the second serve should be at least 2/3 speed of the first serve?

 

[mikeler]

Use your first serve as your second serve and live with the double faults. Or listen to LeeD when he chimes in.

 

[GoudX]

I think I'm having troubles with my second serve. I can't get any speed on it as well as the topspin on it.
I can serve a 110mph first serve but my second serve is only 1/4 the speed (or even less)
I am really struggling on how to put speed as well as the spin to make it dive in, as my second serve is like an opportunity to hit a winner for the opponent 50% of the time if they wanted to.
I've read around the forums with people saying the second serve should be at least 2/3 speed of the first serve?

I doubt you are actually hitting a 33mph serve (~1/4 of 110mph), as that would barely make it to the opponents baseline, you probably hit a 45mph second serve. And I also doubt that you have an efficient enough biomechanical chain to hit a 110mph serve if you can't hit a fast spin serve - your normal first serve is probably around 90mph. 45mph/90mph = 50%. So you're probably closer than you think.

You only need to look to increase your second serve speed to 60mph or so, which is the speed of a normal, fast-ish groundstroke.

Here's how to improve your kick serve: Make sure you are swinging near or at maximum speed. Throw the ball behind you so you can swing up at it, but slightly out into the court so you are swinging forwards through it as well. You want to work on hitting upwards and forwards through the ball at a 45 degree angle on your second serve as this will give the ball the correct spin, trajectory and speed. The racquet face should be closed at contact, to generate spin and to stop the ball flying straight up.

 

[anubis]

I think I'm having troubles with my second serve. I can't get any speed on it as well as the topspin on it.
I can serve a 110mph first serve but my second serve is only 1/4 the speed (or even less)
I am really struggling on how to put speed as well as the spin to make it dive in, as my second serve is like an opportunity to hit a winner for the opponent 50% of the time if they wanted to.
I've read around the forums with people saying the second serve should be at least 2/3 speed of the first serve?

Something is wrong with your execution of your 2nd serve. Your first and second serves should have the exact same racquet head speed. The only difference between a 1st and 2nd serve is the type and amount of spin you put on the ball.

The 2nd serve usually has significantly more topspin, which draws the ball down into the service box, making it a "safer" more reliable serve. But you need to swing the racquet the same speed, so it's going to be slower, but not by much.

If your 1st serve is really 100 mph, then your 2nd should be around 70 to 80, because you should be swinging just as fast. But the increased topspin slows the ball down, and increases the reliability of the serve.

In other words, don't tap/dink the 2nd serve in. You're taking way too much off of it. reliability does not equal babying the ball.

 

[Lukhas]

You should tape yourself so you or anyone else can see what you're doing on both serves - right or wrong.

 

[Username_]

Something is wrong with your execution of your 2nd serve. Your first and second serves should have the exact same racquet head speed. The only difference between a 1st and 2nd serve is the type and amount of spin you put on the ball.

The 2nd serve usually has significantly more topspin, which draws the ball down into the service box, making it a "safer" more reliable serve. But you need to swing the racquet the same speed, so it's going to be slower, but not by much.

If your 1st serve is really 100 mph, then your 2nd should be around 70 to 80, because you should be swinging just as fast. But the increased topspin slows the ball down, and increases the reliability of the serve.

In other words, don't tap/dink the 2nd serve in. You're taking way too much off of it. reliability does not equal babying the ball.

Now that I think about it, it really is the execution of my serve
My swing speed is a lot slower and I've been brushing directly upwards at the ball for 2 years now...

I guess I have to relearn it from scratch and un-learn my current second serve technique?

 

[anubis]

Now that I think about it, it really is the execution of my serve
My swing speed is a lot slower and I've been brushing directly upwards at the ball for 2 years now...

I guess I have to relearn it from scratch and un-learn my current second serve technique?

Just take your 1st serve, use everything about it the same, but add more topspin. That's it, really.

To make it a tad easier to transition, you could switch your grip from continental to an Eastern backhand (right index knuckle on the top bevel, or bevel 1, or 8 for a more extreme grip). You'll apply more topspin that way.

 

[mightyrick]

Hm, thinks with certainty that his first serve is at 110mph.... and then thinks with certainty that his second serve is at 1/4 of 110mph (28mph).

Um...

 

[TennisCJC]

If you have a really good 1st serve, the odds of you having a really bad 2nd serve are almost nil. Take a realistic look at your 1st serve and ask these questions.
1. Can I hit it on average over 80 mph?
2. Can I get it in 60% or more when serving 80 mph on average?

If the answer is no to either question, odds are you simply have a flawed 1st serve thus a flawed motion and thus little hope of hitting a decent 2nd serve.

My thought process is if you have a technically sound 1st service motion that you can hit with decent pace, spin, percentage and placement. Then all you need to do is add a bit more spin to have a decent 2nd serve. Most people with really good 1st serves have at least a decent 2nd serve.

Vic Braden wrote about this type of player years ago. I learned this from him. Basically, if you have a decent service motion it will be applicable to both serves and the old I have a great 1st serve but a really bad 2nd serve statement is just a myth. If you have a really great 1st serve, you are extremely likely to have a really great 2nd serve too.

 

[LeeD]

Learn how to hit a second serve?
110 flat should translate to around 75-80 mph safe second serves.

 

[Mrlucky986]

Power isnt all in serving i used to hit around 130+ first serve then injured myself now lucky to hit around 100 put using spin and working on placement will give you a far more aggressive and effective serve mate use cones and just practice hitting various spots

 

[rkelley]

I think I'm having troubles with my second serve. I can't get any speed on it as well as the topspin on it.
I can serve a 110mph first serve but my second serve is only 1/4 the speed (or even less)
I am really struggling on how to put speed as well as the spin to make it dive in, as my second serve is like an opportunity to hit a winner for the opponent 50% of the time if they wanted to.
I've read around the forums with people saying the second serve should be at least 2/3 speed of the first serve?

OP, what grip do you use on your first serve? What percentage in on first serves do you generally get?

 

[shindemac]

Hm, thinks with certainty that his first serve is at 110mph.... and then thinks with certainty that his second serve is at 1/4 of 110mph (28mph).

Um...

It's winter. That's when the trolls come out and play.

 

[Topspin Shot]

Power isnt all in serving i used to hit around 130+ first serve then injured myself now lucky to hit around 100 put using spin and working on placement will give you a far more aggressive and effective serve mate use cones and just practice hitting various spots

Pretty impressive. What's your tennis background?

 

[Mrlucky986]

I played through school uptil 16/17 then life got in the way im 6"3 so has its advantages played with puredrive so relied on power rather than technique came back to tennis at 20 and few years back on building site had a forklift collapse damaged my shoulder now get chronic pain after playing i string much less tension and can still play but serve is main part i cant replicate do now play on placing it very wide effective on singles atleast im only lta 7.0 but never play ranked events only leaugue in my area

 

[Mrlucky986]

I suppose my main point was trying to stress was having a very fast serve isnt all id rather get a fast serve to my forehand allday long rather than a slow wife serve much trickier to deal with

 

[LeeD]

Philosophy has little in the way of helping out OP.
His safe, consistent, well placed second serve should come in around 75mph with lots of topspin.

 

[Sid_Vicious]

I think I'm having troubles with my second serve. I can't get any speed on it as well as the topspin on it.
I can serve a 110mph first serve but my second serve is only 1/4 the speed (or even less)

Let's put this in perspective. You think your second serve is <28 mph. I have seen Federer hit drop shots that were faster than that.

 

[Fintft]

Use your first serve as your second serve and live with the double faults.

Yeah At most I might change the position I'm starting from and the spin.

 

[ATP100]

Easy Answer: Practice your 2nd serve only for a year.

 

[degrease]

How "spinny" is your 2nd serve?

 

[Attila_the_gorilla]

The biggest mistake rec players make is in the trajectory, they hit upwards way too much, and make contact with the ball very low. You need good extension up for the ball to maximize your racket head speed, just hit more of a glancing shot instead of straight through.

Rec players like to regard the second serve as a modified topspin serve (modified because it has a bit of slice to add the kick). I think the opposite is a better approach, think about the second serve as a modified slice serve. Don't hit upwards but sideways, with full extension, and then experiment with adjusting your racket face: you'll get better results.

 

[degrease]

Ppl,myself included, put too much emphasis on spin. Try hitting spin serves in but each time swing as fast but but a few % less spin