How hard should you hit your second serve?

[jkhtennis]

I read some articles say you should hit your second serve even harder than the first serve, but with a lot more spin, but when I do that, my second serve consistency goes down. I can hit with probably 80% to 90% of my power and impart spin to kick my second serve in. I wanna hear expert's opinion on this. Also do you guys change grip on second serve? I use Continental grip on my first serve and strong continental on my second serve.

 

[degreefanlindi]

Second serve

I don't think the speed of your second serve matters, as long as you KNOW you can make it an accurate shot. It's important to get the ball in the service box..whether that means increased speed, more spin, less spin, etc. Whatever works for you...Personally, I slow down my second serve to improve consistency. I focus on just trying to get the ball over the net in the right spot more than anything. First serves allow for more experimentation obviously because you have a second chance to get your serve in again.

 

[USCfan]

I read some articles say you should hit your second serve even harder than the first serve, but with a lot more spin, but when I do that, my second serve consistency goes down. I can hit with probably 80% to 90% of my power and impart spin to kick my second serve in. I wanna hear expert's opinion on this. Also do you guys change grip on second serve? I use Continental grip on my first serve and strong continental on my second serve.

Are you sure it said to hit harder on 2nd serves? I think it may have been referring to swing speed. I think your swing speed should be the same, but you should put more spin on the second delivery, thereby deceasing speed.

 

[jkhtennis]

Are you sure it said to hit harder on 2nd serves? I think it may have been referring to swing speed. I think your swing speed should be the same, but you should put more spin on the second delivery, thereby deceasing speed.

Yes, I refer to the swing speed. The bottom line is to maintain the same swing speed (if not faster) to hit the second serve, but I feel my second serve is more consistent if I use only 80% to 90% my swing speed. I can swing as hard as I can to impart more topspin, but it is not that consistent.

 

[PugArePeopleToo]

If you are losing consistency at your maximum swinging speed, you probably should have someone take a look at your motion. Your second serve should be swung faster or at least at the same speed as your first serve.

 

[dozu]

i dink my 2nd serve and i still consistently beat 4.5 level players..

just get the ball in... the worst thing is to give a gift to your opponent... let him hit a winner if he can.... most players have a tendency to be influenced by opponent's pace. in other words, if he makes 1 error out of 3 attempts trying to kill my dink, get it back another and actually hits a winner out of 3, most likely later in the match he will get tight and timid, especially in pressure situations.

as long as he hits more UE's than winners, I will continue to dink until he proves to me that I need to up the pace on my 2nd.... lets face the fact, at 5.0 and below, the 2nd serve is NOT a weapon, but just a shot to get the point started, so it doesnt really matter as long as you get the point started.

 

[USCfan]

Yardley? Where's that? If it's not too far from Mountain Top (NE PA, near Wilkes-Barre) then I would really like to play you.

 

[Serve-And-Volley]

My first serve is close to 100mph so I hit my second serve from the 70mph-90mph, depending on if I'm kicking, slicing or perfectly placing it for a free point. Its not about how hard you hit your second serve its about the reliablity, thats why its so important to use kick serve on your second serve.

 

[Prince_of_Tennis]

Not harder...More sping like everyone said. Just kick that second serve as high as you can.

 

[Baseline Basher]

My second serve is just above a dink: it's topspin, but there's no pace whatsoever, and I don't spring up at it like I do on my first serve. Few people I play really take advantage of my weak second serve, but at the level I'm at the second serve really is just to get the point rolling. If you're having trouble with consistency, slow it down. Who cares if your second serve is butt-slow if you get it in every time.

 

[equinox]

Today because of the shocking Melbourne weather of rain and strong winds I just softly rolled my first and second serves in with topspin on all points. This percentage tactic worked better than expected with my opposition unable to handle the lack of pace and they over hit every return long.

 

[dozu]

Yardley? Where's that? If it's not too far from Mountain Top (NE PA, near Wilkes-Barre) then I would really like to play you.

it's in bucks co... across the river from trenton NJ... send me email if you come to the neighborhood.... and in the summer I join a red clay club... we can go slide on it a little.

 

[FiveO]

Yes. As jkhtennis said if you're refering to SWING SPEED and not BALL SPEED. The just as fast or faster swing speed on the 2nd is used to generate more spin not pace. Just like a flat fh vs. a topspin fh. The swing speed on a heavy topspin fh will most likely be FASTER than a flat fh but the resulting horizontal ball speed will be slower. As far as the term used to refer to swing speed, I prefer FASTER as opposed to harder. Harder connotes muscling up, to me, something you don't want to do, especially on the serve.

 

[goober]

i dink my 2nd serve and i still consistently beat 4.5 level players..

just get the ball in... the worst thing is to give a gift to your opponent... let him hit a winner if he can.... most players have a tendency to be influenced by opponent's pace. in other words, if he makes 1 error out of 3 attempts trying to kill my dink, get it back another and actually hits a winner out of 3, most likely later in the match he will get tight and timid, especially in pressure situations.

as long as he hits more UE's than winners, I will continue to dink until he proves to me that I need to up the pace on my 2nd.... lets face the fact, at 5.0 and below, the 2nd serve is NOT a weapon, but just a shot to get the point started, so it doesnt really matter as long as you get the point started.

I guess 4.5s are different in different parts of the country. The 4.5s around here would absolutely crush a dink 2nd serve or place it really deep in the corner. I know because I have tried it on them and it doesn't work. It works on most of the 4.0s I play however.

I have met some 4.5s and some 4.0s for that matter that have unbelievably good kick second serves which I would consider a weapon. I guess it all depends who you play.

 

[dozu]

out of the dozen 4.5 level players I regularly play with, only 2 of them can force me to up the pace on my 2nd serve... my dink is not exactly something you see on Sunday morning social double tennis... it's got some spin on it and I can place it quite well.

true... it does depend on who you play... it's all about strategic match up... if someone cannot effectively attact a slow 2nd serve, the slower the better as it makes my 1st serve such a different shot to them.