Attacking A Weak Serve

[thebuffman]

there is a lot of information out there about this but i want to table it again. at the 3.5 level, there are not a lot of players with an 80mph serve. many of them "just get it in". i've seen a lot of players, ESPECIALLY PUSHERS, whose first and second serve both have literally NOTHING on it. and i am talking where you could literally stand inbetween the service & baseline to receive it. the serves have no slice, kick or pace but they never double fault.

how do you use this to your advantage? typically i sit back and just work on hitting a nice consistent shot with placement but now i am thinking that this reply is not good enough. i would go for an all out winner but i am afraid to risk it as low pace balls can be easy to commit errors on. what stroke should i use to attack this ball?? is it best to change my grip from a semi-western to a full western (like i see the pros do when attacking a short ball) and then hit it with a windshield wiper stroke? should i change to continental and chip and charge?? do i just try dropping the shot at a short angle to the backhand??

the deal is that i want to play a high percentage aggressive shot with low risk. any help is appreciated. in my estimation it makes no sense to allow these type of players with very consistent rally capability even get started into the point if i don't have to. i want to begin to pressure their service game but honestly i don't know what strategy to use. please offer advice.

 

[LeeD]

If you topspins work from inside the court on slow movers, hit it to their weaker side.
If you hit long, then slice a volley deep into their weaker side and move in.
Drop shot them.
Drop angle them.
Then hit one hard and deep.

 

[decades]

work on chipping and charging. you will win a fair percentage of the points you get back into play. expect a lot of lobs coming back...

 

[thebuffman]

work on chipping and charging. you will win a fair percentage of the points you get back into play. expect a lot of lobs coming back...

i hope you mean put away lobs from within the service line cuz that other mess from these pushers get on my nerve. am i'm talking about those lucky lobs that land 2inches inside the baseline for winners and then they go screaming like they did something special. *frustrating*

 

[thebuffman]

also, if i go for a winner off the weak serve, what is the best side to hit to?

i am thinking that a right handed server will have their body leaning to the left (my right) so it is best to hit to the corner on their forehand side. is this proper thinking? this would mean down the line when receiving in the ad court and cross court when receiving in the deuce court.

or should i always go across court for the winner if i am hitting with all my strength? this way i have a higher margin for error.

 

[LeeD]

Approach to opponent's weaker side the majority of the time. Occasionally, approach to his stronger side.
Balance that with YOUR shotmaking ability.
As said, at 3.5, expect a lob.

 

[thebuffman]

Approach to opponent's weaker side the majority of the time. Occasionally, approach to his stronger side.
Balance that with YOUR shotmaking ability.
As said, at 3.5, expect a lob.

okay i follow you leed. your advice though seems to infer that it is not best to go for all out winners. it seems like you advocate for a 4 ball rally (serve, weak side approach shot, lob return, put away). is that right?

 

[javierjavier]

also, if i go for a winner off the weak serve, what is the best side to hit to?

i am thinking that a right handed server will have their body leaning to the left (my right) so it is best to hit to the corner on their forehand side. is this proper thinking? this would mean down the line when receiving in the ad court and cross court when receiving in the deuce court.

or should i always go across court for the winner if i am hitting with all my strength? this way i have a higher margin for error.

what has worked for me in attacking a weak serve is focusing on pace and depth vs placement, which is why i like to go cross court and give myself more room for error. it's just a higher % play for me.

you'll still hit some winners, but you'll give away less free points. you're really going to hate yourself for giving up a free point on a weak serve.

you'll want to go dtl occasionally though just to keep them honest.

 

[SuperDuy]

Drop shot them cc low.

 

[LeeD]

Buffman...
Tennis cannot be structured to "4 shot rallies", or anything like that.
It's a game of bending, recognizing, and remaking yourself constantly.
Oftentimes, that weak serve just double faults.
Or you miss the return.
Or they pass you clean as a whistle.
Or an earthquake happens, you you both visit Hades.

 

[thebuffman]

okay, i get the spirit of what your guys are saying. pretty much exploit all options. mix it up. sometimes go for the dtl winner. other times go across court and immediately put them on defense but expecting the ball to come back. then put some slice in there or even go for a drop shop.

in a nutshell though, do not go for an all out winner every time because this is unreasonable. but put them at a severe disadvantage because of their weak service game but DO NOT just hit the ball back to them and initiate a rally.

is this what you all are saying?

 

[albino smurf]

I almost always like to hit it hard right at their feet. jam em up and head to the net for the blooper return.

 

[thebuffman]

i agree. i just found a video by will hamilton talking about this. he says that you have to pressure your opponents weak serve. so from that i already see what i've been doing wrong. i have not been pressuring weak servers at all. will of course goes on to talk strategy and he advocates for hitting the big target which is across court shot.

this gives me a lot to work with. i can not afford to keep doing what i've been doing. i have a big serve at the 3.5 level and a lot of my competition does not. in order to really give me serve an advantage, i have to make them pay for not having one.

 

[mlktennis]

you got it man! You pressure their serve relentlessly- hold easily- and they will crumble. You almost guarantee one break and usually 2 per set and that gives you a cushion for your own serve in the off chance you get broken.

 

[mlktennis]

yes, you must make tham pay for their lack of serve but be smart about it. These guys are crafty usually which is how they survive against bigger,stronger and faster players at their level.

Don't get into thinking that 'I should crush these guys', or 'how the hell am I not breaking them' . They count on your overaggressiveness or getting timid/ fustrated at your own mistakes.

 

[Slazenger07]

I use my topspin and try and place my returns closer to the lines, either really deep or at a sharp angle that pulls them off the court, if they even get to it. That's what I typically do with the forehand, if its coming to my backhand I unload on it.

 

[Jaewonnie]

I absolutely love returning these shots.

They usually bounce a little below shoulder level right? In that case, because the ball is very high over the net, its safe to blast it with a forehand (placement too). Try aiming between their legs or any corner.

If u do make errors with this then practice it out. Its a relatively very easy shot to execute and u should be able to produce a winner with such a serve.

 

[LeftSHBH]

I've had to deal with this last weekend. If he hit a really weak serve, I always tried to go down the line and deep and move into the net. It wouldn't make sense to hit it right back to them cross court where they wouldn't have to move to hit it back to you.

 

[thebuffman]

I absolutely love returning these shots.

They usually bounce a little below shoulder level right? In that case, because the ball is very high over the net, its safe to blast it with a forehand (placement too). Try aiming between their legs or any corner.

If u do make errors with this then practice it out. Its a relatively very easy shot to execute and u should be able to produce a winner with such a serve.

This is exactly the kind of serve iim talking about. literally has nothing on it. its strange because no one ever attacks it. even in 3.5 league doubles play, everyone is all too happy just to keep the ball in play without error.

things r going to change for though. i am going to slide up in that box and topspin the heck out of it from now on.

 

[Jaewonnie]

This is exactly the kind of serve iim talking about. literally has nothing on it. its strange because no one ever attacks it. even in 3.5 league doubles play, everyone is all too happy just to keep the ball in play without error.

things r going to change for though. i am going to slide up in that box and topspin the heck out of it from now on.

I'm a player who hates to rally. I just end points quickly as possible. From that u mite gather that i have numerous unforced errors and missed shots

But these serve returns are impossible to mishit.

 

[LeftSHBH]

I'm a player who hates to rally. I just end points quickly as possible. From that u mite gather that i have numerous unforced errors and missed shots

But these serve returns are impossible to mishit.

It's not impossible, especially if you're trying to hit a winner out of it. If anything you're more likely to mishit if you're trying to bang out a winner vs pushing it back safely

 

[thebuffman]

But these serve returns are impossible to mishit.

do you hit them flat or with topspin?

i have dropped these short soft balls into the net in the past because i try hitting them with topspin but if i do not drop the racquet below the ball enough then it dives right into the net. easy adjustment though. on the other hand i have never attempted to hit these types of balls with a flat return.

 

[GetBetterer]

thebuffman:

also, if i go for a winner off the weak serve, what is the best side to hit to?

Down the line. Not only is it there backhand, but from their position it would be difficult to recover to after the serve.

This is exactly the kind of serve iim talking about. literally has nothing on it. its strange because no one ever attacks it. even in 3.5 league doubles play, everyone is all too happy just to keep the ball in play without error.

A drop shot doesn't really count as an attack, but that's what I do. ^^
=================================================
Whether you mix up your shots or not, it doesn't matter. You can legally stand behind the service box for the serve, so just stay there, and win it flat out with a powerful forehand, or an easy drop shot since that's never expected either.

Don't get frustrated though, that can lead to errors. Just picture where you want to blast the ball, and "just do it."

 

[Cindysphinx]

In doubles, I like to do one of two things.

Either drop shot them, because you know for a fact that few net players with a weak-serving partner will try to poach.

Or play a little game of Mixed Up Returns. I'll tell myself I can't hit the same return twice in a row. If the first was a crosscourt drive, the next has to be something other than a crosscourt drive (lob, drop shot, DTL, slice angle). Since the serve is so weak you can do whatever you want, why not mix it up until they are pulling their hair out?

 

[thebuffman]

if i can be honest here, there is something about returning weak serves that bug me. when i listen to what people are saying and also look at some videos and instructions by people like will hamilton, i notice an underlying tone that hitting an all out winner is not always preferred. however i am like 99% certain that if a pro-amateur, Div I, or professional were ever sent these dinky serves over the net, they would flat out crush it - point over.

why can't i do the same thing? mind you we are not talking about hitting some advanced stroke or anything. we are talking about these sorry dinky serves that pushers thrive off of to get their rally game going. in my mind i can imagine what would happen if i served this to nadal. i would be digging that thing out of the back fence....from the other side. why can't i do the same thing?

 

[Blake0]

also, if i go for a winner off the weak serve, what is the best side to hit to?

i am thinking that a right handed server will have their body leaning to the left (my right) so it is best to hit to the corner on their forehand side. is this proper thinking? this would mean down the line when receiving in the ad court and cross court when receiving in the deuce court.

or should i always go across court for the winner if i am hitting with all my strength? this way i have a higher margin for error.

I'd say go cross court with the winner, and hit it at about 80%, not 100%. If they are able to return it, it will normally be a weak ball you can attack again. Mix it up though, always going 1 way could make it easier for the opponent. Short angle, dropshot, slice, chip and charge, winner, topspin, etc.

 

[LeftSHBH]

if i can be honest here, there is something about returning weak serves that bug me. when i listen to what people are saying and also look at some videos and instructions by people like will hamilton, i notice an underlying tone that hitting an all out winner is not always preferred. however i am like 99% certain that if a pro-amateur, Div I, or professional were ever sent these dinky serves over the net, they would flat out crush it - point over.

why can't i do the same thing? mind you we are not talking about hitting some advanced stroke or anything. we are talking about these sorry dinky serves that pushers thrive off of to get their rally game going. in my mind i can imagine what would happen if i served this to nadal. i would be digging that thing out of the back fence....from the other side. why can't i do the same thing?

You're thinking too much. Just like GetBetterer said: "Just do it"

 

[Jaewonnie]

do you hit them flat or with topspin?

i have dropped these short soft balls into the net in the past because i try hitting them with topspin but if i do not drop the racquet below the ball enough then it dives right into the net. easy adjustment though. on the other hand i have never attempted to hit these types of balls with a flat return.

I aim down but yes with topspin. I dont necessarily try to hit topspin (or flat) but the natural swing path just creates enough topspin to make the ball dip a bit.

 

[Jaewonnie]

It's not impossible, especially if you're trying to hit a winner out of it. If anything you're more likely to mishit if you're trying to bang out a winner vs pushing it back safely

i have to disagree. When these kinds of serves bounce, their apex bounce height is around the shoulder level (my height is 5' 11"). The ball is around 2 ft above the net. This is plenty of net clearance to hit all out. (Note the serve can be taken near the service line)

At times when the ball bounces higher then this, then I do a Nikishori jump forehand (which I never knew "belonged" to Nikishori until a couple weeks ago).
More power, more clearance and this jump shot frighteningly makes u intimidating. These shots arent hard to miss.

 

[thebuffman]

(Note the serve can be taken near the service line)

i think that is the magic quote in this whole thread man. to actually take that soft junk right at the service line. i must admit that in all my days i have never moved up to take it that early. and now that you mentioned it, i am asking myself "why not?" especially since i can still catch it on the rise.

question, is it legal to enter the service box when returning? i know (for all you wise guys) that i have to let the ball bounce. once it bounces though, is it open season for hunting duck? or do i still have to remain behind the service line?

jaewonnie - no lie man i would love to see a video of you taking one of these serves. you make it sound like a no brainer easy winner. i would love to just see some footage somewhere that i can pattern myself to. can't even find anything on the internet demonstrating it.

 

[thebuffman]

just saw a of video of what short ball training looks like. it literally made me cringe~~! whoa! i am no where near hitting the ball like this ...sheesh! i have a long way to go. perhaps i better just be happy hitting strong cross court short to set up for the volley.

 

[Jaewonnie]

just saw a of video of what short ball training looks like. it literally made me cringe~~! whoa! i am no where near hitting the ball like this ...sheesh! i have a long way to go. perhaps i better just be happy hitting strong cross court short to set up for the volley.

that guy is insane...lol the poor quality almost looks like the guy whos feeding the balls is actually blocking every single shot :lol:

sry man, i need to take out the photos from my camera (which was planned to do a month ago) cuz I only have like 1:40 min of footage available. I can do 4 min for 480x360 definition but it might be blurry.

 

[athiker]

things r going to change for though. i am going to slide up in that box and topspin the heck out of it from now on.

I don't really have an answer for you (other than yes, once the serve bounces you can hit it from anywhere, even if the ball backspins back over the net to their side of the court your can reach over and slam it!) but I have some things to think about.

Keep in mind that a dink serve is moving slow, possibly slower than a rally ground stroke, so when you go to "topspin the heck out of it" make sure you plow thru the ball a bit too. If you go windshield wiper crazy on it you might just nearly wiff and frame the ball.

I played last night. One guy was talking about his Saturday morning match where his opponent hit his dinky 2nd serve into the net or out over and over again (3.5 level) trying to tee off on it. My partner last night however did tee off on it successfully. My partner hits an extremely flat forehand. He just hit that ball back like a laser (he is a 4.0). The ball already had good net clearance so he didn't need topspin to take it over and bring it back down again anyway. Luckily the server has a hot 1st serve, its just when he misses that, he's got nothing on the 2nd.

I would think lots of spin on a medium paced reply when you are going for a shorter good angle to pull them off the court and a flatter penetrating ball if you are going for an inside the corners winner or forcing ball. Just my food for thought.

 

[naylor]

Approach to opponent's weaker side the majority of the time. Occasionally, approach to his stronger side...

Amen to that! If I think you have a weak backhand, my returns from either side will go to your backhand corner 80% of the time. From the deuce side, I will step in and take it early (forehand or backhand) down the line, to take time away from you. From the ad side, I will run around to play an early inside-out forehand, to also get the angle going away from you - or if you manage to place it to my backhand, you'll in fact be playing to my strongest weapon, which I can hit harder and with more top for a putaway than my forehand.

The key to all that is I will be taking the ball very early, at the top of the bounce or even on the rise. So, I will be standing inside the baseline and my first move will be forward (to create the shoulder turn also), to put extra pressure on you to get your serve deeper on the line, or else. Another good thing about taking the ball early is that changing its direction by simply altering the racketface angle or swinging a little earlier (if I see you moving too early to cover your backhand) is quite easy, because I'm playing the ball rather than waiting for the ball to play me.

I work on the principle that - once I find your rallying weakness (in addition to your weak serve) - I will exploit it relentlessly (80% of the time, with only 20% variety to "keep you honest"). It's one thing for you to know where it's going, quite a different thing for you to do something about it. Also, by going 80% for the same shot, I'm grooving it all the time and gradually putting a little extra on.

I also apply the same principle in doubles - go for the weakness. If your serve is weak and don't move forward, expect a short, wide, topspin return that will move you... sideways! And if you start moving a bit, then expect a deep return back at your feet to stop you moving. And all the time, these returns will be early, so will freeze out your partner and you'll be playing 1v2 on your return ball.

Tactically, it boils down to:- get in, find your weakness, K.I.S.S. and "goodbye, thanks for coming".

 

[Netspirit]

That dink serve gives you so many options that it is natural to get lost for a second.

Create your "Plan A" and stick to it. Vary it sometimes when you feel like mixing things up, but always have some default answer to these 4 situations:

1. High ball coming to your forehand.
2. Lower ball to forehand.
3. High ball to your backhand.
4. Lower ball to backhand.

The answers to 1-4 will depend on your abilities. You may decide to try to hit flat CC winners off high balls into the open court, and approach (topspin or slice) off low balls deep into corners.

If you cannot hit a flat backhand CC winner off a high ball reliably, replace it with something that works for you better. Knowing your "go to" shots allows you to commit to them fully and concentrate on execution. If you notice that your opponent has an apparent weakness, you may want to adjust your strategy.

The key is to have one.

 

[xFullCourtTenniSx]

Topspin drive into the corner or wide with a focus on full racket head acceleration, but placement and spin over power. If you can hit it hard consistently in addition to that, go ahead if you want.

Also, I step up to three or four feet behind the service line. If it has decent speed, I'll keep the short return motion. If it's slow and dead, I'll take a full swing and treat it as an approach shot (or kill shot if it bounces high enough).

 

[FLA10s]

Step up into the baseline,flatten the shot out go down the line on the forehand side or backhand side if its really weak you can run around your backhand....

i prefer using a eastern grip and hitting the ball down the line,one time i broke a dude 0-40 hitting a forehand down the line on a weak second serve 4 times in a row....he was pissed to say the least

 

[athiker]

Hey Buffman...brief hijack...I read with interest your serving thread back when you got the radar. I've read since you've been working with a coach and seem to be happy with the results. I realize speed is not the only measure of a good/great serve but am curious what you are up to these days in mph terms?

 

[thebuffman]

Hey Buffman...brief hijack...I read with interest your serving thread back when you got the radar. I've read since you've been working with a coach and seem to be happy with the results. I realize speed is not the only measure of a good/great serve but am curious what you are up to these days in mph terms?

last i recorded my max was 94mph. this was a few months ago. i haven't had the guts to pull it out again because of fear that it has not improved. i just don't think i could bear it. :neutral: thanks for taking notice though my man. this has certainly been an interesting journey of mine.

 

[thebuffman]

Step up into the baseline,flatten the shot out go down the line on the forehand side or backhand side if its really weak you can run around your backhand....

i prefer using a eastern grip and hitting the ball down the line,one time i broke a dude 0-40 hitting a forehand down the line on a weak second serve 4 times in a row....he was pissed to say the least

ROFL! man i would pay money to see something like that. that is some funny stuff. i wish i could pull something like that off.

 

[LetsGoRoddick]

geez, 3.5's not even approaching 80 on their serves? I guess this means I'm a freaking awesome 3.0. Nice solid flat serve. I admit I have no 2nd serve though.

As for attacking these serves with nothing at all, it's pretty easy. Just stand in between the baseline and service line. Run around on your forehand when on the backhand side(if it's your better shot)! You don't need to do too much with these. Put some decent pace which you are comfortable with on it, and well as some placement(cross court or dtl).

I'm a 3.0 and have little trouble with these. I do lack consistency obviously, but most of time it's a shot which immediately gives me the edge in a point.

 

[thebuffman]

geez, 3.5's not even approaching 80 on their serves? I guess this means I'm a freaking awesome 3.0. Nice solid flat serve. I admit I have no 2nd serve though.

As for attacking these serves with nothing at all, it's pretty easy. Just stand in between the baseline and service line. Run around on your forehand when on the backhand side(if it's your better shot)! You don't need to do too much with these. Put some decent pace which you are comfortable with on it, and well as some placement(cross court or dtl).

I'm a 3.0 and have little trouble with these. I do lack consistency obviously, but most of time it's a shot which immediately gives me the edge in a point.

yeah it sounds like the key to not only this but in tennis overall is to be aggressive. passiveness really serves no benefit. from this point forward i am going to make it my business to increase my aggressiveness every point. don't get me wrong, i am not saying that i am going to go insane hitting out with 100% of my power. i am saying that i will concentrate on playing the "contact point" instead of letting the ball play me. even on defense i will make it a point to attempt to control placement instead of just hitting and hoping. it is really time for me to go to the next level. i refuse to remain 3.5 all of my tennis career. and i realize the difference between a 4.0 and 3.5, aside from consistency, is also mentality. time to dedicate myself to a new mentality of tennis.

oh and yes there are tons of 3.5 players with servers no where near 80mph. but don't fool yourself my friend, 80mph is not slow! i discovered a lot when i invested in a radar device. when i first started tracing my serve, my avg speed was 84mph and i had one of the biggest serves amongst the group of recreational players that i play with. most 3.5 level players i've played with are better at staying in the point by being pushers and they have perfected the art. so even though they have weak serves, they have adapted to a weak service game and will lob you and chop you and poke-ball you to death. i've played with some cats that hit with some unorthodoxed styles and will hit down the line and short angled cross court winners on you all day. scary stuff. so a big serve is definitely an advantage but it certainly is not everything.

 

[FLA10s]

ROFL! man i would pay money to see something like that. that is some funny stuff. i wish i could pull something like that off.

I couldnt replicate that in a millions year if i tried just pure luck, still funny though.

I wanted to laugh out loud myself after the 4th one but that would be rude so i just turned away from him and smiled.

 

[Falloutjr]

there is a lot of information out there about this but i want to table it again. at the 3.5 level, there are not a lot of players with an 80mph serve. many of them "just get it in". i've seen a lot of players, ESPECIALLY PUSHERS, whose first and second serve both have literally NOTHING on it. and i am talking where you could literally stand inbetween the service & baseline to receive it. the serves have no slice, kick or pace but they never double fault.

how do you use this to your advantage? typically i sit back and just work on hitting a nice consistent shot with placement but now i am thinking that this reply is not good enough. i would go for an all out winner but i am afraid to risk it as low pace balls can be easy to commit errors on. what stroke should i use to attack this ball?? is it best to change my grip from a semi-western to a full western (like i see the pros do when attacking a short ball) and then hit it with a windshield wiper stroke? should i change to continental and chip and charge?? do i just try dropping the shot at a short angle to the backhand??

the deal is that i want to play a high percentage aggressive shot with low risk. any help is appreciated. in my estimation it makes no sense to allow these type of players with very consistent rally capability even get started into the point if i don't have to. i want to begin to pressure their service game but honestly i don't know what strategy to use. please offer advice.

I like to play high percentage from the baseline so what do I do on weak second serves? HARD slice. Most players I hit with hit roughly 80-90 MPH kickers to the backhand on second serves, I simply swing straight down on them and let my opponent hit up on the ball. This is a MUCH higher percentage shot that fully swinging at the ball and if your slice is good enough, your opponent can't swing at it like they'd like to. Thus, you get a squishy ball. I really don't take a chance at all, yet by the third hit, I'm on offense. I think this and chip-and-charging are underrated ways to attack weak serves.

 

[new_tennis_player]

Against the intermediate and advanced beginners I hit with, there are relatively few exceptional athletes. Getting them to run hard is unpleasant for them.

The challenge for me is, when I try to explicitly "attack" the weak server, I get amped up and often wind up making a mistake by hitting too hard out, or into the net, trying for too much topspin.

At 3 to 3.5, it's sufficient to hit for location, rather than to "attack" with overwhelming pace, which will more often than not, lead to errors.

 

[athiker]

last i recorded my max was 94mph. this was a few months ago. i haven't had the guts to pull it out again because of fear that it has not improved. i just don't think i could bear it. :neutral: thanks for taking notice though my man. this has certainly been an interesting journey of mine.

Nice...94 is nothing to sneeze at and a 10 mph service speed increase is significant. The radar was probably worth the investment. I think a lot of rec players would be shocked if they ever took a radar to their serve.

Like I said in the old thread, they pulled one out here, I had a dinner bet riding on a sub-100 mph result, and the consensus was the radar gun was off. :lol: I haven't seen that radar in months now, but the one guy did pick up the tab after a league night one evening, not necessarily specifically bet related he's just a good guy, so it was all good.

Let us know when you break the "sound barrier"...the big triple digits. Like I said though...its not ALL about the speed...but no doubt speed is fun to pull out once in a while.

 

[Jaewonnie]

another fun thing to do is blasting ur return in doubles. Oh boy, ppl will be hiding under the nets.

When I return in doubles and someguy serves a patty cake to me, I blast the return to the guy at net :lol:
Not like at their body (I have enough manners ) but right between their feet. He won't be able to do anything. Thats why when I play doubles, everyone hits at baseline....

Also, when your serving and the returner cant handle ur serve (ur 94 mph should be hard to handle) and lobs the return, just smash at the net guy again between his legs :lol:

Lol I sound like a mean player

 

[thebuffman]

Like I said in the old thread, they pulled one out here, I had a dinner bet riding on a sup-100 mph result, and the consensus was the radar gun was off. :lol:

i will never forget that posting. i laughed long and hard after reading that.

Let us know when you break the "sound barrier"...the big triple digits. Like I said though...its not ALL about the speed...but no doubt speed is fun to pull out once in a while.

yeah, folks like to say it aint about the speed but i tell you what man i have found that to be a dead cliche. bro, speed kills. for instance last night i served a dtl ace 15-love. next was a flat body shot that floated back over my head; 30-love. and now my opponent was primed and ready for the next attack. so back in the deuce court he has backed up 6 feet from the baseline and is standing closer to the middle of the court for the dtl shot. i can tell now that i am in his head. i unload as fast as i can on a slice and nail it to the corner. he barely touches it with the edge of his racquet as it flies into the adjacent court, "HELP PLEASE....thank you".

man i love having that weapon in my arsenal. once that flat bomb is grooving it opens up so much more opportunity. definitely have to mix it up because there are times when i have hit flat the entire match and i notice how the opponents brain will adapt. later in the match they will fall in rhythm with the serve and start getting more back. mixing it up keeps them completely out of sync.

last night was an incredible night as one of our sets went to tie breaker and he won 7-6 as my serve fell apart (double faulted twice in the tie break). but up until the tie breaker no one had been broken. this was the first i had ever experienced something like this; a true service battle. that was TOO much fun!

 

[thebuffman]

another fun thing to do is blasting ur return in doubles. Oh boy, ppl will be hiding under the nets.

When I return in doubles and someguy serves a patty cake to me, I blast the return to the guy at net :lol:
Not like at their body (I have enough manners ) but right between their feet. He won't be able to do anything. Thats why when I play doubles, everyone hits at baseline....

Also, when your serving and the returner cant handle ur serve (ur 94 mph should be hard to handle) and lobs the return, just smash at the net guy again between his legs :lol:

Lol I sound like a mean player

not mean at all. i sit in amazement at the net guy who is playing all the way up when he knows his partner has a soft serve. at most he should have his toes on the service line. so i go right at these guys and i don't mean their feet, "get off the net!" one practice i was teamed up with my league captain (65yr old dude) with a soft serve that he is proud of because "i never double fault". he kept yelling for me to move up in the service box when he was serving, "don't surrender the net" is what he kept yacking. and everytime he served, that ball was smacked right back at me at blazing speed. after getting assaulted twice i stood at the baseline and the old dude wouldn't even serve until i moved up into the service box as if he didn't just witness the raping that took place on the last two serves, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! don't ever surrender the net!" the only reason i got back up to the service line was because he is my elder. i was hot though!

 

[Chanto]

the deal is that i want to play a high percentage aggressive shot with low risk.

Yeah.... That's everything right there, if you want to hit a power winner there's going to be some sort risk involved, no matter what level you play at.