More pep on the topspin serve

[Rickson]

I'm finally able to get a higher percentage of topspin serves in on my 2nd serves, but they're loopy and don't have a lot of pace. I have decent topspin and definitely enough net clearance, but the balls are going over at a slow speed. The balls can even reach the fence on one bounce sometimes because of the high bouncing serve, but if I could get some pace on the ball, I know it would hit the fence every time and more importantly, be a difficult serve to return for opponents. How can I get a faster, but not higher looping, topspin serve if I'm hitting up on the 2nd serve?

 

[AngeloDS]

For me, the best thing that added the most pop on my serve was to throw my elbow. Throw your elbow and let it lead, and your arm will whip right out in front.

The second thing that allowed me to get better was upper body rotation. Uncoil on the ball, don't be in one position. I stand sideways but end up foreward. http://www.tennisplayer.net/public/...rchive_sample_archive.html?AR1stSAdFront1.mov If you watch, his body goes from 90 to 180 (90 degrees), that is uncoiling and upper body rotation. It allows you to hit the ball much with much more force and speed. https://www.tennisplayer.net/public/biomechanics/BE_Power_Serve_Part1_sample.html Even more so, watch all the clips they all do it.

The third thing that helped me was a consistent toss. Now, I can hit my old fast serve with a slow swinging motion because I can make near-perfect contact. And now I can make sweet contact with the ball, the ball just flies off my racquet.

Out of those, I think the consistent toss and near-perfect contact helps the most. Because it's that, that makes it all happen. My old toss, old loopy swing, trophy position... All that equated to me hitting a ball maybe 60-70 MPH at most. Now I can hit that with a slower swing and hardly any movement and it's because of contact.

 

[GrahamIsSuper]

You need more upward leg thrust, and you also need to take the ball higher. Try tossing the ball more into the court too, to get your momentum going forward. You'll hit it just a bit flatter - aka more speed - and still be able to clear the net a good bit, i bet.

 

[FiveO]

I'm finally able to get a higher percentage of topspin serves in on my 2nd serves, but they're loopy and don't have a lot of pace. I have decent topspin and definitely enough net clearance, but the balls are going over at a slow speed. The balls can even reach the fence on one bounce sometimes because of the high bouncing serve, but if I could get some pace on the ball, I know it would hit the fence every time and more importantly, be a difficult serve to return for opponents. How can I get a faster, but not higher looping, topspin serve if I'm hitting up on the 2nd serve?

I'd guess that your tosses vary alot between you 1st and 2nd serves.
The toss for a flatter 1st serve is 12"-18" in front of the baseline. I'd bet that your second serve toss is very near that baseline if you feel limited to producing max spin and that you are not getting enough forward juice. Try splitting the difference when wishing to combine more pace with more spin than your flat(ter) first serves. Instead of tossing over the baseline or just barely in front of it, move you second serve toss 8" or 9" in front. Less forward than your regular first serves but not so far back that you are limited to swinging straight up. Out in front allows you to attack the ball on the way up but also on the way forward-a better position to create spin AND pace.

 

[Rickson]

For me, the best thing that added the most pop on my serve was to throw my elbow. Throw your elbow and let it lead, and your arm will whip right out in front.

The second thing that allowed me to get better was upper body rotation. Uncoil on the ball, don't be in one position. I stand sideways but end up foreward. http://www.tennisplayer.net/public/...rchive_sample_archive.html?AR1stSAdFront1.mov If you watch, his body goes from 90 to 180 (90 degrees), that is uncoiling and upper body rotation. It allows you to hit the ball much with much more force and speed. https://www.tennisplayer.net/public/biomechanics/BE_Power_Serve_Part1_sample.html Even more so, watch all the clips they all do it.

The third thing that helped me was a consistent toss. Now, I can hit my old fast serve with a slow swinging motion because I can make near-perfect contact. And now I can make sweet contact with the ball, the ball just flies off my racquet.

Out of those, I think the consistent toss and near-perfect contact helps the most. Because it's that, that makes it all happen. My old toss, old loopy swing, trophy position... All that equated to me hitting a ball maybe 60-70 MPH at most. Now I can hit that with a slower swing and hardly any movement and it's because of contact.

My flat serve is actually pretty fast, but my kick serve isn't. I use a different toss and a different trajectory on the 2 serves. I'm looking for tips on how to whip a topspin serve with more pace.

 

[AngeloDS]

Kick serves aren't that fast to begin with. Usually around 50-80 MPH range for most people. But again, it's the same things. You want to throw your elbow, upper body rotation, and toss. The difference is how your racquet interacts with the ball.

You're going over the ball (topspin between 12 & 1 o'clock) so you push up and out at the same time. You're going straight up on the ball and then at the lest second over (kick) (12 o'clock). You need to imagine it, and then keep hitting and you'll figure it out heh.

For me it's a matter of wrist on the serve to make this happen. Flat serve your wrist is straight. Topspin serve my wrist is bent a little past 45 degrees degrees from | to 45. And topspin my wrist bends at the last second to add the foreward momentum. It's all gradual though, it's not like you do it instantly. It's real gradual.

 

[Rickson]

Kick serves aren't that fast to begin with. Usually around 50-80 MPH range for most people.

Someone forgot to tell Roddick!

 

[GrahamIsSuper]

seriously, just move your toss forward into the court but keep it "on top" of your head. It will work, I guarantee it. Just make sure it's still high enough and jump in.

 

[FiveO]

Another way of attacking it is to think of adding more spin to your first serve as opposed to the reverse. It will mean tossing less forward than your flatter first serves.

 

[Rickson]

Good tips from GIS and 50. Thanks, fellas, I'll try those things.

 

[gzhpcu]

In addition to what has been said, I think that what is important is to keep very loose, swing very fast and to think of hitting up and out. If the ball goes out, just swing even faster to get enough spin to pull it down.

 

[mucat]

Rickson, I asked the same question a while ago about twist serve here. After some practice, I found a few ways to increase the power of my serve.

The logic behind topspin serve is the same as other topspin ground strokes, swing low to high, blah blah blah. For ground strokes, we know we can hit loopy topspin shots and faster topspin drive. The loopy topspin serve is the same as a loopy topspin ground strokes, use a more low to high swing, less forward thrust. For a more speedy topspin serve, you need to hit the ball like hitting a topspin drive. Instead of hitting up to the ball, hitting through the ball.

Also, you can try lengthen the swing path by increase the shoulder rotation (use a even more closed stance than you are using now), but there is diminishing return for how much more you can increase.

You can try toss the ball more into the court, but the serve will become flatter.

But there is one thing I still cannot do, I can never ace anyone (except beginners of course) yet with my topspin serve. I do get lots of free points though.

So far, I found driving the serve is the best way. Sometimes if I hit it right, the ball would go downward like a slower flat serve, but it will take a very high bounce afterward, very freaky.

 

[Roforot]

Mucat's post is on the money. I started using spin serves b/c it is easier on my knee; and to my surprise I was holding serve almost as well, even w/ a loopy serve the only one who was able to cream it was a former teaching pro who was also a lefty.

When I'm more confident, I do put the toss forward for a more aggressive action. I'm also working on controlling which way the ball kicks (right or left). I am having more fun now and even when I later recover completely, I still plan to use spin for half of my 1st serves.