Spin Serve -- ok?

Hi,

I was in a league match. I do not serve hard but I put a lot of slice spin on my serve. My opponent complained that it is not a "Gentleman's Serve", does he have a point? Or was he a sore loser? My slice serve went to his weaker side.
 
I would argue that's there's no such thing as a "gentleman's" anything in league play. You're playing to win. I mean maybe don't hit a drop serve in friendly doubles, but in league play you're playing for something.

Plus, I would argue it's less gentlemanly to hit at a person than hit a spin serve and hitting at people in dubs is pretty widely accepted
 
D

Deleted member 23235

Guest
Hi,

I was in a league match. I do not serve hard but I put a lot of slice spin on my serve. My opponent complained that it is not a "Gentleman's Serve", does he have a point? Or was he a sore loser? My slice serve went to his weaker side.
clearly the guy can't move... so make sure you apologize about your heavy spin serve, then hit an underhand serve (preferably a dropper)
 

Dartagnan64

G.O.A.T.
Was your slice serve struck underhand? If not, then he's a whiner and a sore loser. If it was struck underhand then he might be in a fairly strong minority that view underhand serves as unsportsmanlike. But still a whiner.
 
I serve with a lot of spin and on occasion, I accidentally just brush the ball, so that it barely makes it over the net and bounces to the side. I've had people gripe about that and it's pretty obvious that it was a mis-hit. Bottomline, some players will moan about any shot that doesn't conform with the way that they think tennis should be played. Drop shots, slice, lobs, whatever...
 

ShaunS

Semi-Pro
Hi,

I was in a league match. I do not serve hard but I put a lot of slice spin on my serve. My opponent complained that it is not a "Gentleman's Serve", does he have a point? Or was he a sore loser? My slice serve went to his weaker side.
I fear that your opponent is correct, and this game is being overtaken by the hoi polloi. Why just last week I played a chap who kept going to my backhand after I made clear my preference for short forehands. He claimed it wasn't intentional, but I don't trust that unlicked cub.
 

Dartagnan64

G.O.A.T.
It's funny how many guys (and gals) just hate getting aced by anything but a 100 mph howitzer. Put a decently paced and disguised spin serve in the corner past them and they just tend to give you a disgruntled look. And I by far get the highest number of "out" calls on close balls when I ace someone. I rarely get hooked on serves that hit the service line. But if it hits the sideline or T and goes for an ace, that finger goes up quicker than anything.
 

Traffic

Hall of Fame
Hi,

I was in a league match. I do not serve hard but I put a lot of slice spin on my serve. My opponent complained that it is not a "Gentleman's Serve", does he have a point? Or was he a sore loser? My slice serve went to his weaker side.
Did I play you 2 years ago? Lefty ex-ping pong champion? Choke up on the racquet and hit a super lefty slice that just floats in the air forever and then practically kicks back towards the net?? I'm sure I lodged a formal complaint that it wasn't real tennis. :p
 

5sets

Hall of Fame
Is this a rhetorical question or you just wanted our input?

Your opponent is a Loser plain and simple, the type to make excuses for a loss and come up with things like, "I didn't have my best game today" or "My shoulder is sore" when he shakes your hand after the match, if he even does that.

I like to sarcastically laugh in their face when such comments are made. Like it's too damn difficult for them to just say "nice match" or "good game".
Hi,

I was in a league match. I do not serve hard but I put a lot of slice spin on my serve. My opponent complained that it is not a "Gentleman's Serve", does he have a point? Or was he a sore loser? My slice serve went to his weaker side.

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5sets

Hall of Fame
What the heck? Who care about whom complaining. Serve what the hell you want!
Serve deez Nuts!
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ChaelAZ

G.O.A.T.
I've had a few instances of this kind of smack talk. The funniest was a guy who was a well-known baseline ball basher. He had great consistency and hit hard and flat like nobody's bizness. So I started drop shotting or moving balls really short - probably one of every three shots, if not more. About the second set he starts getting pissed and as we are walking back on court he says something about, "Manning up and hitting the ball" to me. I just kinda smiled and continued the strategy. I won and the guy was totally pissy about it. Heard him talking to the team captain about how he "hates having to play lower players that don't know how to hit and keep up". Meh...why would you ever want to play to someone's strength in a match?

So yeah, if they guy has issues controling spin serves, that's on him.
 
D

Deleted member 23235

Guest
I've had a few instances of this kind of smack talk. The funniest was a guy who was a well-known baseline ball basher. He had great consistency and hit hard and flat like nobody's bizness. So I started drop shotting or moving balls really short - probably one of every three shots, if not more. About the second set he starts getting pissed and as we are walking back on court he says something about, "Manning up and hitting the ball" to me. I just kinda smiled and continued the strategy. I won and the guy was totally pissy about it. Heard him talking to the team captain about how he "hates having to play lower players that don't know how to hit and keep up". Meh...why would you ever want to play to someone's strength in a match?

So yeah, if they guy has issues controling spin serves, that's on him.
in my younger days, in the public parks, i had a old guy (lol, he could be the same age I am now) say that to me...
i played a dink/lob game, since his mobility was terrible...
he trashed talked my play style "not hitting like a man" to his buddies, loud enough to make sure i could hear...
so 2nd set, i drop shotted, then bashed him at the net.... tagged him a couple times before he "had to go"...
i wouldn't do that now... but that sure me made me feel good at the time,... (as an idiotic young single guy that seemingly had something to prove...)
 

Traffic

Hall of Fame
Hi,

I was in a league match. I do not serve hard but I put a lot of slice spin on my serve. My opponent complained that it is not a "Gentleman's Serve", does he have a point? Or was he a sore loser? My slice serve went to his weaker side.
My game is based around my spin serve. I play mostly doubles. I don't have a blow you off the court serve. But I can change the movement of the ball and the placement. I just need the returner to not get a clean contact on the ball and my net person does the rest.

Hard flat serves can be easier to return once you get the timing down. And typically placement of the serve is harder since there is less margin of error.
 
Hi,

I was in a league match. I do not serve hard but I put a lot of slice spin on my serve. My opponent complained that it is not a "Gentleman's Serve", does he have a point? Or was he a sore loser? My slice serve went to his weaker side.
Tell this gent to get off his fat butt and learn to move--in the sport of tennis, if the serve goes in the box it's a GOOD serve. If he wants to partake in a gentlemen's game, he needs to take up pugilism--they wear gloves.
 

LeftyJunk

Rookie
I mostly play doubles with a nasty lefty slice. It's most gratifying is when I have served a steady diet to an opponent's backhand and then spin one into their forehand and watch them throat it into the next court. Then follow that up with a hard flat one into their body... it's a thing of beauty!
 

S&V-not_dead_yet

Talk Tennis Guru
I mostly play doubles with a nasty lefty slice. It's most gratifying is when I have served a steady diet to an opponent's backhand and then spin one into their forehand and watch them throat it into the next court. Then follow that up with a hard flat one into their body... it's a thing of beauty!

Beauty is in the eye of the server; I've been on the receiving end multiple times!
 

FedLIKEnot

Professional
If it is a league match all is fair. Why should you play into his strengths to help him beat you. Further especially if he is teeing off and crushing your net person. If it a mixer or some fun club thing sure take it easy get the point started and have fun. But if we are keeping score and it is a league match screw it. Personally I have been on both sides of that and all is fair to me.....
 

ChaelAZ

G.O.A.T.
Translation: "I can't handle shots out of my strike zone and I'm not mobile enough to reach them."

Well, in full disclosure, I have said the same thing about pushers, and only because I didn't impose my game properly against them, so I get the frustration and projecting on the opponent over taking responsibility! lol. :D
 

time_fly

Hall of Fame
Hi,

I was in a league match. I do not serve hard but I put a lot of slice spin on my serve. My opponent complained that it is not a "Gentleman's Serve", does he have a point? Or was he a sore loser? My slice serve went to his weaker side.

He complained that you hit a spin serve? Does he normally only deal with flat serves / pancakes? What level is this? I do know some guys that try to hit super-slice trick "drop serves" sometimes and I think it's a little cheesy but I still wouldn't complain about it. And certainly many, many good players hit more normal "non-drop" slice serves, often as a second serve, so I have no idea what the issue would be there.
 

ShaunS

Semi-Pro
I do know some guys that try to hit super-slice trick "drop serves" sometimes and I think it's a little cheesy but I still wouldn't complain about it.
I play doubles against a younger guy who legitimately goes over 120mph on his serve when he wants to, and he sneaks in an underhand slice about once a match. It doesn't result in an ace, but my return isn't nearly as effective as a decent baseline shot. He thinks it's hilarious, and while I tell him he's a "jerk" every time he does it I'm only joking. It's a great way to try and catch me off-guard, and if I was him I'd probably do it twice as much.
 
I play doubles against a younger guy who legitimately goes over 120mph on his serve when he wants to, and he sneaks in an underhand slice about once a match. It doesn't result in an ace, but my return isn't nearly as effective as a decent baseline shot. He thinks it's hilarious, and while I tell him he's a "jerk" every time he does it I'm only joking. It's a great way to try and catch me off-guard, and if I was him I'd probably do it twice as much.
I have never hit an underhand serve in a match. I also struggle hitting hard at the net player. I do go down the line but it is usually after the person has poached. I have heard from every opponent, "I hate your slice." I was just checking to see if it was ok, or was my opponents just communicating sour grapes.
 
He complained that you hit a spin serve? Does he normally only deal with flat serves / pancakes? What level is this? I do know some guys that try to hit super-slice trick "drop serves" sometimes and I think it's a little cheesy but I still wouldn't complain about it. And certainly many, many good players hit more normal "non-drop" slice serves, often as a second serve, so I have no idea what the issue would be there.

This was a men's 4.0 level match. I did not hit drop serves. They were slice wide to his weaker forehand. For his serve he just hit soft flat serves.
 
Was your slice serve struck underhand? If not, then he's a whiner and a sore loser. If it was struck underhand then he might be in a fairly strong minority that view underhand serves as unsportsmanlike. But still a whiner.
Overhand serve - we play indoors with netting between the courts. So it comes close to the side netting.
 

Dartagnan64

G.O.A.T.
Overhand serve - we play indoors with netting between the courts. So it comes close to the side netting.

Well admittedly if you were intentionally driving him into the netting with your serve, he might have a reason to be a bit peeved. I think it's a pretty underhanded way to get a point by using an artificial structure to assist you. I mean, kudos for having a serve that spins that well, but it is a bit unfair.
 

norcal

Legend
Then it was a kick or twist serve, not a slice serve. A slice serve would have been more towards the T.
No, he's describing a slice out wide to a guy's forehand on the deuce side.

One of my regular dubs guys has this serve and it's made my low, wide fh return a lot better.

Dude needs to adjust and quit whining.
 

5sets

Hall of Fame
This is my go to serve. I also play indoors frequently on 'narrow' courts. On numerous occasions I have sliced serves wide enough to make my opponent get tangled like a fly in a spider web in the side netting on one side, or get closelined by his own impact by the side of the padded warehouse.

Good times.[emoji482]
Overhand serve - we play indoors with netting between the courts. So it comes close to the side netting.

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TnsGuru

Professional
So I guess he wanted a serve that he can tee off on a regular basis. Think of this, you pretty much served the same way with spin throughout the match, this should be enough time for him to figure out how to adjust if he needed to. Basically he was telling you in his own way to stop what you're doing because its making him uncomfortable.

Tennis strategy is finding a weakness and exploiting it and seems like you found one. Guys will try to trash talk just to get an edge on you when in fact you had the edge over him. Making observations whle you're playing an opponent and seeing how they react to certain shots can help to exploit and attack weaknesses. You did nothing wrong.
 
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