I need a good way to warm up my serve

[Cindysphinx]

In league matches, we get a 15 minute warm-up. That means I might get 3-4 minutes to hit warm-up serves, at most. That's going to be a maximum of 12 serves, usually. Forget the idea of warming up pre-match -- we are not allowed to take the courts early, rent warm-up courts, use the fitness equipment, blah blah blah.

What I am wondering is how to handle my warm-up serves to maximum effect. I have tried hitting only second serves, but then I start the match lacking confidence in my first serve. I feel if I start right off blasting first serves then I will miss a lot (eroding confidence) and may even hurt myself. If I have a bad warm-up (missing a lot of serves), it tends to make me nervous for when I do have to serve.

Has anyone figured out a sensible way to warm up?

 

[Larrysümmers]

In league matches, we get a 15 minute warm-up. That means I might get 3-4 minutes to hit warm-up serves, at most. That's going to be a maximum of 12 serves, usually. Forget the idea of warming up pre-match -- we are not allowed to take the courts early, rent warm-up courts, use the fitness equipment, blah blah blah.

What I am wondering is how to handle my warm-up serves to maximum effect. I have tried hitting only second serves, but then I start the match lacking confidence in my first serve. I feel if I start right off blasting first serves then I will miss a lot (eroding confidence) and may even hurt myself. If I have a bad warm-up (missing a lot of serves), it tends to make me nervous for when I do have to serve.

Has anyone figured out a sensible way to warm up?

im on the same boat. in HS when we get to the other school we go right on court and get a 10-15 min warmup.. what ive done is stretch out my arm and shoulders. then take some swings, etc, so by that way when you get on court you are already lose and stretched, you can now do any last minute tuning.

 

[Jonny S&V]

In league matches, we get a 15 minute warm-up. That means I might get 3-4 minutes to hit warm-up serves, at most. That's going to be a maximum of 12 serves, usually. Forget the idea of warming up pre-match -- we are not allowed to take the courts early, rent warm-up courts, use the fitness equipment, blah blah blah.

What I am wondering is how to handle my warm-up serves to maximum effect. I have tried hitting only second serves, but then I start the match lacking confidence in my first serve. I feel if I start right off blasting first serves then I will miss a lot (eroding confidence) and may even hurt myself. If I have a bad warm-up (missing a lot of serves), it tends to make me nervous for when I do have to serve.

Has anyone figured out a sensible way to warm up?

Since the serve is arguably the most important item, and requires the most coordination of large muscle groups and the warming up of said muscle groups, what we do in college matches (I also did this in high school) is rush the warm-ups. You're not out there to get practice, but to warm up. I usually spend a good 1.5-2 min on groundies, 1 min on volleys, 30 sec on overheads, then they get their time, and that leaves us about 7-8 min for serves/returns. You can work your groundstrokes into a match, but serving cold is a very slippery slope. Another strategy is to return first, giving you a game to get the blood pumping.

im on the same boat. in HS when we get to the other school we go right on court and get a 10-15 min warmup.. what ive done is stretch out my arm and shoulders. then take some swings, etc, so by that way when you get on court you are already lose and stretched, you can now do any last minute tuning.

I wouldn't hold stretches before I were serving, but I'd definitely shake it out and do windmills (looks dorky, but they really work in a pinch).

 

[Bagumbawalla]

First, beforehand, you can "warm up" your service by just practicing the motion without even using a racket. Imagine your hand is the racket and practice your different serves (more effective than it might sound).

Then, in the real warm-up you can try hitting at least one of each type of serve to each position on each side- striving more for feel and loosness than absolute accuracy.

 

[shindemac]

I find if I practice my serve a day or two before the match, then I'm pretty much ready to go on match day. My muscle memory is much stronger, and I only need a game to warm up. Do you practice your serve outside of matches?

 

[NLBwell]

I don't work on my serve at all, but work on warming up my arm and body. I'll hit quite a few very soft serves, a few slices, some high ones looped about 15 feet over the net with lots of top, an some in any old fashion to stretch whatever part of my body seems tight. Sometimes I finish the warmup without actually getting a serve in the correct service box.
If I want to practice my serve, that is done at a different time.

 

[ProgressoR]

Cindy I had this problem for ages. It used to take me about 20 serves to get loose, for that reason I hated the matches and 3 serve warm ups. And when I had 10-15 mins of free points play with my coach at the end of a lesson, i would say i didnt want to serve as it would take 10 minutes to loosen up.

I dont have this problem any more. This is what i did.

I realised (its very obvious) that its not the serve motion that i needed to hit 20 times to loosen up but the body itself needs to get loose, so before warming up with serves (whether its 3 pre match or just a hit with friends) i stretch and shake like crazy. It really works. I am almost 40 so my body is stiff and needs to be loosened up. I do the windmills, both arms, then side stretching (dynamic not static) to really stretch the core, and then i hit air serves plenty of times, minimum 10, but sometimes 20, 30, just do the throwing motion, with racket in hand, over and over.

After that I find the 3 serves are just about enough to begin to find my radar. Plus, for the first couple of service games i never hit out on first serves. I do first spinny serves, and crank it up over the two games. In fact all my serves are spinny, i dont bother with flat anymore, just fast spinny serves and slower spinny serves.

I used to be one of the guys that was amazed that my experienced partners needed only 3 serves to warm up, or sometimes none, and i needed 20 or 30. That is partly experience of playing for 10, 20 years. But after my loosening up routine, i can honestly say i have not had this problem ever since.

 

[LeeD]

Shadow swing all strokes, especially service motion.
When I start any match, I serve hard second serves for a couple, until everything settles down.

 

[Djokovicfan4life]

I don't know, after 15 serves I'm pretty much good to go. I guess it's good to be 21.

 

[LuckyR]

There are two parts to serve warmups. The warming up of the shoulder muscles (which groundie warmup does nothing to warmup) then grooving the service motion itself. As others have stated you can do the former with shadow swings, leaving more time for actually grooving the serve with the time left for serve warmups.

 

[LeeD]

All my competitive tennis life, I never believed in fully warming up my serves.
From first swing after hitting 40 groundies, I can serve a competitive second serve for my first, to probe how the returner handles high spinners to the backhand or to the forehand. I can jam him after 4 serves, all fast maybe 85 mph second serves...as my first.
Then, when warmed up fully, I have the real first flat serve in reserve.
No use warming up my best serves to get the opponent ready for my first flats.
I've already practiced my serves, so don't need any more practice.

 

[larry10s]

Cindy I had this problem for ages. It used to take me about 20 serves to get loose, for that reason I hated the matches and 3 serve warm ups. And when I had 10-15 mins of free points play with my coach at the end of a lesson, i would say i didnt want to serve as it would take 10 minutes to loosen up.

I dont have this problem any more. This is what i did.

I realised (its very obvious) that its not the serve motion that i needed to hit 20 times to loosen up but the body itself needs to get loose, so before warming up with serves (whether its 3 pre match or just a hit with friends) i stretch and shake like crazy. It really works. I am almost 40 so my body is stiff and needs to be loosened up. I do the windmills, both arms, then side stretching (dynamic not static) to really stretch the core, and then i hit air serves plenty of times, minimum 10, but sometimes 20, 30, just do the throwing motion, with racket in hand, over and over.

After that I find the 3 serves are just about enough to begin to find my radar. Plus, for the first couple of service games i never hit out on first serves. I do first spinny serves, and crank it up over the two games. In fact all my serves are spinny, i dont bother with flat anymore, just fast spinny serves and slower spinny serves.

I used to be one of the guys that was amazed that my experienced partners needed only 3 serves to warm up, or sometimes none, and i needed 20 or 30. That is partly experience of playing for 10, 20 years. But after my loosening up routine, i can honestly say i have not had this problem ever since.

^^^^ i could not have said it better.(im 57)

 

[LeeD]

Most sets against equal players, I play "these go" after NO serve warmups.
I do need to hit at least 5 groundies after a 2 week layoff, and maybe one or two volleys of any kind.
I"m 61. It's not only 21 year olds that don't need warming up.

 

[olliess]

Plus, for the first couple of service games i never hit out on first serves. I do first spinny serves, and crank it up over the two games. In fact all my serves are spinny, i dont bother with flat anymore, just fast spinny serves and slower spinny serves.

This is huge advice. As you need time for the whole body to get loose and also to find your mark, those "cold" serves are not the time to try blasting flat serves for aces. Most probably you'll be giving your opponent second serves anyway. When you're warmed up and feel confident, and the power on all your strokes is coming easily, then that's when the big serve can start to flow.

 

[athiker]

Windmills (actually more of a figure 8 with my serving arm & racquet) and Thera-bands or tubing to warm up the shoulder and then some shadow swings.

 

[Dreamer]

Yup. The more prepared you are the more confident you will be. The warm up is just there to warm the muscles.

The confidence from a strokes comes from the hard work previous to these competitions. Work on the serve more ^^

 

[baba123]

start off slower and get quicker in the warm up thats what i do

 

[adrian10spro]

In league matches, we get a 15 minute warm-up. That means I might get 3-4 minutes to hit warm-up serves, at most. That's going to be a maximum of 12 serves, usually. Forget the idea of warming up pre-match -- we are not allowed to take the courts early, rent warm-up courts, use the fitness equipment, blah blah blah.

What I am wondering is how to handle my warm-up serves to maximum effect. I have tried hitting only second serves, but then I start the match lacking confidence in my first serve. I feel if I start right off blasting first serves then I will miss a lot (eroding confidence) and may even hurt myself. If I have a bad warm-up (missing a lot of serves), it tends to make me nervous for when I do have to serve.

Has anyone figured out a sensible way to warm up?

When I am warming up my serves, I usually hit second serves to get my muscles going. It looks like you need more confidence in yourself! It might help if you warmed up with seconds serves to keep your confidence high for the actual match. And save the first serves for practice days before the match, that way your first serves will be ready for the big game.

 

[crystal_clear]

One coach here teaches all his students to shadow swing serve motion several times before even tossing a ball.

I think it is a good way to warm up serve.

 

[Cindysphinx]

OK, I'll try the shadow swinging. I'll look a little silly, I guess. I mean, we'll have a lobby full of 12 people all waiting to take the courts, and I'll be the nutter in the corner doing shadow swings!

Still, there's got to be something deeper going on. I mean, I don't worry about warming up any other particular shot -- "Gotta be sure that BH overhead is dialed in!!" -- so why should the serve be any different?

 

[jester911]

Having played baseball in HS I learned then to take practice swings.

For tennis I actually do a figure 8 motion with the racket and try to loosen from the shoulder through the wrist to get things moving.

 

[Jim A]

So much goes into the serve, head to toe

for me though I need at least 6 from each side

there are times I'll bring some extra balls out for the warmup portion of serves to keep the ball chasing to a min

for me its about getting my toss down correctly, indoors not so much of an issue...if I get it high enough and a little forward I'm ok...what is the one key that needs to be in place for you, Cindy?

my first game I'm looking to get my serves deep in the box and hit center of the box in towards the T and slowly expand from there..

 

[LeeD]

For me, all my service practice has already been done, years, months, weeks, days ago. I don't need any service practice to start a match.
I DO need to warm up my shoulders.
Since I don't play tennis right out of bed in the morning, most other parts have been oiled and warm before I get to the courts.
And even in the biggest and most important matches, I don't need to go 100% on my first ball. Most guys don't know me, don't know my tendencies, and I like the idea of being able to add more to the serving equation as I get further warmed up.