Ahhh, At Last, Improvement

[FedererUberAlles]

I'm starting to make some progress on my serve, and it feels amazing. All those days where serving feels like some foreign thing over the past few weeks are worth it. I think I'm serving bigger than ever, maybe even close to 100 mph (as if it even matters).

My biggest issue was my toss, but in the process of evaluating everything I realized I should bring my shoulder lower, keep my arm looser, and feel a bit lighter on my feet. Making these minor adjustments have helped the consistency of my motion. While I still am not at a level where I feel I could play a match and serve consistently in at whatever pace spin I expect of myself, or even keep the ball in consistently at all, I am only missing the service box by a foot or a few inches. This isn't negligible, but I am happy with it.

There is one problem though. I can't figure out how to brush up on the ball. Whenever I try to, I still hit it in a way that does not give it enough spin to be second serve. This is my next goal.

So, I encourage anyone who has made an improvement in there game to post here. It is such a relief, and after a few days where I honestly thought about quitting tennis, I feel reinvigorated.

[Roy125]

Originally Posted by FedererUberAlles

I'm starting to make some progress on my serve, and it feels amazing. All those days where serving feels like some foreign thing over the past few weeks are worth it. I think I'm serving bigger than ever, maybe even close to 100 mph (as if it even matters).

My biggest issue was my toss, but in the process of evaluating everything I realized I should bring my shoulder lower, keep my arm looser, and feel a bit lighter on my feet. Making these minor adjustments have helped the consistency of my motion. While I still am not at a level where I feel I could play a match and serve consistently in at whatever pace spin I expect of myself, or even keep the ball in consistently at all, I am only missing the service box by a foot or a few inches. This isn't negligible, but I am happy with it.

There is one problem though. I can't figure out how to brush up on the ball. Whenever I try to, I still hit it in a way that does not give it enough spin to be second serve. This is my next goal.

So, I encourage anyone who has made an improvement in there game to post here. It is such a relief, and after a few days where I honestly thought about quitting tennis, I feel reinvigorated.

When you hit your spin serve, where does it usually end up?

[Funbun]

To brush up on the ball, your elbow must be high so you can effectively "unhinge" your arm to extend out and up on the ball.

That, and bend your knees to get as much upward force on the ball, so you brush up faster.

Like this:


Note that he has his elbow significantly high to unhinge his arm, which he has already done after contact. His arm is now fully extended after the unhinging motion. Regardless whether or not he hit a topspin or slice serve, he brushed up at the angle he wanted. In your case, you want to unhinge up and out, directly towards the area you're hitting. If you want to twist or kick it to the side, you would unhinge or throw up your arm at an angle.

If you execute a topspin serve correctly, you should feel that you are moving your racquet almost perpendicular to the ball, in an upwards direction.

[Mr_Shiver]

Kudos, it is alway a good feeling when things start to click.

[LeeD]

In order to "brush up" at the ball, your contact point has to be lower than for a normal flat first serve.
Kick serves have the lowest contact point....besides underhand serves.