Is using the underhand serve bad etiquette?

[EddieBrock]

I was playing an important match and noticed my opponent was standing over on the ad side expecting my kick serve. At this point I was really nervous and uncomfortable hitting a 2nd serve down the T so I did an underhand serve that dropped short in court and towards the middle line of the court. It was towards the end of the match and was the first time I'd done an underhand serve and it caught him completely off guard so he barely got his racket on the ball and missed it. I won the set shortly after and he said something like "how dare you hit an underhand serve against me. Talk about playing ugly tennis"

What's wrong with an underhand serve? In volleyball people uncomfortable with the overhand serve do it all the time. It's a legal serve and against a player like him who was tall and uncomfortable bending down and was forced to move at an awkward angle it was an effective serve. Based strictly on its effectiveness I'm tempted to use it more, but don't want to get beat up or do something that's a breach of etiquette.

The serve in this video looks like it would be an effective change of pace shot for the 1st serve since I normally like to go down the T with slice.

 

[Curious]

If it is, so is a drop shot.

 

[Curious]

Not underhand but reducing the pace significantly is something I do at times and feel a bit guilty even with that.

 

[Topspin Shot]

No but whining about your opponent using an underhand serve is bad etiquette.

 

[S&V-not_dead_yet]

Translation of opponent: "I can't deal with that shot very well so please stop using it. But since I don't want to admit weakness, I'm going to try and make you feel guilty."

 

[styksnstryngs]

Thank god ttps isn't here.

 

[ByakuFubuki]

"how dare you hit an underhand serve against me. Talk about playing ugly tennis"

Could as well be: "How dare you win against me. Talk about playing ugly tennis". You just do what (within the rules) will give you the highest chances to get the point. Your opponent was just trying to make you feel bad because they're too lazy to adjust to more than one serve (hint: it's not your fault if they choose to return from the back of the court) and too unsportsmanlike to accept a defeat. If it wasn't the underhand serve it would be the drop-shot or the lob or the short angle or anything until you basically get to feed them balls. So is playing with brains bad etiquette?

 

[heninfan99]

insert mackenzie mcdonald vid & chang/lendl

 

[S&V-not_dead_yet]

I was playing an important match and noticed my opponent was standing over on the ad side expecting my kick serve. At this point I was really nervous and uncomfortable hitting a 2nd serve down the T so I did an underhand serve that dropped short in court and towards the middle line of the court. It was towards the end of the match and was the first time I'd done an underhand serve and it caught him completely off guard so he barely got his racket on the ball and missed it. I won the set shortly after and he said something like "how dare you hit an underhand serve against me. Talk about playing ugly tennis"

What's wrong with an underhand serve? In volleyball people uncomfortable with the overhand serve do it all the time. It's a legal serve and against a player like him who was tall and uncomfortable bending down and was forced to move at an awkward angle it was an effective serve. Based strictly on its effectiveness I'm tempted to use it more, but don't want to get beat up or do something that's a breach of etiquette.

The serve in this video looks like it would be an effective change of pace shot for the 1st serve since I normally like to go down the T with slice.

If Chang could serve UH to beat Lendl in the French Open, you can do it to beat Mr. Lazy Service Returner.

 

[Searah]

people have no problem smashing the ball at your body if your at the net. i see no problem with underhand serves. it's as they say "not against the rules"

 

[mr.torrence]

I was playing an important match and noticed my opponent was standing over on the ad side expecting my kick serve. At this point I was really nervous and uncomfortable hitting a 2nd serve down the T so I did an underhand serve that dropped short in court and towards the middle line of the court. It was towards the end of the match and was the first time I'd done an underhand serve and it caught him completely off guard so he barely got his racket on the ball and missed it. I won the set shortly after and he said something like "how dare you hit an underhand serve against me. Talk about playing ugly tennis"

What's wrong with an underhand serve? In volleyball people uncomfortable with the overhand serve do it all the time. It's a legal serve and against a player like him who was tall and uncomfortable bending down and was forced to move at an awkward angle it was an effective serve. Based strictly on its effectiveness I'm tempted to use it more, but don't want to get beat up or do something that's a breach of etiquette.

The serve in this video looks like it would be an effective change of pace shot for the 1st serve since I normally like to go down the T with slice.

That's awesome and funny at the same time...at least you had the balls to do it. I don't know why more players don't take advantage of that, especially if you're opponent is orbiting somewhere miles behind the baseline like Nadal. Get some extra free points that way. F$ck it.

 

[golden chicken]

In my younger days when I cared what people thought of me, I would've likely felt what you're feeling now. Now, I probably would've burst out laughing in his face.

How dare I hit a serve into the box that you can't return. Haha. How dare I, indeed.

 

[rkelley]

Some of the TV commentators were actually talking about under hand serves against Nadal since he stands so far back to receive.

The only thing that would be unsporting with an under handed serve is if you also quick-served, i.e. served before your opponent was set. Other than that it's totally legal.

That said, there are a group of shots and calls that aren't going to make you a lot of friends. Under handed dink serves are one of them. Drop shots, hitting at your opponent, and calling foot faults are others. They're all totally legal and appropriate in a competitive match, but some people will be unhappy.

 

[StringSnapper]

Ive not once seen an underhand serve in all 1.5 years of playing league lol

 

[Deleted member 120290]

Is using the underhand serve bad etiquette?
NO! And there is no rule against men wearing skirts either.

 

[Bobs tennis]

Agreed underhand serve will not win you any friends but I will never never understand why. I honestly believe this is why tennis can't break the white short tennis club image.

 

[zaph]

I have a different view to other posters here. There is kind of an unwritten rule that if you are going to use that serve, you warn people before the match. That has happened to me a few times, people say I might use the underarm serve in a match. No problem.

Otherwise it is a little too close to gamesmanship. You opponent might have thought you were going to catch the ball, because of a bad toss. It is a bit like quick serving to catch your opponent off balance.

To be blunt I wouldn't like to win by resorting to such tactics. So I would warn players you might use it before matches. After all it should work without the surprise factor if it is any good.

Also it is not a very effective tactic. I have played against it a few times and once you read it is coming, it is basically tennis suicide. The returner has a ton of option to get it back. You can hit angled short returns, dropshots or simply blast it past the server. There is a reason people stopped using that serve years ago.

 

[EddieBrock]

That's awesome and funny at the same time...at least you had the balls to do it. I don't know why more players don't take advantage of that, especially if you're opponent is orbiting somewhere miles behind the baseline like Nadal. Get some extra free points that way. F$ck it.

Haha. It just felt like the right move at the time considering where he was standing and the fact I was having problems with my normal serve. Aside from the potential shame it was an effective serve.

 

[S&V-not_dead_yet]

I have a different view to other posters here. There is kind of an unwritten rule that if you are going to use that serve, you warn people before the match. That has happened to me a few times, people say I might use the underarm serve in a match. No problem.

Otherwise it is a little too close to gamesmanship. You opponent might have thought you were going to catch the ball, because of a bad toss. It is a bit like quick serving to catch your opponent off balance.

To be blunt I wouldn't like to win by resorting to such tactics. So I would warn players you might use it before matches. After all it should work without the surprise factor if it is any good.

Also it is not a very effective tactic. I have played against it a few times and once you read it is coming, it is basically tennis suicide. The returner has a ton of option to get it back. You can hit angled short returns, dropshots or simply blast it past the server. There is a reason people stopped using that serve years ago.

Chang didn't warn Lendl.

Neither did McDonald warn Polansky:

You could argue that they served UHd because they were having issues [cramping and a shoulder injury, respectively]. But the OP was having issues also [nervous and uncomfortable] so how is that not just as valid?

Also, there are a lot of people who would try to crush the return and end up making an error. I've done that plenty of times. So it's not a fait accompli that the returner would win every point.

 

[EddieBrock]

I have a different view to other posters here. There is kind of an unwritten rule that if you are going to use that serve, you warn people before the match. That has happened to me a few times, people say I might use the underarm serve in a match. No problem.

Otherwise it is a little too close to gamesmanship. You opponent might have thought you were going to catch the ball, because of a bad toss. It is a bit like quick serving to catch your opponent off balance.

To be blunt I wouldn't like to win by resorting to such tactics. So I would warn players you might use it before matches. After all it should work without the surprise factor if it is any good.

Also it is not a very effective tactic. I have played against it a few times and once you read it is coming, it is basically tennis suicide. The returner has a ton of option to get it back. You can hit angled short returns, dropshots or simply blast it past the server. There is a reason people stopped using that serve years ago.

I've never heard of warning people about what shots you're going to use during a match. There was one match I played where the guy hit a drop shot return off my serve that annoyed the heck out me and got me upset, but I wouldn't expect him to warn me about it first.

Definitely agree you don't want to use a drop serve as your main serve for the reasons you mentioned. In certain cases, like the one I was in where the person stands way over and deep and a short angle would be effective it makes sense strategically. It definitely has to be used sparingly though. It just seems like another arrow to have in your quiver.

 

[Deleted member 120290]

As a gentleman, I always warn my opponents before hitting a drop shot, underhanded serve, 300 yd drives, homerun, etc.

 

[ByakuFubuki]

[...]To be blunt I wouldn't like to win by resorting to such tactics. So I would warn players you might use it before matches. After all it should work without the surprise factor if it is any good.[...]

I know it might be shocking, but there actually ARE tactics which rely on surprise factor.

Chang didn't warn Lendl.

Neither did McDonald warn Polansky:

You could argue that they served UHd because they were having issues [cramping and a shoulder injury, respectively]. But the OP was having issues also [nervous and uncomfortable] so how is that not just as valid?

Also, there are a lot of people who would try to crush the return and end up making an error. I've done that plenty of times. So it's not a fait accompli that the returner would win every point.

Did Ivo warn Tommy?

I really hope so, or I'd lose all the respect I have for the guy. And I hope in 2009 Roger warned Novak he might pull off a tweener pass if a lobbed volley gets past him and looks like a clean winner until the last moment (likewise, I hope Nole warned Roger he may resort to lobbed volleys during a volley exchange).

 

[Deleted member 23235]

Also it is not a very effective tactic. I have played against it a few times and once you read it is coming, it is basically tennis suicide. The returner has a ton of option to get it back. You can hit angled short returns, dropshots or simply blast it past the server. There is a reason people stopped using that serve years ago.

per the vid above, are you better than polansky (who was having trouble breaking mcdonald's UH service games - and is/was in the top 200)?

 

[Deleted member 23235]

I was playing an important match and noticed my opponent was standing over on the ad side expecting my kick serve. At this point I was really nervous and uncomfortable hitting a 2nd serve down the T so I did an underhand serve that dropped short in court and towards the middle line of the court. It was towards the end of the match and was the first time I'd done an underhand serve and it caught him completely off guard so he barely got his racket on the ball and missed it. I won the set shortly after and he said something like "how dare you hit an underhand serve against me. Talk about playing ugly tennis"

What's wrong with an underhand serve? In volleyball people uncomfortable with the overhand serve do it all the time. It's a legal serve and against a player like him who was tall and uncomfortable bending down and was forced to move at an awkward angle it was an effective serve. Based strictly on its effectiveness I'm tempted to use it more, but don't want to get beat up or do something that's a breach of etiquette.

The serve in this video looks like it would be an effective change of pace shot for the 1st serve since I normally like to go down the T with slice.

the only folks that complain about UH serve, and usually old folks that can't run up and/or don't have the anticipation to recognize it coming.
i did it recently in a 4.5 league... and was applauded for doing it, and make it...
i've done it in a social league (think 3.5), and was villified for it, til they realized returning my kicker into the netting of an indoor court (with me standing in the far doubles alley), is far harder to return

 

[Dartagnan64]

Nothing I love more than running up to an underhand serve, hitting a lovely drop shot, and then giving them the finger wag, "Not in my house." Bring it on. The only time those work is if the server quick serves it while you are still straightening your strings.

 

[Wise one]

I was playing an important match and noticed my opponent was standing over on the ad side expecting my kick serve. At this point I was really nervous and uncomfortable hitting a 2nd serve down the T so I did an underhand serve that dropped short in court and towards the middle line of the court. It was towards the end of the match and was the first time I'd done an underhand serve and it caught him completely off guard so he barely got his racket on the ball and missed it. I won the set shortly after and he said something like "how dare you hit an underhand serve against me. Talk about playing ugly tennis"

What's wrong with an underhand serve? In volleyball people uncomfortable with the overhand serve do it all the time. It's a legal serve and against a player like him who was tall and uncomfortable bending down and was forced to move at an awkward angle it was an effective serve. Based strictly on its effectiveness I'm tempted to use it more, but don't want to get beat up or do something that's a breach of etiquette.

The serve in this video looks like it would be an effective change of pace shot for the 1st serve since I normally like to go down the T with slice.

Not at all! In fact, in the early days of lawn tennis, the overhead serve was considered as ill-mannered and ungentlemanly! Back in 2015, recovering from back injuries, I was still unable to serve overhead, so I served under-handed. I won serve at love several times in doubles.

 

[Deleted member 23235]

Nothing I love more than running up to an underhand serve, hitting a lovely drop shot, and then giving them the finger wag, "Not in my house." Bring it on. The only time those work is if the server quick serves it while you are still straightening your strings.

that's BS... are you better than polansky? because he had trouble breaking mcdonald when he was serving an entire set UH... wasn't til the 3rd set, he figured out what to do.

 

[SavvyStringer]

I was playing an important match and noticed my opponent was standing over on the ad side expecting my kick serve. At this point I was really nervous and uncomfortable hitting a 2nd serve down the T so I did an underhand serve that dropped short in court and towards the middle line of the court. It was towards the end of the match and was the first time I'd done an underhand serve and it caught him completely off guard so he barely got his racket on the ball and missed it. I won the set shortly after and he said something like "how dare you hit an underhand serve against me. Talk about playing ugly tennis"

What's wrong with an underhand serve? In volleyball people uncomfortable with the overhand serve do it all the time. It's a legal serve and against a player like him who was tall and uncomfortable bending down and was forced to move at an awkward angle it was an effective serve. Based strictly on its effectiveness I'm tempted to use it more, but don't want to get beat up or do something that's a breach of etiquette.

The serve in this video looks like it would be an effective change of pace shot for the 1st serve since I normally like to go down the T with slice.

No I play an older 4.5 he's probably 60-65 and when his shoulder gets tired he serves underhanded and realistically it's better than his regular serve. It has so much junk and spin on it that you can't attack and it typically pulls you way out of position so he can just place the ball into the open court. Seems like he's just butt hurt by the surprise. Similar to the dinky spin serve you'll see some guys pull out after blasting you up against the fence with flat serves for a handful of service games.

 

[Booger]

What's wrong with an underhand serve?

It's not immoral, but it's definitely lame. Winning by using cheap tricks goes against the spirit of amateur tennis. The primary and only reason we're out there is to have fun and play good points. Even if you win by pushing, junk balling, underhand serving, drop shotting every point, etc. - you're still a goober.

 

[Moonarse]

the only folks that complain about UH serve, and usually old folks that can't run up and/or don't have the anticipation to recognize it coming.
i did it recently in a 4.5 league... and was applauded for doing it, and make it...
i've done it in a social league (think 3.5), and was villified for it, til they realized returning my kicker into the netting of an indoor court (with me standing in the far doubles alley), is far harder to return

I think that the problem is not surprising your opponent with the type of ball you are providing, but serving in a way that the oponent doesn't even know you were serving.

And it's not about beeing off guard from what type of serve you are going to play (kick, flat, slice open or closed), but really beeing unaware you were serving at all.

There is nothing wrong about serving underhand if you look at me and point the ball and I nod, but, instead it is normally performed by those who do with the A-HA! factor.

One moment you are leveling your socks and in the other there is a ball bouncing in my service line? Doesn't seem fair.

 

[speedysteve]

I'd have just replied "where you were standing, you're fair game".

Tennis is about the unpredictable.
He just felt a dick being caught by it.

 

[Dartagnan64]

that's BS... are you better than polansky? because he had trouble breaking mcdonald when he was serving an entire set UH... wasn't til the 3rd set, he figured out what to do.

Nobody I play against has that quality an underhand serve. They are typically bunted dinks that aren't that hard to chase down. So i don't have to be better than Polansky because no one I play against is better than McDonald.

I play in a world where people try the odd dink serve quite frequently, either overhead or underhand. You kind of learn to read them and you know the guys that do them.

 

[Deleted member 23235]

Nobody I play against has that quality an underhand serve. They are typically bunted dinks that aren't that hard to chase down. So i don't have to be better than Polansky because no one I play against is better than McDonald.

I play in a world where people try the odd dink serve quite frequently, either overhead or underhand. You kind of learn to read them and you know the guys that do them.

lol, it's not that hard to hit a "mcdonald quality" UH serve. just about every junior player by 12y knows how to hit that. it's easier to hit a side spinning UH serve that it is to hit an overhand spin serve.
but i agree if you just play against folks that don't know how to hit a proper anything, then yeah, it's easy

 

[Dartagnan64]

lol, it's not that hard to hit a "mcdonald quality" UH serve. just about every junior player by 12y knows how to hit that. it's easier to hit a side spinning UH serve that it is to hit an overhand spin serve.
but i agree if you just play against folks that don't know how to hit a proper anything, then yeah, it's easy

I think everyone I play has only one stroke they can hit properly and everything else is a grab bag of awful technique. Usually either the FH or Serve. A low FH slice is foreign to a lot of people. While it may not be a hard thing to learn with a bit of effort, most of my tennis buddies would get far more out of their practice time working on serviceable backhands and decent second serves. If they chose to practice at all.

 

[zaph]

per the vid above, are you better than polansky (who was having trouble breaking mcdonald's UH service games - and is/was in the top 200)?

I see you use this argument over and over again. There is a massive logic fail in your argument, this may surprise you, but I don't face challenger level players at my club. Unless the standard is exceptional were you play, neither do you.

Will my short dinked returns and hard hit forehands take out someone in the top 500 in the world who uses that serve? Nope. Will they be enough to deal with a club player like yourself? Yep.

You see unlike a challenger level player you do not have world class footwork, ground strokes and short game to back up your underhand serve.

 

[S&V-not_dead_yet]

I see you use this argument over and over again. There is a massive logic fail in your argument, this may surprise you, but I don't face challenger level players at my club. Unless the standard is exceptional were you play, neither do you.

Will my short dinked returns and hard hit forehands take out someone in the top 500 in the world who uses that serve? Nope. Will they be enough to deal with a club player like yourself? Yep.

You see unlike a challenger level player you do not have world class footwork, ground strokes and short game to back up your underhand serve.

I don't see the flaw in @nytennisaddict's logic:

- You claimed the UH serve won't work against you because you have so many options
- NYTA claimed so did Polansky
- NYTA claimed Polansky took some time to figure out how to deal with the UH serve
- NYTA therefore concluded it will also take you time to figure out the UH serve [this isn't an insult to your level of play: if it took Polansky, a very high-level player, time to figure out the return, it's reasonable that it will also take you some effort]

This applies down to the club/rec level also. He wasn't implying he or you faces Polansky-type opponents.

 

[Deleted member 23235]

I see you use this argument over and over again. There is a massive logic fail in your argument, this may surprise you, but I don't face challenger level players at my club. Unless the standard is exceptional were you play, neither do you.

Will my short dinked returns and hard hit forehands take out someone in the top 500 in the world who uses that serve? Nope. Will they be enough to deal with a club player like yourself? Yep.

You see unlike a challenger level player you do not have world class footwork, ground strokes and short game to back up your underhand serve.

ultimately i'm refuting this comment:

Also it is not a very effective tactic. I have played against it a few times and once you read it is coming, it is basically tennis suicide. The returner has a ton of option to get it back. You can hit angled short returns, dropshots or simply blast it past the server. There is a reason people stopped using that serve years ago.

if it's so "easy" to handle, according to you, why do you spend so much effort whining about it being "gamesmanship". just choose one in the "ton" of options you have, and make them pay for it. but likely you've been aced by an UH (probably a few times), and rather than admit you got beat with a legit tactic, you try to discredit the tactic itself, rather than take ownership for losing the point, ie. "although i was ready to return, i made a mistake of only preparing myself for a serve with a longer windup. i'll be ready for the UH serve next time"

(unless you have issues moving forward quickly, like alot of older folks do, which IMO is the real reason folks whine about UH serve, because it's a bit of a "sprint" to the service line, and requires decent foot work and/or anticipation to get into position for a short, low, side bouncing ball... which the whiners don't have, nor want to admit)

 

[Deleted member 23235]

I think that the problem is not surprising your opponent with the type of ball you are providing, but serving in a way that the oponent doesn't even know you were serving.

And it's not about beeing off guard from what type of serve you are going to play (kick, flat, slice open or closed), but really beeing unaware you were serving at all.

There is nothing wrong about serving underhand if you look at me and point the ball and I nod, but, instead it is normally performed by those who do with the A-HA! factor.

One moment you are leveling your socks and in the other there is a ball bouncing in my service line? Doesn't seem fair.

that's the problem of the returner.
i guarantee you don't hold up the ball (indiciating ready to serve), and wait for an ack, on every point. maybe at the start of a game/changeover/etc...
like most folks, you look up, check to see if the returner is in a "ready" position, ie. looking at me, doing their own pre-return routine (hopping, athletic stance, etc...)...

the problem that returners have, is that they use the "longish" windup of an OH serve as part of their pre-return prep.
so yeah, the returner got surprised, but that's the returners fault.
on the flip side,... let's say i was dinking the entire set, and the returner stands at the service line to return, then the server blasts a 120mph body serve... for sure the returner will not be ready to move backwards (even if they do read that it will be an OH serve).
the difference is that a 120mph is a respected "skill", but to some the UH serve is not respected.

 

[zaph]

ultimately i'm refuting this comment:



if it's so "easy" to handle, according to you, why do you spend so much effort whining about it being "gamesmanship". just choose one in the "ton" of options you have, and make them pay for it. but likely you've been aced by an UH (probably a few times), and rather than admit you got beat with a legit tactic, you try to discredit the tactic itself, rather than take ownership for losing the point, ie. "although i was ready to return, i made a mistake of only preparing myself for a serve with a longer windup. i'll be ready for the UH serve next time"

(unless you have issues moving forward quickly, like alot of older folks do, which IMO is the real reason folks whine about UH serve, because it's a bit of a "sprint" to the service line, and requires decent foot work and/or anticipation to get into position for a short, low, side bouncing ball... which the whiners don't have, nor want to admit)

If it is so effective, what wrong with mentioning you're going to use it before the match? It is just politeness, why be a a d**k about using it?

Once you get use to it, it is easy to play against. One the few of advantages of playing low level tennis is you play against every weird and wonderful shot ever encountered.

For a start as a returner I don't have to stay on the baseline and I am allowed to move while you are serving. One of the things I do against people who use this serve is move forward just before they are about to hit. Drop shots are not so effective if your opponent doesn't have to move to get it.

If you want to persist with it, it is your business, I think you would be better off working on a more conventional overhead serve. Even in the match everyone here is mentioning, the player playing underhand eventually lost due to retirement. When someone gets deep into a tournament playing that way, then I will be a convert.

 

[Deleted member 23235]

If it is so effective, what wrong with mentioning you're going to use it before the match? It is just politeness, why be a a d**k about using it?

do you give a inventory list of all the shots you plan to you use in your matches?
* fh shank
* bh shnank
* serve shank
* volley shank
* etc...?

Once you get use to it, it is easy to play against. One the few of advantages of playing low level tennis is you play against every weird and wonderful shot ever encountered.

yup, agreed, you definitely do get used to it... took polansky, a top 200 player, an entire set to get used to it.

For a start as a returner I don't have to stay on the baseline and I am allowed to move while you are serving. One of the things I do against people who use this serve is move forward just before they are about to hit. Drop shots are not so effective if your opponent doesn't have to move to get it.

that's good, every good returner has some forward movement on return.
good returners also don't whine about UH serves.

If you want to persist with it, it is your business, I think you would be better off working on a more conventional overhead serve. Even in the match everyone here is mentioning, the player playing underhand eventually lost due to retirement. When someone gets deep into a tournament playing that way, then I will be a convert.

good job changing the subject. my kids do that when they lose an argument.
i'm refuting your argument that you say it's easy to return, then whine that it's gamesmanship.

 

[SouthernCourts]

Sara Daavetila, the no. 3 player for UNC, has a total mental block around her serve and uses the underhand serve frequently. It's almost never returned for a winner, and she sometimes wins the point. She won the deciding court for UNC against Duke in the ACC title match this past weekend.

 

[zalive]

I think that the problem is not surprising your opponent with the type of ball you are providing, but serving in a way that the oponent doesn't even know you were serving.

And it's not about beeing off guard from what type of serve you are going to play (kick, flat, slice open or closed), but really beeing unaware you were serving at all.

There is nothing wrong about serving underhand if you look at me and point the ball and I nod, but, instead it is normally performed by those who do with the A-HA! factor.

One moment you are leveling your socks and in the other there is a ball bouncing in my service line? Doesn't seem fair.

This is so true, in fact serving any serve (including underhand) when your opponent is not quite ready is bad etiquette. If he was ready, why should it be? After all, you can serve an overhead dropshot serve as well, even if it's probably less effective. Or you can drop shot return. Etc.

that's the problem of the returner.

Not quite. Server can rush with serves counting on his opponent not being fully ready to receive and consequent return errors, which is not quite sportsmanship. Why, returner should then return courtesy by holding his hand up on each receive point until he is ready, just to stop the sucker 'play his game'? It would be plain ugly.

 

[Deleted member 23235]

Not quite. Server can rush with serves counting on his opponent not being fully ready to receive and consequent return errors, which is not quite sportsmanship. Why, returner should then return courtesy by holding his hand up on each receive point until he is ready, just to stop the sucker 'play his game'? It would be plain ugly.

nice job taking my quote out of context.
i'm not talking about fast serving situations (which is poor sportsmanship)... but i see the returner standing there, looking at me, in an athletic stance.... you're ready. then if i additionally take say 3 bounces (part of my normal routine) before hitting an UH serve, and the returner is not ready for it... it's the problem of the returner.

 

[zalive]

nice job taking my quote out of context.
i'm not talking about fast serving situations (which is poor sportsmanship)... but i see the returner standing there, looking at me, in an athletic stance.... you're ready. then if i additionally take say 3 bounces (part of my normal routine) before hitting an UH serve, and the returner is not ready for it... it's the problem of the returner.

Obviously I misunderstood your words, don't worry

 

[nvr2old]

I deleted my initial emotional reaction to the "gamesmanship" and unwritten rule assertion. Suffice to say I disagree wholeheartedly unless there are extenuating circumstances which I assume there were not as they were not mentioned.

 

[EddieBrock]

I deleted my initial emotional reaction to the "gamesmanship" and unwritten rule assertion. Suffice to say I disagree wholeheartedly unless there are extenuating circumstances which I assume there were not as they were not mentioned.

Before I hit the underhand serve I just had a feeling I was going to double fault, which could have potentially cost me the set. I was tight as a drum and unable to toss the ball properly or hit my normal serve due to my nerves. I certainly didn't do a "rush serve". I waited until he was ready, did my normal service routine and then did the drop serve.

 

[Limpinhitter]

I have a different view to other posters here. There is kind of an unwritten rule that if you are going to use that serve, you warn people before the match. That has happened to me a few times, people say I might use the underarm serve in a match. No problem.

Otherwise it is a little too close to gamesmanship. You opponent might have thought you were going to catch the ball, because of a bad toss. It is a bit like quick serving to catch your opponent off balance.

To be blunt I wouldn't like to win by resorting to such tactics. So I would warn players you might use it before matches. After all it should work without the surprise factor if it is any good.

Also it is not a very effective tactic. I have played against it a few times and once you read it is coming, it is basically tennis suicide. The returner has a ton of option to get it back. You can hit angled short returns, dropshots or simply blast it past the server. There is a reason people stopped using that serve years ago.

No! Don't be silly.

 

[Wise one]

It's not immoral, but it's definitely lame. Winning by using cheap tricks goes against the spirit of amateur tennis. The primary and only reason we're out there is to have fun and play good points. Even if you win by pushing, junk balling, underhand serving, drop shotting every point, etc. - you're still a goober.

Hah ha ha....it all counts.