How to serve an entire match

[Chipnkick]

So my season just started, and I'm finding that while a lot of my opponents are having difficulty returning my serve, my form drops off heavily after about 1 set given that it goes back and forth some. I suspect that alot of it has to do with a decent amount of my service games going to duece. My serve speed is about 90 for 1st and 60 for second and my consistency is about 50-60 for 1st and 70-80 for second. I want to be able to keep these kinds of numbers for an entire match and even improve my second serve. I know my consistency can go up with practice and my endurance is pretty good, but I want to know some drills or tips for preventing my form from degrading on the back end of matches. My mental strength is improving but I also need to focus on regulating my breathing during matches better.

 

[1HBH-DownTheLine]

Mental.

you're playing the ball and not your opponent. if you're fit enough then you should be able to keep the same form over the course of best 2 out of 3 provided mental game is there and there is no technical or mechanical flaw.

 

[spaceman_spiff]

If you're not regulating your breathing well, then you're probably suffering from fatigue, and missed serves are a sign of that. Fatigue really sneaks up on you in tennis, unlike some other sports, so it's hard to tell when you're getting tired.

My suggestion would be see if you can get one of your tennis buddies to regularly start playing best of 5 set practice matches with you and focus on your breathing between points.

 

[GuyClinch]

Sounds like you are muscling your serves. If you can make your motion feel like a smooth relaxed throw and still get some zip on your serve you can save energy. I serve better when I get bit tired..like in the second set.

 

[PMChambers]

Are those figures measured or guesses, a first serve averaging 90 mph {145 kmp} at 60% is very good. Your basically serving better than Edberg and Lendl did in the 80s.
Your are serving pretty good if your amateur. Basically your serving in the WTA 1st or ATP 2nd serve speed with decent consistency.

 

[Todd Hicks]

It helps to have a variety of serves so that if you tire out later in the match or you're having trouble getting in one of your serves that day, you'll have more weapons to turn to.

 

[Deleted member 23235]

presuming you have decent technique...

when i start missing serves late in the match, it's because my legs tire and i stop elevating on the serve (not using my legs)... which usually leads to hitting the ball into the net... which then leads to me manipulating the racquet head to get the ball over, which leads to hitting it long.


for me, sometimes tension and anxiety lead to tossing too low as well...

 

[GuyClinch]

when i start missing serves late in the match, it's because my legs tire and i stop elevating on the serve (not using my legs)... which usually leads to hitting the ball into the net... which then leads to me manipulating the racquet head to get the ball over, which leads to hitting it long.

this is when you get lazy and start going to kick or top/slice serves. You don't need much elevation on those. On the flat elevation is so helpful.. Kick serves - well you should be able to hit them in off your knees..

 

[Lance L]

Sounds like you are muscling your serves. If you can make your motion feel like a smooth relaxed throw and still get some zip on your serve you can save energy. I serve better when I get bit tired..like in the second set.

This is my guess as well. I also have this tendency, and work on it regularly.
I can tell I'm doing this when it feels like I'm working really hard to serve. For about a set it works well, but the longer it goes the more the serve drops off.
On the other hand, when I let the technique do the work my serve isn't quite as good at the start, but it doesn't drop off very much over time.

 

[xFullCourtTenniSx]

1) Improve fitness.
2) Learn to set up points with serves and executing 1-2 combos to win quick points to reduce the number of deuces.
3) Improve fitness.
4) Improve second serve.

 

[dlam]

I start off visualizing my racket path while serving to the ad side and more about my toss and visualize spinning the ball on the deuce side
When I get tired it's the deuce side serve that tires me out. So I tend to change the setup on the deuce side and let me front foot drag back a bit so I more platform rhythm style like my ad side I find once I find my natural rhythm it's not tiring any more

 

[bkirk]

I start off visualizing my racket path while serving to the ad side and more about my toss and visualize spinning the ball on the deuce side
When I get tired it's the deuce side serve that tires me out. So I tend to change the setup on the deuce side and let me front foot drag back a bit so I more platform rhythm style like my ad side I find once I find my natural rhythm it's not tiring any more

Visualization and positive mindset helps.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

Take some slow relaxing breaths periodically to keep your mind at ease, alert and focused.

Even tho' you may believe that your endurance or fitness level is very good, you might still be experiencing some mental or physical fatigue. To combat the mental fatigue, perform some ready steps, butt kicks, trunk twists or other physical movement to help keep you alert and driven (yet relaxed).

Some players develop their aerobic stamina but not their anaerobic fitness. Or vice versa. You need BOTH for tennis to minimize physical & mental fatigue. Interval training is required for anaerobic fitness. Sometimes HIIT can help both aerobic & anaerobic fitness.

 

[Bender]

If you're not regulating your breathing well, then you're probably suffering from fatigue, and missed serves are a sign of that. Fatigue really sneaks up on you in tennis, unlike some other sports, so it's hard to tell when you're getting tired.

My suggestion would be see if you can get one of your tennis buddies to regularly start playing best of 5 set practice matches with you and focus on your breathing between points.

That, and bigger servers who rely on their arm / forearm strength too much also tend to not have their serves last whole sets.

 

[Chadillac]

So my season just started, and I'm finding that while a lot of my opponents are having difficulty returning my serve, my form drops off heavily after about 1 set given that it goes back and forth some. I suspect that alot of it has to do with a decent amount of my service games going to duece. My serve speed is about 90 for 1st and 60 for second and my consistency is about 50-60 for 1st and 70-80 for second. I want to be able to keep these kinds of numbers for an entire match and even improve my second serve. I know my consistency can go up with practice and my endurance is pretty good, but I want to know some drills or tips for preventing my form from degrading on the back end of matches. My mental strength is improving but I also need to focus on regulating my breathing during matches better.

A - you need to get in better shape
B - you try to make something better that is already working
C - your letting his service games pressure you

The best practice drill i would recommend is a full service game. 1st and second serves to the duece and add until you hit 8 in a row (gotta make 2nd even if u make first). If you miss, you have to restart. It can get annoying, but lifting weight isnt fun either

 

[atp2015]

Maintain a serve routine and follow it every time, it helps enormously. A routine such as bouncing the ball 5 times and use the time to breath in and out.