Looking for tips (ideas) ... reg. First serve percentage

[rk_sports]

I've been playing a lot of matches (doubles mostly)...leaving me no time to practice serving

Lately my first serve (flat, slice) percentage is low.. and consequently my mindset is tending towards using 2nd serve (spin, kick) for 1st serve ..and this is becoming a vicious cycle

Any creative ideas how to overcome this issue?... apart from the obvious 'need to practice'

 

[newpball]

I've been playing a lot of matches (doubles mostly)...leaving me no time to practice serving

This is not rocket science: just play less matches and practice more serving.

... apart from the obvious 'need to practice'

The obvious is obvious for a reason.

 

[Dags]

The serve is a repeatable motion, but it's surprising how many people don't actually repeat it.

Make sure you have a routine. Get your feet in the same position each time. Start the racquet and ball in the same position each time. Put your toss in the same place - if it's not, catch it and start again.

You don't say how you're missing, but if you're dumping the ball in the net a lot then the most likely reason is that you've started dropping the tossing arm too soon, so focus on holding it up for longer.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

First, develop a good, solid 2nd (spin) serve that you can get in about 90% of the time. Not a powder puff serve. Once you have a solid 2nd serve, go for a more aggressive version of this that can be used for a 1st serve. For singles, that serve (in addition to a flatter serve) should be a bit better than 50%, perhaps even 60%. For doubles, you want a first serve that you can get in about 2/3, if not 3/4, of the time.

 

[newpball]

First, develop a good, solid 2nd (spin) serve that you can get in about 90% of the time. Not a powder puff serve. Once you have a solid 2nd serve, go for a more aggressive version of this that can be used for a 1st serve. For singles, that serve (in addition to a flatter serve) should be a bit better than 50%, perhaps even 60%. For doubles, you want a first serve that you can get in about 2/3, if not 3/4, of the time.

Nice but that takes practice, the poster does not want that, he or she wants a solution that does not require any work so go figure. :grin:

 

[Lukhas]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNUBeTCyfpc

Nothing wrong with using an aggressive version of your second serve as your first serve. But the real answer is to take a bucket of balls at the end of one of your trainings and empty it, two serves on each side, one first and one second.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

Nice but that takes practice, the poster does not want that, he or she wants a solution that does not require any work so go figure. :grin:

That is not my interpretation of the OP. Did not say he was unwilling to practice. It sounds like he is looking for "creative ways" to hasten or facilitate the process.

 

[newpball]

It sounds like he is looking for "creative ways" to hasten or facilitate the process.

He could try to sleep with a tennis ball signed by Roscoe Tanner under his cushion. :grin:

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

^ That fills the bill for "creative". Perhaps a ball signed by Sampras or Roddick would work as well (since both had very decent serve percentages).

.

 

[boramiNYC]

experiment.

if you have reasonably reliable 2nd serve, try different things in 1st to see what makes your percentage go up. try slowing down, changing serving position a little for your slice, try slightly different stance, less or no jumping etc. the point is you want to know more about your 1st serve. don't get fixated to the idea 1st serve must be hard flat in the corners. see what works best in your matches. it's okay to play matches to learn instead of to win all the time.

 

[newpball]

^ That fills the bill for "creative". Perhaps a ball signed by Sampras or Roddick would work as well (since both had very decent serve percentages).
.

Yes indeed three candidates. That poses a challenge.

How about sleeping with the Tanner ball, wearing a signed Roddick cap, of course reversed, on court and hanging a framed signed dollar bill from Sampras on the wall? :grin:

 

[rk_sports]

That is not my interpretation of the OP. Did not say he was unwilling to practice. It sounds like he is looking for "creative ways" to hasten or facilitate the process.

Thank you

experiment.

if you have reasonably reliable 2nd serve, try different things in 1st to see what makes your percentage go up. try slowing down, changing serving position a little for your slice, try slightly different stance, less or no jumping etc. the point is you want to know more about your 1st serve. don't get fixated to the idea 1st serve must be hard flat in the corners. see what works best in your matches. it's okay to play matches to learn instead of to win all the time.

This is the kind of tips I'm looking for... thanks