Serving indoors vs outdoors
 

Is it just me, or is it easier to serve well indoors than outdoors?

It seems like I can't hit my flat serve nearly as hard outdoors and it's also harder to get my serve in a groove.

Do indoor courts have a characteristic that would explain this, or am I probably just having a mental issue with this?

Thanks,
Vin

When serving outdoors you have to consider several other variables such as the wind and the sun. Just a slight breeze can move the ball around during your toss. It's easier to serve more consistantly indoors because the ball placement on your toss is much more predictable.

And that's the first step to a good serve: Consistant placement on your toss.

also bear in mind that the height of toss outdoors is much harder to judge.. I used to have to remind myself constantly to toss it just as high outdoors.. (and then u have the problem of the wind grabbing it when it's that high!).

as in all situations with the serve, a little practice goes a long way.. and as I'm always posting.. the serve is the one thing u can always work on whether u have someone to hit with or not.

I agree with what you guys are saying, but it seems that even on a calm day with no adverse weather conditions, the situation is still the same. A well hit serve outdoors just doesn't seem to be the same as a well hit serve indoors. I actually practice my serve a lot and much of it is done outdoors.

Difference in toss perception is something I haven't thought about. I'll have to keep that in mind.

Vin

What indoor surface are you playing on? When I've played on indoor carpet, I've always hit vicious serves without trying. Very low and skidding.

I prefer serving outdoors unless it's too windy. Yes it's easier to hit flat indoors, but I have a harder time hitting spin indoors. Outdoors I will go with flat with a tailwind and then hard spin into the wind. I will also make the ball move side to side with crosswinds. I let the wind help exaggerate my serve. I can't do that indoors, so I struggle deciding what to do since hitting flat all the time gets boring and predictable. If the wind is more than 10 mph though I would rather be serving indoors though and usually make my opponent serve first then. I do have a low toss that the wind doesn't usually affect too much.

The indoor atmosphere has a lot of stimuli that makes it seem like you are hitting bigger serves than perhaps you are. The sound of the racket striking the ball is somewhat echoed, whereas outside it isn't as impressive. Additionally, during warmups indoor serves hit the court then bounce into the back curtain. You are able to get a sense of serve quality by the pop the ball makes on the curtain as well as how high up on the curtain your balls are hitting.

The fence outdoors just doesn't provide the same feedback. Then of course there are the elements outside which have already been addressed.

I have a lot of trouble moving from indoors to playing outdoors (especially tournaments) this time of year in Oklahoma. First, as mentioned above, the loss of perception outside is a big deal because you lose the roof against which to guage and measure the height and placement of your toss. Secondly, here in Oklahoma, it is not unusual to play in winds from 20-30 mph. In fact, I'm playing a tournament this weekend and the weather prediction calls for winds from 15-25 on Saturday and 20-30 on Sunday. Talk about having to modify your toss!!

Thats rough Bill:

"auntie Em....Its a twister!!" :-)

It is a very nice sound when you really pop your serves high and hard off the indoor back curtain. That might be my favorite tennis sound of all time.

Yeah, I bet that's what's making me think I serve better indoors. In addition, the back fence of most outdoor courts is further from the baseline than the curtain is on indoor courts.

As a big server myself, I enjoy the indoors for this exact reason, the impressive sound. Also, as VJH mentioned, you get the boom off the curtains or wall. AND a third point I notice is that because of the poorer lighting indoors, the ball looks...."blurrier". I can hit a 115 mph serve indoors(timing with gun) and then go hit the same serve outdoors and even ignoring the sound difference, it's just easier to see the ball outdoors. Plus of course the outdoor courts often have a slower surface. Most of it is psychological though...if you have a big enough serve it will be effective anywhere....so my advice...ignore the sound and notice your opponent desperately lunging and not touching your serves ;-)

Also...it takes me a bit of practice to groove in outdoors, after indoor season....but you can get your serve up to the same level...assuming sun/wind aren't a factor...

Outdoors has it's own own pleasures to for the big server....putting the ball through the fence...hitting a fence post hard enough to watch the ball richochet back to you or over the fence....lots of people to show off for ;-) I used to go practice my serve at a neighborhood court in the days when I could nudge over 120mph, passerbys and the neighbors would watch through their windows. A few even came out to chat and tell me that they watched me often throught the window and could hear the serves in their houses. When they ask if you're a pro...pick somebody who looks nothing like you and say, "yes, I'm (insert pro here)"....lol...just kidding.