Tennis Serve

A tennis serve (also called service) is the shot used in tennis to start a point. The tennis serve is usually started by tossing a ball into the air and hitting it into the diagonally opposite service box without touching the net. The tennis serve can be done overhead or underhand. However there will be much more power on the serve if it is done overhead. Unlike other shots in tennis the tennis serve is the only shot where a player can take their time to setup and ensure the make the most of the shot instead of having to quickly react to an opponent’s shot.

The tennis serve is one of the harder shots for a beginner to learn. However once it is mastered it is a great weapon. Experienced tennis players are able to hit the serve in a variety of different ways and use it as an offensive weapon to gain an advantage in the point or even gain it outright with the serve. Because of this factor breaking serve plays a crucial role in professional matches as professional players win most of their service games.

A Legal Tennis Serve

If the ball hits the net but still lands in the service court area then this is called a let service. This is void and the serve is replayed with the server being allowed either one or two serves (the same amount they had left prior to serving the let service).

When performing the tennis serve the server is required to keep their feet in nearly the same position during the serve. The server’s feet may be raised off the ground, however walking or running is prohibited. This stops the receiving opponent from being misled as to where the server will serve from. Breaching this rule or leaving the permitted part of the court results in a foot fault for the server.

To be considered a legal tennis serve the ball must also clear the net and land in the opponent’s serving court (diagonally opposite from where the server served from). As long as all this is done the tennis serve will be considered legal.

If a player is not satisfied with their toss as they prepare to serve they can allow the ball to fall to the ground and then try again. However if the server swings their racquet and misses the ball during the toss then it is called as a fault.

First and Second Serves

Tennis rules make no distinction between first and second serves. However, as far as strategy goes they are quite different. A first serve is normally used to strike with the maximum power, skill and deception that the server is capable of with the aim of winning the point outright (with an ace), or by forcing the receiver into a bad return position. Most coaches will teach you that a second serve should be much more conservative to virtually guarantee the ball being in play and preventing a double fault. However this provides little expectation of winning the point outright.

Types of Tennis Serves

There are five main types of tennis serves: the flat (or cannonball) serve, the slice serve, the topspin serve, the topspin-slice serve and the American twist/twist serve. As well as these there are other rarely used types of serves, such as the underhand serve (which normally carries underspin) and the reverse-slice serve.

The term “kick serve” is ambiguous. Many people use it as a synonym for “twist serve” while most use the term when referring to any serve with heavy topspin on it. That is, the topspin serve and the twist serve.

Each type of serve has it’s own tactical advantages. By varying the type of serve and it’s placement the server can gain the advantage in delivering a great variety of serves.

The flat serve and slice serve are primarily used for first serves as they have a small margin for error but are most likely to ace the opponent or force an error. Second serves usually have topspin placed on them which makes them less likely to hit the net or land out. Topspin serves such as the twist serve also provide a good change-up as a first serve.

Flat Serve

A flat serve (sometimes referred to as a cannonball serve) is hit with an Eastern or Continental grip with a swing path directly through the ball so it doesn’t spin and cuts through the air very fast. Male professionals often hit flat serves at speeds higher than 200km/h (124 mph). There are also a few professional women tennis players that reach these serve speeds too such as Venus & Serena Williams.

A flat serve must come in close to the net which therefore gives it a small margin for error. Therefore flat serves are normally hit straight down the center where the net is at it’s lowest. They are usually delivered as first serves where the server can afford the risk of faulting while having a second serve up their sleeve.

Topspin Serve

A topspin is performed by hitting the ball with forward spin imparted on it by brushing the back of the ball upward at contact. Like all spin serves, the topspin serve travels slower through the air than a flat serve. However the topspin on the ball makes it dive downward meaning that it can be aimed high over the net while still landing in the service court. Therefore the topspin serve is a fairly safe serve that regularly used as a second serve. The topspin serve should not be hit lighter than the first serve but with the same amount of, or even more power in order to generate the necessary spin.

Topspin on the ball also makes it bounce high. Many receivers may handle the high bounce quite well on their forehand side but not on their backhand side. Therefore, placed to the backhand, topspin serves are useful for serve and volley play, even on the first serve.

Due to it’s complex body mechanics, the topspin serve is harder to learn than the flat serve or topspin-slice serve as the contact point is directly over the server’s head or perhaps even a little behind it. It is also hit with a Continental grip or Eastern Backhand grip (using the forehand side of the racquet face).

Slice Serve

A slice serve is a slice hit with sidespin which is imparted by brushing the back of the tennis ball rightward at contact (a left-handed server brushes the back of the tennis ball leftward at contact). It is normally hit with the Continental grip or the Eastern backhand grip (using the forehand face of the racket).

The sidespin on a sliced serve causes the ball to curve leftward and skid when it bounces which then allows it to curve further left after the bounce. A well performed slice serve curves so much that it can draw the receiver ten feet wide of the singles sideline to play the ball.

A slice serve with a huge amount of slice on it is sometimes called a “sidespin” serve or a “slider”.

Because a slice serve has little or no topspin on it, it cannot be aimed high over the net and has little margin for error. Therefore it is generally only used as a first serve. It can be used as an effective tool to ace the retriever, to draw the receiver off the court and out of position, or to “jam” the receiver with a serve curving sharply into their body.

Topspin-slice serve

A topspin-slice serve is hit with a combination of both topspin and sidespin which is imparted by brushing the back of the ball upward and rightward at about a 45 degree angle at contact. This is the spin that beginners naturally serve with, though they don’t get the ball spinning very fast.

The blend of sidespin & topspin allows the ball to curve downward & leftward in flight, bouncing high and continuing to curve leftward. Because of the topspin on it, a topspin-slice serve can be aimed higher over the net than a flat serve or slice serve. Therefore it has a greater margin for error.

American Twist/Twist Serve

The twist serve was originally know as the “American Twist” serve and still sometimes referred to as that name. It is a special kind of topspin-slice serve which behaves differently once it bounces. The reason it does this is because it has much more topspin than sidespin on it. Therefore instead of skidding and continuing to curve leftward after the bounce, it "grabs" the court and breaks rightward.

A twist serve is hit with topspin and travels at a slower pace compared to the flat serve. The ball also travels in a higher arc over the net than a flat serve. It then dips faster and bounces higher, normally away from the receiving player's backhand. In general the kick serve is safer to hit and is often used for the second serve. A twist serve is harder to learn because it is hit somewhat behind the head of the server and requires slightly more complex mechanics. It is hit with either a Continental or Eastern backhand grip. The American twist serve is useful for second serves, serve and volley tactics and many other situations.

A Twist serve is thrown somewhat behind the server's head while the racquet brushes the ball from the 8 o'clock position to the 2 'clock position, although some players can have a 7 o'clock to 1 o'clock position, imparting a combination of topspin and sidespin that makes the ball go in an angled arc over the net. Once it bounces, it jumps high and to the side in the direction of the server's racquet arm. For example, if a right hander hits a Twist serve to the ad (backhand) court it will jump away from the center of the court.

Due to the partial topspin and height at which it clears the net the Twist serve has more margin for error than a Flat serve and is sometimes a common choice among top professionals for a safe second serve, although some opt to use the "Kick Serve" as a potent first serve option. A player who has the ability to change the angle at which the racquet brushes the ball (say, 7 o'clock to 12 o'clock) can also change the horizontal bounce of the ball at will which reduces the predictability of the bounce for the receiver. Also, because the topspin imparted on the ball forces it to bounce high, the receiver would be unable to hit an ideal shot in their contact zone (typically between waist and shoulder level).

Because the twist serve curves to the receiver's right in the air and then breaks leftward on the bounce, kicking high to (a right-hander's) backhand, this can be a very difficult serve to return.

It is also the most difficult to learn. The contact point is slightly to the left of the server's head and directly over it, or perhaps even a little behind it. The required swing path is achieved by an inside angle of attack on the ball. The result is a twisted axis of rotation which results in the ball spinning out-of-line with its flight path.

It is possible to hit a twist serve with a Continental grip, however most players and teachers feel that an Eastern backhand grip is necessary.

Like all spin serves the twist serve travels slower than a flat serve. Servers who follow their serve to the net often take advantage of this fact, hitting the twist serve because it is difficult to return but gives them extra time to get close to the net before the return is back.

Because it has heavy topspin on it, the twist serve is a "safe" serve that can be aimed high over the net and still land in. Therefore it is often used as a second serve.