Wide slice serve on the deuce side

[toth]

Assume we both are righties.
As i see a deep slice serve into the wide corner of the deuce service box is not a really difficoult ball for the returner but it goes to his stronger forehand wing.
Only a shorter, more angled ball is really difficoult for the returner.
But if i strive to hit it shorter, more angled, the chances hit the ball into the net will be higher, it is a lower percentage shot.

Schould i hit this more angled slice serve with some or more topspin? (I am about 4 level)

What is your opinion to this point?

Thank you for your answer
Toth

 

[eah123]

It depends on your opponent and what you are trying to accomplish. For a second serve you definitely want more top spin to make it safer. For a first serve you can take more chances and make it slide out wide and shorter in the box.

 

[LeeD]

DEPENDS...
Your skills.
Opponent strength and weakness.
Where opponent is after serving.

 

[LuckyR]

Assume we both are righties.
As i see a deep slice serve into the wide corner of the deuce service box is not a really difficoult ball for the returner but it goes to his stronger forehand wing.
Only a shorter, more angled ball is really difficoult for the returner.
But if i strive to hit it shorter, more angled, the chances hit the ball into the net will be higher, it is a lower percentage shot.

Schould i hit this more angled slice serve with some or more topspin? (I am about 4 level)

What is your opinion to this point?

Thank you for your answer
Toth

Try for the (low percentage) short extreme slice. But hit it on first serves, not second.

 

[toth]

I am 184 cm

 

[toth]

I have looked after my old tennis notices, and i have found i was better - much more consistent - with slice serve added topspin.
The problem was, i used to these serves a more towards bh grip, and i had a feeling, that my opponents have seen my grip change, and this is why they anticipate the direktion of my serve...so my serve was good but they returned it even better...

 

[Jonesy]

Yes, you can mix some top with the slice, but if it floats too much the opponent will anticipate and blast a dtl winner.

 

[LOBALOT]

Perhaps you are a better player than I am but I have to use the slice out-wide judiciously. For example when my opponent is protecting their backhand I will try to mix it in.

Without an outright ace or catching my opponent off-guard, I find it gives them too many options to put me immediately in a disadvantage as I am having to cover a wider return response to my forehand or a ball up the line to my backhand. I much prefer keeping the ball in front of me and prefer going up the T in the ad court with slice as then can expect a ball up the middle to me which I then can put them in the position of having to make a choice to defend a reply wide to their forehand or behind them to the backhand with their momentum heading toward the middle of the court.

 

[toth]

Yes, you can mix some top with the slice, but if it floats too much the opponent will anticipate and blast a dtl winner.

Do you mean these serves are slow and this is the reason he can attak these serves?
Nevertheless I dont feel so.

 

[Jonesy]

Do you mean these serves are slow and this is the reason he can attak these serves?
Nevertheless I dont feel so.

If you can make them fast the better.

 

[toth]

If you can make them fast the better.

At my level it is rather fast than slow .
I think how much angled is it, is important too.

 

[LOBALOT]

At my level it is rather fast than slow .
I think how much angled is it, is important too.

I think the angle is really important and a slow wide slice can be very effective especially if your opponent is standing deep or toward the center of the court expecting you to crack one.

Again, for me it is situational.

 

[toth]

I think the angle is really important and a slow wide slice can be very effective especially if your opponent is standing deep or toward the center of the court expecting you to crack one.

Again, for me it is situational.

I think it suit me better to play with the angles than hit a 200 km/h bomb...

 

[nyta2]

I think it suit me better to play with the angles than hit a 200 km/h bomb...

i've been focusing on hitting topslice to get it to dive... ideally i'm hitting 4-5 from the service line, near the sideline...
that serve by itself isn't what is effective, it's my flat tee or flat/slice body (both encourages folks to cheat toward their bh (righty) side to hit a fh), that does the damage...
the topslice wide just keeps then honest.

 

[LOBALOT]

i've been focusing on hitting topslice to get it to dive... ideally i'm hitting 4-5 from the service line, near the sideline...
that serve by itself isn't what is effective, it's my flat tee or flat/slice body (both encourages folks to cheat toward their bh (righty) side to hit a fh), that does the damage...
the topslice wide just keeps then honest.

I think you really need some element of topspin to get these in with any reliability especially given going over the higher part of the net.

 

[puppybutts]

For me, hitting an error while trying to slice a sharper angle more often results in me hitting wide more than it does hitting the net.

I think if you were to add more topspin to your opponent's stronger side, it would just give him more time to attack it, which would nullify the purpose of risking a sharper angle to begin with. But that depends on how good of a returner your opponent is, and how good your serve is.

 

[LOBALOT]

For me, hitting an error while trying to slice a sharper angle more often results in me hitting wide more than it does hitting the net.

I think if you were to add more topspin to your opponent's stronger side, it would just give him more time to attack it, which would nullify the purpose of risking a sharper angle to begin with. But that depends on how good of a returner your opponent is, and how good your serve is.

I agree with the missing wide part for sure which is why I think it is bit more difficult than coming directly over the top as you have to pick a target that is not the final target and at the same time gunning for close to the sideline. There are lot of things at play with the serve which again leads to me liking it more in the ad court but as I indicated that also depends on ones ability and confidence in making it and being able to respond to the reply.

 

[Dragy]

It really depends on what you expect and what's going on. Where do they return from? If they can return your first serve from inside the baseline, more angled option won't help you much. If they return from behind the baseline (because your serve is fast enough to force them back), even hitting the corner is good enough to open the court and make them hit BH on the run as their next shot. Even against good FH return, hit straight into the open court and see whet comes next.

If they stay in, better focus on jamming them rather then finding extreme angles. Too tight margins to succeed consistently. Feed them a steady diet of BH and body-jammer topspin-slice serves, then once in a while hit wide slice as a change-up. Definitely don't fixate on wide slice if it's not getting you an advantage.

Hitting with topspin allows you to go for angle easier, but it works well if you have opponent receiving from well behind the baseline - otherwise it just sits up, and the bounce may actually kick in a bit, aloowing for easier reach. Meanwhile, playing a lefty this serve may be your bread-and-butter.

 

[Bud]

Assume we both are righties.
As i see a deep slice serve into the wide corner of the deuce service box is not a really difficoult ball for the returner but it goes to his stronger forehand wing.
Only a shorter, more angled ball is really difficoult for the returner.
But if i strive to hit it shorter, more angled, the chances hit the ball into the net will be higher, it is a lower percentage shot.

Schould i hit this more angled slice serve with some or more topspin? (I am about 4 level)

What is your opinion to this point?

Thank you for your answer
Toth

How much space do you have between between the line and the fence? Sometimes on great slice serves that are wide and short, you can't reach it before it hits the fence.

If you're a good serve and volleyer, it opens up the entire court.

It's a great serve in doubles as it limits high percentage return options.

This is assuming it's righty serving to righty on the deuce side.

 

[Bud]

i've been focusing on hitting topslice to get it to dive... ideally i'm hitting 4-5 from the service line, near the sideline...
that serve by itself isn't what is effective, it's my flat tee or flat/slice body (both encourages folks to cheat toward their bh (righty) side to hit a fh), that does the damage...
the topslice wide just keeps then honest.

IMO, you'd want to keep it low. No topspin.

 

[toth]

I have created a poll

 

[Tennis_Slapper23]

Yes, I think that is the best way unless your playing on a super fast or low bouncing court.

I do it to get more margin while creating better angle without being to far wide. I can hit same quality serve in terms of angle 5 feet to the right of the center one adding topspin then I can just slicing the serve from close to the ally.

 

[One Handed Dynasty]

I’d be hesitant to add “more topspin” to the mental wording and imagery of my slice serve. In my experience, that’s when you start to get overthinking and execution errors.

I’m sure that my slice serves have varying amounts of topspin, but it’s an effect caused by my intended target and subsequent visualization.

 

[toth]

I have changed the poll, there is a third possibility to choose

 

[toth]

First serve agressiv mindset to open the court

 

[nyta2]

IMO, you'd want to keep it low. No topspin.

i'm 5'4" i need to get it in first (especially when going deuceWide, so need the extra clearance)
agreed if i'm hitting a second serve to someone tall, i'd strive to hit a low slice to their bh

 

[Fintft]

It depends on your opponent and what you are trying to accomplish. For a second serve you definitely want more top spin to make it safer. For a first serve you can take more chances and make it slide out wide and shorter in the box.

This, but only as a variaty of serving to their BHs mainly, down the T.

 

[Injured Again]

If you possess a decent enough serve down the T on the deuce court, to the point where your opponent is a couple of feet or more further back on return of serve than their preferred position, a short, slow, low-bouncing slice serve short in the service box and swinging out past the doubles alley is an incredibly effective serve, especially against older and/or less mobile opponents. I try to hit this serve so the second bounce is at the baseline, making my opponent run sideways and forward to hit it. Unless they make a really good return off that, they're having to recover by moving 2/3's the way cross the baseline and also backwards to get a position a couple of feet behind the baseline.

This is kind of a prerequisite serve before earning your old man card...

 

[TennisCJC]

None of us play like pros, but to my eye, great ATP/WTA wide serves in the deuce court have substantial topspin as the ball moves down and to the left in the air and then bounces to left. Federer served hundreds of aces with this serve and the ball curved downward quite a bit to dive into the court as well as bouncing very wide. It's difficult to get any serve that has a lot of pace in the service box unless it has substantial curve downward while in the air.