I find that slice does work better. I toss around 12 and just a few inches in front of me. I then brush across the ball. Topspin slice?Is your second serve consistent? If so, I would just hit flat and sometimes slice, like the pros do. Otherwise, maybe a lot more slice. I'm in a similar situation, and I'm just trying to get a consistent flat first serve and it's almost there. I'm a little taller than you, but I doubt it makes much of a difference.
I was thinking regular slice serve. But you should probably just listen to @IowaGuy haha.I find that slice does work better. I toss around 12 and just a few inches in front of me. I then brush across the ball. Topspin slice?
I am conflicted as to what to use for a first serve. I am 5'6. Suggestions?
My first coach was about 5’2” and her tops at most would be in the 130-140 kph range but it kicked like a mule - so much action immediately after the bounceI am conflicted as to what to use for a first serve. I am 5'6. Suggestions?
5'4"I am conflicted as to what to use for a first serve. I am 5'6. Suggestions?
Topslice or slice-kick is a fantastic serve! Many kickers bounce towards your opponent, eventually they get a reading. The ones that kick out wide are nasty5'4"
70%: topslice (~85mph)
10% flat (~95-100mph)
10% heavy slice (~70mph)
10% top or kick (~55mph)
lol 1% underhand
Cibulkova is 5' 3" and her serve is not too shabby.
at 3.0-3.5, an underhand serve is all you need.I'm only 5'7" and my flat serve is not bad. I have a OK kick and I'm working on adding variety and better aim. At 3.5 USTA my serve is my strongest shot and not many can attack it yet.
What level are you in anyway? To be honest if you are playing 3.0 or 3.5 there isn't really going to be many people jumping all over a pancake serve.
5'4"
70%: topslice (~85mph)
10% flat (~95-100mph)
10% heavy slice (~70mph)
10% top or kick (~55mph)
lol 1% underhand
I am about 3.5. My serve is holding me back I think from progressing.I'm only 5'7" and my flat serve is not bad. I have a OK kick and I'm working on adding variety and better aim. At 3.5 USTA my serve is my strongest shot and not many can attack it yet.
What level are you in anyway? To be honest if you are playing 3.0 or 3.5 there isn't really going to be many people jumping all over a pancake serve.
For your height about a foot. If that's uncomfortable you can start 6-8" inside the court, but constantly challenge yourself. If you end up tossing a foot and a half inside the court you are doing quite well, it will depend on how much you are using your legs.How far out do you guys toss on a top-slice serve?
I am conflicted as to what to use for a first serve. I am 5'6. Suggestions?
thats legendary!Huh? Just put it in! I am 5' 3" or so, and I use some spin, but so should anyone! I once hit about 24 first serves in a row in a match in 1997, using a wood racquet.
thats legendary!
I gotta work on that, last summer the sun was unbearable around 1pm. My opponent over summer through some in in another match, I kept thinking oh he's making an adjustment and didn't pay attention, by the third or fourth time I was up at the service line nailing a winner. They didn't have as much spin or pace as video.at 3.0-3.5, an underhand serve is all you need.
lol, i take that back... at the pro level, an underhand serve is all you need to be competitive
I gotta work on that, last summer the sun was unbearable around 1pm. My opponent over summer through some in in another match, I kept thinking oh he's making an adjustment and didn't pay attention, by the third or fourth time I was up at the service line nailing a winner. They didn't have as much spin or pace as video.
That would be a bit of generalization, but for your case I'd suggest focusing on making your second serve as good as possible, so practicing a "uniform" serve, maxing out at mechanics => RHS and applying it within a range of top-slice to kick serves. For most of us unattackable, uncomfortable, disturbing second serve gives a lot. Once you're confident in your 2nd, you can do whatever feels right on the first: swing more through the ball, place it sharply, try to flatten it out on some points.I am about 3.5. My serve is holding me back I think from progressing.
why the decrease from 27 to 17?Yep, and the next week I hit 17 in a row. Practice, practice, practice!
I'm talking no second serves at all!
why the decrease from 27 to 17?
Jeez I'd love to adopt that form. Thanks for the link. When you guys start going into your serve after you reach something like a trophy pose, which foot is your weight on? I tend to put alot of weight on the front foot. I kind of use it as a tipping point for me to "fall into" the court.Served 117. Sometimes shorter players can take a little more risk than you'd think.
Some people say develop power and then control; I think it is the other way round. Once you have the serve under control, then try for more power. Placement and control over spin matters more than pace at amateur level.
why the decrease from 27 to 17?
I am conflicted as to what to use for a first serve. I am 5'6. Suggestions?
depends how you’re developing control. if you have control that relies on gravity alone (frying pan serve) - no bueno.
you want control via spin. spin requires racquet head speed (which folks sometimes describe as power inaccurately IMO)
once you’ve established a spin serve consistently, then you can start working on more pace by choosing to convert that rhs to pace (speed) vs spin.
if you’re only aspiring to 3.5 tennis, then sure, feel free to keep the frying pan serve.
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I'm the exact same height as you, and i have a flat 1st serve. Sure it doesn't bounce like Isner 1st serve, but if you have the right technique, you can still make your 1st serve travel fast.
But it comes down to personal preference i think. For me i don't see myself hitting anything other than flat on my 1st serve. Wether that is the best scenario for you, you and you alone must answer that yourself...
How are you a 3.5? You definitely seem more like a very solid 4.0 and can probably hang with some 4.5s. Where do you live? Maybe the ratings between sections are that different because you are easily a good 4.0 here in Arizona. What is your UTR rating?I'm your height and a 3.5 and I think you can certainly have a good serve. Height is not what would be holding you back. It certainly helps but it doesn't disqualify you from having a decent serve.
I definitely think you HAVE to work on getting a good 2nd serve first, then work on a 1st serve. I have played people that have good pop on 1st serve but only in about 40% of the time max. Then the second serve is a puff ball push with no spin that won't even make it to baseline on one bounce!
This is my last vid of 3.5 40+ match. I'm in all dark. It's long but my serves are on 2:26, 8:45 (I switched to platform serve), 13:12, and 23:08.
At 3.5 if you develop a reliable spinny serve you will hold your serve way more often than not.
You're not hitting flat, you have to be well over 6 foot to hit a flat serve without spin and get it over. In reality your flat serve is a serve with spin, with a bit less spin on it.
I'm sorry to say, but you're dead wrong... I'm exactly 5'6 and as you can see, you can perfectly hit flat servers and not be "well over 6 foot"...
P.S- Serve at 30secs is not a flat serve. somehow got that one in there by mistake
P.S.2- One could argue that some of my out wide serves from the deuce side may contain some side spin. But i think it's clear in the video that one can hit flat serves at 5'6.
And if you look closely, you'll notice i'm not even taking my feet off the ground that much due to a recent calf injury. Without that injury and a proper "jump up" on the serve, i could hit the ball harder, flatter and with a trajectory more from high to low to make it bounce more...
You're not hitting flat because your contact position is not high enough to achieve that. You are putting spin on the ball, only players with basket ball player like reach can fit a truly flat serve.
They look like top/slice to me. I hit these a lot too. Your swing path looks slightly out also.Are you seriously telling me that after watching that video you still think i don't hit flat serves?
Ok mate, whatever you say. Guess you and i have very different definitions of what flat is...
They look like top/slice to me. I hit these a lot too. Your swing path looks slightly out also.
34 and 47 are flatter but that's about itOk, very first serve on the video, 34secs in, 47 secs in, 50 secs in, 54 secs in and 1:01 mins in.
Tell me, where's the slice and/or the topspin in those serves...
34 and 47 are flatter but that's about it
I'm sorry to say, but you're dead wrong... I'm exactly 5'6 and as you can see, you can perfectly hit flat servers and not be "well over 6 foot"...
P.S- Serve at 30secs is not a flat serve. somehow got that one in there by mistake
P.S.2- One could argue that some of my out wide serves from the deuce side may contain some side spin. But i think it's clear in the video that one can hit flat serves at 5'6.
And if you look closely, you'll notice i'm not even taking my feet off the ground that much due to a recent calf injury. Without that injury and a proper "jump up" on the serve, i could hit the ball harder, flatter and with a trajectory more from high to low to make it bounce more...