The underhand serve?
- Thread starter David I.
- Start date
jayserinos99
Hall of Fame
I see it, and I love it b/c my opponent just gave me a lot of options.
Jerry Seinfeld
Professional
The underhand serve is an effective weapon. Use it as part of my arsenal. I am able to generate some very nasty spin, the ball stays low and takes a wicked bounce. It is difficult to return. I would estimate that I win 8/10 points when I call upon this serve in match play. My teammates love it when I use it on others. Some of them that have seen it enough can handle it in practice. I don't use it much for fear it will lose effectiveness. Don't ever let my opponents get too many looks at it. Maybe once a set, usually to the ad court where it is most effective for me.
I also hit a topspin forehand serve on occasion. I am right-handed and stand at the far outside doubles line of the deuce court in doubles. I take the ball out of the air and using a forehand motion am able to generate excessive top plus a mean angle to boot. This serve is harder to execute, but the angle I get, when hit correctly, puts the opponent into the fence (or wide) to make a return and the whole court is then open. Still perfecting this little gem. Get more angle than I can serving over the top.
Serving is like pitching. Some folks are blessed with great fastballs that have some motion. These folks can just walk up to the service line and fire their good stuff at you and be effective. Others, like myself, have average fastballs and need to rely on location and change of pace. Sort of like the Greg Maddux of serving.
I also hit a topspin forehand serve on occasion. I am right-handed and stand at the far outside doubles line of the deuce court in doubles. I take the ball out of the air and using a forehand motion am able to generate excessive top plus a mean angle to boot. This serve is harder to execute, but the angle I get, when hit correctly, puts the opponent into the fence (or wide) to make a return and the whole court is then open. Still perfecting this little gem. Get more angle than I can serving over the top.
Serving is like pitching. Some folks are blessed with great fastballs that have some motion. These folks can just walk up to the service line and fire their good stuff at you and be effective. Others, like myself, have average fastballs and need to rely on location and change of pace. Sort of like the Greg Maddux of serving.
Camilio Pascual
Hall of Fame
"Serving is like pitching." - Jerry Seinfeld Bingo! Well said.
What about overhead dropshot serve?
I will use an overhead dropshot serve occasionally against slow players or against players who have backed up a couple of steps behind the baseline and have gotten a groove on my regular very hard serve just to mix them up. It's all apart of the game. The ball can only bounce once on your side.
It's like a chess match, where if they move forward to the baseline so that they can cover my drop serve, then my power serve will overwhelm them and if they back up to handle the pace of the power serve then I can win free points with the drop serve. I usually only hit the drop serve once or twice per set at most though since my regular serve is very effective by itself.
Brad Gilbert would be proud!
I will use an overhead dropshot serve occasionally against slow players or against players who have backed up a couple of steps behind the baseline and have gotten a groove on my regular very hard serve just to mix them up. It's all apart of the game. The ball can only bounce once on your side.
It's like a chess match, where if they move forward to the baseline so that they can cover my drop serve, then my power serve will overwhelm them and if they back up to handle the pace of the power serve then I can win free points with the drop serve. I usually only hit the drop serve once or twice per set at most though since my regular serve is very effective by itself.
Brad Gilbert would be proud!
Paunchy Gandalf
New User
What's a "drop serve"?
PG
PG
Paunchy Gandalf
New User
Sneaky! Must try it!
Drop Serve
I hit mine like a flat overhead serve but with no pace and lots of backspin on the ball so it doesn't go very far forward. I try to clear the net by about 6 inches and don't worry about missing a drop first serve which is better than hitting it too deep and having your opponent hit an open court return winner. It's mostly used to make your opponent feel uncomfortable when returning serve and get them thinking about too many things.
I hit mine like a flat overhead serve but with no pace and lots of backspin on the ball so it doesn't go very far forward. I try to clear the net by about 6 inches and don't worry about missing a drop first serve which is better than hitting it too deep and having your opponent hit an open court return winner. It's mostly used to make your opponent feel uncomfortable when returning serve and get them thinking about too many things.
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