Second Serve Troubles

[Donny0627]

Recently I have been in a horrible second serve slump. I am double faulting almost once a service game. I am totally unconfident in the stroke. And it is costing me. I am unable to provide a video right now, but can I just get some general tips on corraling my second serve? I am struggling with depth, either missing in the net or a few inches deep. I have a pretty consistent toss that, giving I dont swing, would land on the baseline directly behind my hat. i just cant seem to get it consistent... any tips?


Thanks in advance

 

[LeeD]

Your toss location allows you to stay just inside the baseline after serving.
PRACTICE hitting that top/slice second serve. Hit 50, at least 49 should go in. Aim forehand and backhand side of center. Aim 3' ABOVE the netcord, and spin it in about 3/4 the speed of your first serve.
Practice more.

 

[user92626]

My second serve is just a version of my first serve, except:

- less powerful
- aim at higher net clearance and hit more on top of ball.
- tips: a smooth and "courageous" swing has a better chance than trying to tap the ball in. Go for the body and toward the BH side is better than giving opponent an easy FH sitting duck.

Hope that helps. But what's wrong with your serve mechanic?

 

[Donny0627]

My second serve is just a version of my first serve, except:

- less powerful
- aim at higher net clearance and hit more on top of ball.
- tips: a smooth and "courageous" swing has a better chance than trying to tap the ball in. Go for the body and toward the BH side is better than giving opponent an easy FH sitting duck.

Hope that helps. But what's wrong with your serve mechanic?

I rally dont think its a mechanical thing as much as it is a swing speed andvmental thing. Once I double fault once, I get frustrated and keep doing it. I a mworking on solving this problem. I also think that I sometimes swing too slow and put too little topspin on the ball...

I have had several teaching pros look at the swing and mechanically they seem to like it. I will try to get a video up in the next couple of days

 

[LeeD]

Second serve is all about confidence.
You have established your swing.
You have figured out how much top/slice.
Now swing your normal speed, not slower, not faster than normal. Aim your normal 3' above the net.
It works, if your head allows it to.

 

[spaceman_spiff]

For the next couple of weeks, use your second serve for every serve; no flat or other serves you would normally use as a first serve.

Basically, you'll end up hitting dozens and dozens of second serves and eventually gain confidence in it. After that, you can move back to hitting normal first serves without worrying about your second serve.

 

[anchorage]

With a consistent ball toss, you really shouldn't be having such problems (unless you're doing a whole lot of other things with your action leading to an inconsistent contact point).

The key to the second serve is spin. Your racket head speed should be at least as fast as it is for the first serve, but you should be impoarting more spin. Of course, when the serve is breaking down, most people slow it down too much or start to just 'push' it over.

When you warm up, try really going after a couple of second serves - big racket head speed going right up the back of the ball - everything drives up. (Your alternative is to develop a slice along similar lines.)

 

[Wilander Fan]

Recently I have been in a horrible second serve slump. I am double faulting almost once a service game. I am totally unconfident in the stroke. And it is costing me. I am unable to provide a video right now, but can I just get some general tips on corraling my second serve? I am struggling with depth, either missing in the net or a few inches deep. I have a pretty consistent toss that, giving I dont swing, would land on the baseline directly behind my hat. i just cant seem to get it consistent... any tips?


Thanks in advance

My 2 cents after going through this and eventually fixing it.

1. 2nd serve is not a slower version of your first serve. Whatever you do on your first serve, your second serve should be high percentage quality serves like a kick or a slice.

2. Confidence is key but you have to spend alot of time practicing the second serve. Most people do not spend much time on the 2nd serve in practice and wonder why its not reliable. Its important because 2nd serves rely on spin and feel so you need to get that feel down.

3. This is going to sound odd but getting my first serve in as a weapon really helps. If you have a good first serve, you hit your second with much less pressure and more confidence.

 

[blakesq]

Unless your first serve is coming in at 90%, i think your second serve needs to be a bit different from your first serve. My first serve is a hard flat ball. My second serve is a spinning ball that I either brush up on or brush up and to the side, the result being a ball that has a much much greater arc, and hence is a much more reliable serve because it clears the net by a lot more than my first serve, and lands well inside the box, and because of the spin, can still give the returner some trouble. However, developing a new second serve will take time to get the consistency down. Good luck!

My second serve is just a version of my first serve, except:

- less powerful
- aim at higher net clearance and hit more on top of ball.
- tips: a smooth and "courageous" swing has a better chance than trying to tap the ball in. Go for the body and toward the BH side is better than giving opponent an easy FH sitting duck.

Hope that helps. But what's wrong with your serve mechanic?

 

[LuckyR]

I rally dont think its a mechanical thing as much as it is a swing speed andvmental thing. Once I double fault once, I get frustrated and keep doing it. I a mworking on solving this problem. I also think that I sometimes swing too slow and put too little topspin on the ball...
I have had several teaching pros look at the swing and mechanically they seem to like it. I will try to get a video up in the next couple of days

You already the know the answer to the question. Hit your second serve with as much (or more) racquethead speed as the first. What makes it a second serve is that you are putting a higher percentage of the racquet speed into spin. When you DF, you think "oh no" and you take off your racquet speed to try to increase your percentage, when in fact, you are making the serve more difficult to control (since there is less spin). That's why you are hitting both long and short.

 

[USERNAME]

Find the toss location that works, practice getting that toss in the same spot. 2nd serves need to have more spin for more margin so you should toss the ball over you a bit more and be aiming to cut up on the back of the ball, be sure to really accelerate the racquet and move up through the ball. Remember! More SPIN!

 

[Donny0627]

Thanks everyboby for the responses. Its all really helpful. What I have been working on is finding a toss that helps me put the most spin on the ball... In the mean time, keep these tips comin