Serve direction
- Thread starter sebas_y
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ManuGinobili
Hall of Fame
really vague and opposite of the popular advices here (I didn't say it's wrong since it may work for you)
OP, when the advanced players want to hit a serve in a certain direction, they merely think about (aiming mentally at) the spot, and then let the body do the work. Now, you achieve that by having enough muscle memory. You achieve that muscle memory by enough practice.
Some guys, like Federer, doesn't even practice the serve much, but that is because he has inhumane muscle memories and doesn't need to build it up more. Mortals like us should hit a lot and a lot of serves in practice. Practice the 3 common spots (wide corner, the T, the middle) using a visible target such as a cone.
I'm of the school of thought that you should keep your grip, stance and position consistent, so that you can control as much variables in a serve as possible, and also your opponent won't be able to read your serve as much.
Bud
Bionic Poster
Many hours of practice involving serving thousands of balls. You'll eventually start feeling the motion required to hit each section of the service box (wide, middle, T)
IMO, effective, consistent, reliable serving is one of the most important and most difficult skills to master.
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fruitytennis1
Professional
Toss location
tennisdad65
Hall of Fame
Depends on your serving style, stance, types of serves etc..
I can serve using open stance and closed stance.
open stance - I find it easier to direct the serve anywhere, but tougher to stay sideways at contact.
closed stance - I find it tougher to hit the slice locations, i.e. wide in duece or down the middle in Ad. I find it easy to hit the other locations (body, T in deuce and wide in Ad).
and then you have to adjust for either topspin or slice.. not easy.. 1000s of practice serves..
I can serve using open stance and closed stance.
open stance - I find it easier to direct the serve anywhere, but tougher to stay sideways at contact.
closed stance - I find it tougher to hit the slice locations, i.e. wide in duece or down the middle in Ad. I find it easy to hit the other locations (body, T in deuce and wide in Ad).
and then you have to adjust for either topspin or slice.. not easy.. 1000s of practice serves..
DeShaun
Banned
My placement started coming together after thousands of practice serves. It grew more refined after I began visualizing an imaginary opponent--his eyes and thoughts had to be focused intensely on returning my serve. My aim was to hit a given spot in the service box. Either "T," "body," or "wide," I would command myself. My opponent revealed the spot he most wanted to return serve from. I would work around this spot, in deciding on my target.
jwbarrientos
Hall of Fame
To OP,
Find your own way! I think is easier changing stance, feet, toss possition at the begining, later... as soon as you "master" them and/or feel comfortable, try to "make up" you preparation/motion in order to take advantage of surprise.
to "make up" try to use the same stance/grip/toss for different trype of serves/directions, not easy but it could works.
Find your own way! I think is easier changing stance, feet, toss possition at the begining, later... as soon as you "master" them and/or feel comfortable, try to "make up" you preparation/motion in order to take advantage of surprise.
to "make up" try to use the same stance/grip/toss for different trype of serves/directions, not easy but it could works.
jwbarrientos
Hall of Fame
Bud
Bionic Poster
It shrinks by 50% :wink:
That's very considerate of you. but this (click link) is where i got that technique from and it does work for me. I have to agree with everyone else though that nothing beats proper practice practice practice...
http://www.tennis.com/articles/templates/instruction.aspx?articleid=2879&zoneid=13
Chanto
Rookie
LeeD's been preaching this forever, and still no one understands.....
My 2 cents though. Just close your eyes and imagine the ball hitting where you want it to, then just hit the serve without thinking too much. It sounds crazy, but it works pretty well for me.
ManuGinobili
Hall of Fame
ahh yes good tip, but remember this is only a quick fix if you're having trouble serving out wide during a match. If you use it consistently (and for both sides of the court), you will be read too easily. It is encouraged to learn to hit a serve anywhere using one general form.
charliefedererer
Legend
GetBetterer was good enough to post a reference to my advice on serve direction, but I thought it might be helpful to have you consider the following, if you are one that doesn't click on every link:
"The key in serve placement is how you "throw your upper body" in the direction you want to go.
Watch the following video by Ian Westermann of essentialtennis.com: http://www.essentialtennis.com/video...middle-serves/
The main point he makes by using 2 cameras from the back and side is that for his toss and trophy position there is very little difference in body or ball toss for a wide, body, or down the T serve.
The difference comes from the way he swings his upper body forward out of the trophy position.
Since his arm is attatched to his upper body, this means he doesn't have to change the arm is swinging, only the direction the upper body is moving.
(It is likely you already know this, but in your trophy position you assume the shape of a bow with your front hip out and your upper body and hitting shoulder are directed back, and your hitting shoulder is much lower than your front shoulder. As you swing forward, your upper body "cartwheels" forward with your hitting shoulder ending up much higher than your front shoulder. The direction you "cartwheel" is the direction your serve will go.)
If you are a disciple of the "serve up the mountain" concept http://www.youtube.com/user/servedoc#p/u/5/WlPVdppfYGs just move your mountain a little to the left if you are a right hander trying to serve out wide on the deuce court, and move your mountain a little to the left to serve down the T. Then just serve up your particular mountain for great placement of a powerful serve."
In many ways, this is a rephrasing of gzhcpu's post above "I remember Pat Rafter saying he would just fall into the court in the direction he wanted to place the ball..."
But Pat Rafter, just like Soderling in the following video, really threw himself into that fall with a big cartwheel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a56pvP1i6x8
"The key in serve placement is how you "throw your upper body" in the direction you want to go.
Watch the following video by Ian Westermann of essentialtennis.com: http://www.essentialtennis.com/video...middle-serves/
The main point he makes by using 2 cameras from the back and side is that for his toss and trophy position there is very little difference in body or ball toss for a wide, body, or down the T serve.
The difference comes from the way he swings his upper body forward out of the trophy position.
Since his arm is attatched to his upper body, this means he doesn't have to change the arm is swinging, only the direction the upper body is moving.
(It is likely you already know this, but in your trophy position you assume the shape of a bow with your front hip out and your upper body and hitting shoulder are directed back, and your hitting shoulder is much lower than your front shoulder. As you swing forward, your upper body "cartwheels" forward with your hitting shoulder ending up much higher than your front shoulder. The direction you "cartwheel" is the direction your serve will go.)
If you are a disciple of the "serve up the mountain" concept http://www.youtube.com/user/servedoc#p/u/5/WlPVdppfYGs just move your mountain a little to the left if you are a right hander trying to serve out wide on the deuce court, and move your mountain a little to the left to serve down the T. Then just serve up your particular mountain for great placement of a powerful serve."
In many ways, this is a rephrasing of gzhcpu's post above "I remember Pat Rafter saying he would just fall into the court in the direction he wanted to place the ball..."
But Pat Rafter, just like Soderling in the following video, really threw himself into that fall with a big cartwheel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a56pvP1i6x8
