Did this simple tennis serving drill today.

[TimeToPlaySets]

I tried to simulate match play so I'd serve like it was a game.
If 1st serve went in, I'd serve to ad court.
If I faulted, I'd do my 2nd serve.
Kept switching serve sides with a serve.

After full hopper of ball, I collected all the balls on my side of net (hit the net)
I made a HUGE point of taking those balls and serving them as 2nd serves OVER the net.
I did not want to collect again on my side, so I didn't care if they went long.
I went 15/15 and got all the 2nd serves over. This was nice.
I am starting to realize the extreme upwards mindset on the 2nd serve.

My 2nd serves don't really "loop" high and drop in.
They more whiz low. Then have topspin, but I'm just not generating a ton of it.
My launch angle seems low. I had one coach show me his 2nd serve, and it seems like it was almost as high as a low lob!

 

[Topspin Shot]

I like playing sets by myself where if the first or second serve goes in I win the point, but if I double fault I lose the game.

 

[S&V-not_dead_yet]

I like playing sets by myself where if the first or second serve goes in I win the point, but if I double fault I lose the game.

Unfortunately, this could lead to being overly conservative.

In my case, I don't DF that often which means I could be hitting more aggressive first and 2nd serves. I'm trying to balance this better [it sounds wrong to say I'm trying to DF more].

 

[Topspin Shot]

Unfortunately, this could lead to being overly conservative.

In my case, I don't DF that often which means I could be hitting more aggressive first and 2nd serves. I'm trying to balance this better [it sounds wrong to say I'm trying to DF more].

If the rule was that double faulting would cost you the set, I'd agree. But if you can't go four points without double faulting more often than not, you have a double faulting problem.

 

[RetroSpin]

My launch angle seems low. I had one coach show me his 2nd serve, and it seems like it was almost as high as a low lob!

If you hit it that high, a good player will run around and crush a FH. You want high net clearance but not a rainbow trajectory.

Sometimes coaches will emphasize high clearance to ingrain the proper "up" feel. Easier to take loft off than add it.

 

[TimeToPlaySets]

I am happy with the second serve I was doing today. Just need to hit with that same confidence during play. I was taking a full swing at it. I notice I remove my legs entirely for the second, and today I was keeping the leg bend and focusing on upwards brushing

 

[Deleted member 23235]

I like playing sets by myself where if the first or second serve goes in I win the point, but if I double fault I lose the game.

+1
when i do this drill, i add "run to the other side" then serve to the next ad/deuce side...
i'm trying to simulate "playing a point" before serving again...
(kinda like school yard foul shots in basketball - where you roll the ball to one side of the foul line to make the guy move 2 steps, and have to reset his "comfortable" position again)

 

[Dartagnan64]

If you hit it that high, a good player will run around and crush a FH. You want high net clearance but not a rainbow trajectory.

Sometimes coaches will emphasize high clearance to ingrain the proper "up" feel. Easier to take loft off than add it.

If you are good enough to play good players, you likely are good enough to hit better serves.

I hit a pretty loopy topspin second serve and it causes a lot of trouble for 3.5's. Very few can run around it and crush it. It's moving right to left, then bounces up or slightly to the right and is typically traveling with a lot of vertical motion. I've had quite a few guys try to "crush" it and frame it badly. It doesn't give 4.0's much trouble and certainly would be easily handled by 4.5's. But none of my game would give 4.5's much trouble so why worry about the second serve getting crushed.

Learn to hit the loopy topspin second serve. Then add more pace as you get better. If you get better. Some people are destined to be 3.5 for life.

 

[Deleted member 23235]

Some people are destined to be 3.5 for life.

completely disagree!! presuming you want to get better, and put the time in,... i think everyone can get to 4.0 minimum!!

 

[Dartagnan64]

completely disagree!! presuming you want to get better, and put the time in,... i think everyone can get to 4.0 minimum!!

I think most people with effort and starting young enough could get to 4.0. But there are lots of people with less time available to put in the effort. There are lots of people with chronic physical conditions that are limited (bad eyesight, back problems, shoulder, elbow, wrist conditions). There are lots of athletically un-gifted people (although rarely do they even play sports).

My father played tennis every day from age 50 on and managed to barely get to 4.0 for one season of USTA. He retired young and had lots of time. Many others work daily, have kids and other activities. 3.5 is usually the landing point for many people like that. It's not that they can't get to 4.0, its' that they don't have enough reason to try.

 

[S&V-not_dead_yet]

completely disagree!! presuming you want to get better, and put the time in,... i think everyone can get to 4.0 minimum!!

I think everyone can improve. I don't necessarily think everyone can get to 4.0. For someone who wants to improve, the former is more important than the latter. For someone who attaches importance to ratings, not so.

 

[LeeD]

All different serving drills are beneficial.
The one seen most often is a player hitting first serves repeatedly, to hopefully reinforce and perfect the motion.
Less seen is 2nd serve practice, as it's a slower, more spinny ball that doesn't attract attention like a flat first serve.
REPETITION is needed, so hitting different serves repeatedly doesn't give repetition. You have to hit the same serve at least 3 times, maybe 5, to groove that particular motion to that particular location at that particular pace with that particular toss and toss location.

 

[Bender]

Unfortunately, this could lead to being overly conservative.

In my case, I don't DF that often which means I could be hitting more aggressive first and 2nd serves. I'm trying to balance this better [it sounds wrong to say I'm trying to DF more].

Hah, I'm a better DFer than you. That makes me a better player.

Joking aside, as a chronic double faulter, I can say from experience that it's better to have a safe 2nd serve that isn't easily attackable than to have a 2nd serve that is always aggressive but prone to UEs.

That said, hitting second serve winners or even aces is addictive.

 

[Raul_SJ]

+1
when i do this drill, i add "run to the other side" then serve to the next ad/deuce side...
i'm trying to simulate "playing a point" before serving again...
(kinda like school yard foul shots in basketball - where you roll the ball to one side of the foul line to make the guy move 2 steps, and have to reset his "comfortable" position again)

Good drill... I also heard somewhere that players are more likely to get the serve in with an empty court. But if someone simply stands on the other side (not even returning), the serve percentage goes down. So ideally, that aspect could also be simulated, if possible

 

[TimeToPlaySets]

I want to add in running towards the net. This may even alter my jump to go more into the court, if I know I need to move forward