Hitting the big flat serve

[GotGame?]

Hi,

I'm in need of that big flat serve to go for. Being at 4.5 level, my groundies are near perfect, and I am nicely making my transition to an all-courter by incorporating a bh slice and volley game into my arsenal. I'm thinking that the big flat serve could help me transition to the net.

I use a pinpoint stance. I have a nice kick serve. I can kick out wide consistently and effectively. So I guess I have the topspin serve also. I really don't put much emphasis onto my slice serve, but it's there. What should I do on the first serve, since that is when I'm figuring to hit the big flat one? What should I keep in mind?

 

[donnyz89]

u dont necesarily need a huge flat serve. 4.5 can get away with just using good spin. for first serve, since u like to come in the net, try to hit that huge topspin kick deep to the corners. and mix up the spin to keep you on the offensive when serving which will give you the edge when coming to the net.

 

[fist pump]

the big flat serve will come back faster and you wont be able to prepare well or be effective at the net if your opponent is a good returner.

look at the s and v plyers - they have more of a kick serve ( except for dent who hits a lot of flat serves)

 

[donnyz89]

the big flat serve will come back faster and you wont be able to prepare well or be effective at the net if your opponent is a good returner.

look at the s and v plyers - they have more of a kick serve ( except for dent who hits a lot of flat serves)

not necesarily, u dont have to put away the volley at the net right away, u can get a weak return off the big flat serve then send the volley deep then go for the winner.

 

[Kirisaki]

a spin serve (or some spin) is much more effective than a flat serve.

the flat serve returns will come back very fast like fist pump said. all the pace is carried over, they can block it and it will jet back over the net.

youre not going to get a weak return every serve. and on the flat ones, you will be caught in no man's land (between service and base line) and already have to play a defensive volley.

 

[theace21]

True flat serves have very reduce margain for error = more 2nd serves. Use a flat serve occassionally to keep your opponent off balance, keep them from creeping in - but stay with a solid serve that you can high percentage of the time...A solid serve with a little topspin is really the way to go...

 

[golden chicken]

for a flatter serve, toss more in front of you so that you pronate through the ball instead of brushing up behind it. with your pinpoint stance, you should try to toss so that the ball would land around 3 feet into the court, if not more

also, a good hard flat serve at the body CAN be a good shot to get you on the offensive, but be careful of hitting into your opponent's wheelhouse

i played someone once who used to play baseball. he used to absolutely hammer my kick serves, but he had more trouble with slice and flat. i asked him about it and he said it's because kick serves look like hanging curveballs to him.

i've found that variety rather than pace makes a s.v. player effective. you can't hit the same serve twice in a row, and you can't always hit flat firsts and kick seconds.

 

[x Southpaw x]

Hi,

I'm in need of that big flat serve to go for. Being at 4.5 level, my groundies are near perfect, and I am nicely making my transition to an all-courter by incorporating a bh slice and volley game into my arsenal. I'm thinking that the big flat serve could help me transition to the net.

I use a pinpoint stance. I have a nice kick serve. I can kick out wide consistently and effectively. So I guess I have the topspin serve also. I really don't put much emphasis onto my slice serve, but it's there. What should I do on the first serve, since that is when I'm figuring to hit the big flat one? What should I keep in mind?

Erh. What you need is a big topspin-slice first serve. Equally devastating if not more, and a lot more trustworthy.

 

[Marius_Hancu]

you must make sure you're using enough pronation to have some spin on it. it's much more effective so.

 

[fist pump]

not necesarily, u dont have to put away the volley at the net right away, u can get a weak return off the big flat serve then send the volley deep then go for the winner.

very good analysis , or is it?

if you are blasting a flat serve - it will come back faster , less time to get to the net and prepare for vollies.
did you see the end of the sentence - when playing a good returner

 

[GotGame?]

Thanks for the tips. So, you do think that I should continue to use the kick serve primarily? I figure occasionally I'll fire the big, flat one on the first try, either into the body(which would mean aiming down the middle, right?) or down the T. I haven't really thought about the topspin/slice serve, is it similar to how the kick serve is executed?

 

[Rickson]

Hell no! A kick serve on the first serve is too slow and is easier to return for most people than a juiced up first serve.

 

[fist pump]

Got game ,

you have to mix it up a lot to keep them guessing .
kick serves are very effective for serve and volley but you have mix it up as to :

positions- wide , body , T.
then do flat , topspin /kick , slice or twist.

if you can do these even if it is not too powerful - you can win cheap points as they are always guessing.

remember consitensy on placement and spin comes first - power will come later on .

 

[x Southpaw x]

I haven't really thought about the topspin/slice serve, is it similar to how the kick serve is executed?

Nope. Topspin kick is 6 o'clock to 12, twist kick is 7 to 1, topspin-slice is center to 1.30. If you're returning a topspin slice first serve... it should feel like a big flat serve, except it bounces slightly higher and to the right. Thus returner's contact point is not so predictable. The initial speed is not as much as a flat serve, but the acceleration upon bounce makes up for it.

 

[finchy]

having a huge flat first serve for a s&v game is unwise. since the ball travels very fast to your opponent, you will have less time to transition to net. a nice spin serve (topspin/kicker) will give you the time you need and an unexpected bounce (for your opponent that is) most likely giving you a weak reply.

not only use a kick serve, but a topspin to mix things up as fist pump says. another good, yet under used serve is the slice to the backhand. it looks like its going to the backhand but curves right into the body, jamming your opponent.

 

[glass]

I notice that there's a lot of posts from people who obviously do not have a clue about big flat first serves. If you're bombing teh serves at 100mph+ and placing them well, you should have no problem. The weak reply will be easy picking.

 

[Saxten]

a kicker and a topspin serve are basically the same thing right? Some of the poster's seemed to have used them to mean they are different.

 

[golden chicken]

some people differentiate between a serve that is hit with pure 6-12 "topspin" which bounces in the same direction it was going in the air and topspin with a little slice to it, like 7-1, which causes the ball to "kick" when it hits the court. IMO, 7-1 is easier to hit hard and thus more effective, although as i said before, variety is the real key to serving

 

[Rodzilla]

I think if you can add more velocity to your current serves, it will be enough. A big flat serve that is placed well wouldn't hurt because you know you got a lot of heat backing you up, and unlike some have mentioned I think you would get a weak reply back unless it's Andre Agassi on the other side. The key to transition to the net off the serve is that you keep the variety going and keep your opponent on his heels guessing.

 

[fist pump]

I notice that there's a lot of posts from people who obviously do not have a clue about big flat first serves. If you're bombing teh serves at 100mph+ and placing them well, you should have no problem. The weak reply will be easy picking.

if you are say a 4.0 or higher playing a 3.0 maybe but as your level of play gets higher - not that easy my friend.

 

[Tim Tennis]

i played someone once who used to play baseball. he used to absolutely hammer my kick serves, but he had more trouble with slice and flat. i asked him about it and he said it's because kick serves look like hanging curveballs to him.

Interesting, I have a very good serve and lots of variety. There are two guys in our group who played a lot of baseball. These two guys seem to be able to return what ever I throw at them. In fact it seems like the harder I hit it the better they return. It has to be their baseball training.

On the other hand a good kick serve wide is a great shot to come in behind on the 4.0 and 4.5 level. It takes your opponet completely off the court and if he can't execute a great passing shot the point should be yours. As you progress to higher levels the quality of your kick serves has got to go up also. Look at Patrick Rafter (I loved that guy, what an athlete and a great sport.), he made a living off of his kick serve.

Got game, My advice is, if you can develope a great flat serve, hell enjoy the aces, save some energy, and just eat up the weak returns and then go to the net.

You got to love the game. Do your best and have fun.

http://www.tennisgeometrics.com

 

[donnyz89]

really depends on who you are playing and your level of play...

if the other guy is picking your kickers apart, then get away from it. yes, flat serves will be there faster, but thats y you practice hitting your first vollies from the service line, thats how i'm trained. every serve and vollier needs an good approach volley, if your opponent can return your first serve blast for a winner, good for him, but most time he cant, so hit a good approach volley then move in. you hardly see tim henman or any SVers hitting volley winners on their first volley.

 

[gully]

donnyz's advice is good. at the 4.5 level, everyone is good, but everyone will have a weakness as well, and a smart player will be able to use his serve to exploit that weakness.

I like to begin a match by seeing how well my opponent handles the high kick to the backhand; many players simply struggle with this return. Unless my opponent proves he can hurt me with his returns against the kick, I stick with plan A for 75% of first serves and almost all second serves.

But some 4.5 players can step in and crack these; if so, I'll serve more flat body/middle serves and more wide slices, including a few slower, shorter ones to mix up the pace. Depending on how well this plan B works, and if I find the variety works better than depending on a single serve, I'll adjust the strategy accordingly.

I agree with the posters who caution using the big flat serve for s-v; unless you're astonishingly fast AND quick, the flat serve doesn't afford much time to get to the net.

Last, if your opponent can handle all serves -- flat, slice, kick; wide, middle, body -- at different paces, and hurt you with the returns, he's probably a 5.0.

 

[Marius_Hancu]

"flat" serve: do you apply enough pronation?

with it, it's much more difficult to return, because of the spin involved.