WTF?? Hitting slice serves that twist/kick??

[Orion3]

Played last night on a very slow hard court against a guy I've never played before - left hander.

I immediately dialled in and started hitting slice serves in the deuce court – bizarrely, instead of sliding left, they started kicking right to various degrees. I tried all night, but I only managed a few truly ‘sliced’ serves. Even my wide slider – where I toss right and hit at 3 o’clock or 4 if I want a little backspin was straightening/moving right a little.

At the end of the game, the guy complimented me on my serve – said he’d never faced one like it and that it caused him massive problems; especially when I managed to hit a real slice as he had no idea what was coming next.

The thing is – I had/have no idea what I was doing. Over the last year,I have been working very hard on my twist second serve and can now really move it high and right. Slice has always been a no-brainer.

I’m guessing it was just the court surface but its left me pretty confused – If I could hit either/both from the same toss I’d be the happiest server around. Hitting both is great but not being able to consciously hit one or the other sucks.

Any ideas - Just the court? or is there something I could be unconsciously taking from my kicker into my slice delivery?

[wrxinsc]

...unconsciously taking from my kicker into my slice delivery

^ prob this.

[psv255]

Yes! I've had the same kind of thing happen every so often. I would be expecting a slider out wide, and then the ball would just change direction out of nowhere, kicking up and out to the right! I think that comes as a result of a toss that is closer to you and you are hitting more up than across at impact, which gives it a twist-like spin.

[LeeD]

Sounds like wandering toss.

[tennisboi007]

Originally Posted by Orion3

I could be unconsciously taking from my kicker into my slice delivery?

I agree that it is probably this.

Only way to know for sure would be to record yourself and see your swing motion.

[nabrug]

Compare http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8UqUBkmWBg to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6cqVAKpOx0.
Is that what you mean?

[Orion3]

Originally Posted by nabrug

Compare http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8UqUBkmWBg to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6cqVAKpOx0.
Is that what you mean?

More like the top video, just more pronounced.

[charliefedererer]

The best servers can start from the same position and toss to nearly the same spot for all their serves - slice, kick and flat.

They do this to disguise their serve.

As they push up with their legs, they push up in slightly different directions so the ball will end up more to the right, left, foreward or backward.

(Foreward/backward toss direction is harder to pick up by the returner, so the best servers will vary this more for the different serves than right/left direction.)

My guess is that you have been working so hard on your kick serve, that you unconsciously are pushing up closer to where your kick serve ball would be overhead.


Also, you have been working so much on your kick serve that the slightly lower contact point needed to drive the racquet up and over the ball, has crept into your slice serve.



In your next couple of serve practices, you likely will be able to get back your slice form, if you concentrate on hitting more slices.
(Of course this could negatively influence your kick serve, so you'll have to keep practicing both until you have the "muscle memory" trained to hit either on command.)

[Orion3]

Thanks for the feedback. Very much appreciated

[SystemicAnomaly]

If your "slice" serve was kick twisting then you were undoubted hitting the ball with some topspin and spiralspin as well as vertical-axis sidespin. You were probably really hitting a version of a topspin-slice serve in such a manner that you also imparted a good dose of spiralspin. Whenever we impart sidespin to the ball, we usually also impart a bit of spiralspin. When the spiralspin component is large enough, we see the ball bouncing noticeably to the left or the right (pure sidespin does NOT do this).

[bhupaes]

I've had exactly the same experience as the OP. What I've noticed is that the surface will make a slight difference. On the very smooth and fast courts I normally play on, a top-slice serve very often behaves like a slice serve after the bounce. On rougher courts where the ball bites more, a top-slice serve will break in the opposite direction of the initial curve after the bounce, like a twist serve. One can fix this (if one really wants to) by decreasing the amount of top and increasing the side spin. Me, I'm happy to serve twists if I'm getting them for free!