Miss kick serve long when nervous

EddieBrock

Hall of Fame
I used to have a horrible problem with nerves and my serve would go completely haywire when I was nervous. Now when I'm nervous and hitting a kick serve that I miss I noticed it always go long. I'm not missing it by a mile or anything, but when I was down set point at 5-6 I double faulted long, and then at important points in a couple doubles matches. All of these misses were just inches out.

What can I do going forward to get my kick serve to work when I'm nervous?
 

2nd Serve Ace

Hall of Fame
Establish a serving routine and stick with it. For example, I always bounce the ball three times on first serve and four times on second serve. Also helps to exhale right before starting the toss, breath in during the crouch and exhale again right before hitting the ball.

It also can't hurt to make sure your OG isn't slipping!

Sent from my SM-T310 using Tapatalk
 

SinjinCooper

Hall of Fame
Miss Kick Serve...

samantha-stosur-6v.jpg
 

mikeler

Moderator
The toss is everything. For me, I have to slow my serve routine down to get the ball above me at the right spot. If it's in the right spot, you probably won't pull your head down like @Topspin Shot mentioned because you'll know you are going to hit a quality serve and most likely you won't be anticipating an aggressive reply from your opponent. Good luck!
 

Chas Tennis

G.O.A.T.
The Alexander Technique was developed when a 19th Century actor was having trouble with his performances. His voice would not work physically because he knew that soon he was going on stage and had to speak. The first time I learned about the Alexander Technique, one fix was described. Instead of saying to himself that he had to go on stage and speak, then starting a process that left him with vocal problems, instead he told himself, 'I don't have to go on stage, I don't have to speak' and that stopped the escalation of his vocal problems.

If you tell yourself that you have to hold serve or that you need to win the next point that may start a physical process that affects your serve. Tell yourself 'I don't need to hold serve', 'I don't have to win the next point'... for whatever issue came to your mind. This can also be helpful in doubles when your partner starts saying what 'we gotta do', "We just have to hold serve and we win." I've replied that 'No we don't need to hold serve. " etc. It takes the tension down quite a bit. Often I get a laugh out of my partner when what I said is nonsense, as it often is.

The next time you have a 'must do' thought and feel tension, simply tell yourself that you 'don't have to do' whatever it is.
 
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xFullCourtTenniSx

Hall of Fame
Play aggressive on the second serve. It gives you a goal, which focuses your mind on something productive and specific. If you still miss, at least you missed going for a good serve, and likely will end up producing better serves on average. Swing aggressively (but relaxed), and have an aggressive goal in mind. Don't think about the serve, think about what you want to do with the serve.
 

MajesticMoose

Hall of Fame
Don't hold back on a kick serve even when you're nervous. You really need to go for that shot and stay aggressive with it. Once you tighten up on the kick, it'll give you hell. You have to be able to trust it.
 
D

Deleted member 23235

Guest
I used to have a horrible problem with nerves and my serve would go completely haywire when I was nervous. Now when I'm nervous and hitting a kick serve that I miss I noticed it always go long. I'm not missing it by a mile or anything, but when I was down set point at 5-6 I double faulted long, and then at important points in a couple doubles matches. All of these misses were just inches out.

What can I do going forward to get my kick serve to work when I'm nervous?
top things that go wrong when i miss my kicker under pressure:
* toss is lower than normal
* drop my head
* don't accelerate fast enough and don't bend my knees and exploded into the contact
nowadays i still df, but to combat, i tell myself, if i'm gonna double, i might as well double spectacularly going after it
 

J011yroger

Talk Tennis Guru
The Alexander Technique was developed when a 19th Century actor was having trouble with his performances. His voice would not work physically because he knew that soon he was going on stage and had to speak. The first time I learned about the Alexander Technique, one fix was described. Instead of saying to himself that he had to go on stage and speak, then starting a process that left him with vocal problems, instead he told himself, 'I don't have to go on stage, I don't have to speak' and that stopped the escalation of his vocal problems.

If you tell yourself that you have to hold serve or that you need to win the next point that may start a physical process that affects your serve. Tell yourself 'I don't need to hold serve', 'I don't have to win the next point'... for whatever issue came to your mind. This can also be helpful in doubles when your partner starts saying what 'we gotta do', "We just have to hold serve and we win." I've replied that 'No we don't need to hold serve. " etc. It takes the tension down quite a bit. Often I get a laugh out of my partner when what I said is nonsense, as it often is.

The next time you have a 'must do' thought and feel tension, simply tell yourself that you 'don't have to do' whatever it is.

Every time a doubles partner tells me to just get my first serve in or just get the return in play I want to say would you just shut the F up.

J
 
D

Deleted member 23235

Guest
Every time a doubles partner tells me to just get my first serve in or just get the return in play I want to say would you just shut the F up.

J
when i have (ie. weaker) partners that are missing, the things i usually tell them:
* keep going after it, and keep swinging, eventually you'll find your groove
* still going after it, but more spinny
* miss long if partner is hitting into net, or aim in the center, let opponents hit it, and i'll step back
I always find, it's the weaker players (ie mixed partner) that gives me the advice, "just get it in..."... which works in women's league, but not against a 4.5 or 5.0 guy that's gonna tag my partner if "just get it in".
 

J011yroger

Talk Tennis Guru
To try to help the OP, this is a common issue for me, I usually shake my arm out, take a few deep breaths, squeeze my grip as hard as I can then loosen it up until I'm barely holding it, and tell myself to stay sideways and watch my racquet hit the ball.

It's when I try to hit a monster kick serve and get anxious and pull my head down or tighten up and catch a little more of the ball than I intended that you get the Jolly Special™ 115mph 2nd serve or of course the more likely double fault.

J
 

Nellie

Hall of Fame
When I am hitting the kicker long, I am usually too stiff and end up just arming the swing. If I am missing, I think about bending my knees more to get lower during the toss. I think this knee bend also forces me to delay the swing and let the ball drop more so I can better swing up and through the ball
 

EddieBrock

Hall of Fame
To try to help the OP, this is a common issue for me, I usually shake my arm out, take a few deep breaths, squeeze my grip as hard as I can then loosen it up until I'm barely holding it, and tell myself to stay sideways and watch my racquet hit the ball.

It's when I try to hit a monster kick serve and get anxious and pull my head down or tighten up and catch a little more of the ball than I intended that you get the Jolly Special™ 115mph 2nd serve or of course the more likely double fault.

J

I think being tight is a key reason I'm missing long. I'm also thinking maybe I'm trying to almost push the ball in by not trusting the spin and almost hitting it like between a flat and kick. The other day I was hitting with someone for the 1st time and was very nervous and was getting great pace on my 1st serve, but darn if I wasn't hitting my 2nd serves a foot or so long. We hit mainly from the baseline and tried to keep playing almost continuously (no rest). When I was breathing hard and exhausted he told me to try again and I didn't miss a 2nd serve.

He said he could see I was tightening up and when I was too tired to tense up my serve actually works better. I think loosening up the grip and my whole body should help. I'll try that tomorrow.
 

zaph

Professional
I do this and the reason is pretty simple. When I get tight I slow the racket down and don't complete the follow through. It is one of those counter intuitive things about tennis. Part of you thinks slower swing means more safety. With a topspin shot you get the reverse, slow racket head, means less spin and it goes long.

The same is true of the spin serve, in theory the harder you hit it, the safer it is. If you get tight and your action slows, you lose the spin and it goes long. Fixing it however is easier said than done. You need to relax more in matches, which I alas struggle with.
 
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