I Need Help On My Serve!!!!!!!!

[mjcn121789]

I am very inconsistent with my serve. Whenever my friend and I plays, he usually wins games of my serves b/c I double fault many times. I try to get good pace and velocity with my second serve so it doesnt get smacked back with ease. My second serve is a topspin kick serve. However it goes into the net or goes long many times. To get my second serve in with confidence, I usually float the ball in their service court which is not good. My first serve is a flat serve. It also goes into the net or goes long many times. However the few times I get my first serve in, it has good pace and velocity. I'm trying to get used to serving (first and second serve) with a continental grip. I used to use a eastern forehand grip on my serve. I've tried using a backhand eastern grip on my kick serve but i can't get good contact on the ball. Please give me any tips, advice, or suggestions on what I can do to improve my serve? Also, can you please explain how the wrists plays a role on serving?
Thank You!

 

[ProStaff Legend]

mjcn, try to get a video of u serving

 

[Thomas Bird-Itch]

Are you pronating? I switched grips two years ago, from a FH grip, but just discovered how to pronate. i could hit hard and with spin, but not flat and my arm hurt all the time.

 

[jasoncho92]

What grip are you using?

 

[mjcn121789]

I've just started using the continental grip when I serve...I used to use the eastern forehand grip. Can you explain how the wrist plays a role in serving? What is pronating?

 

[burosky]

Looks like you will be better off taking some lessons from a teaching pro. People here can give you lots of sensible advise but if you don't understand them, it will just confuse you more.

 

[babolatpdtp]

Always use continental for your serves. Some of the tips I can give you are:
*Keep your ball toss CONSISTENT. Make sure you aren't releasing the ball until your arm reaches its peak. This will give you consistency.
*Make sure for your first serve that you are hitting the ball at its very peak (jump into it). This will give more height and more pop and a less of a chance to hit the net (if you waited for it to fall) or sail long (if you hit it on the rise)
*For the second serve, if you are kicking it, throw it slightly behind your head and, unlike with the first serve, hit it while its falling. this will allow you to accelerate up through the ball, creating more spin.
*Until you get a second serve, do your second serve as a first serve for a while. This will allow you to practice your second serve in match like situations as well as give you more confidence in it. Remember, you are only as good as your second serve.

Feel free to private message me for other serve related questions or if I confused you. I have one of the best serves at the academy I work at.

 

[mjcn121789]

I can not get good contact on my kick serve when I am using the continental grip...I don't know why. I make contact with the ball, but all i'm just scraping along the ball which gives it alot of spin but goes right into the net. I being forced to using the eastern forehand grip when I do my kick serve to get more contact on the ball...but there is less spin on the ball which means there is less margin for error....What can I do to fix my problem?