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How to serve in tennis properly is something that is asked a lot by beginners and those playing at club level (and sometimes higher) too. The tennis serve is one of the hardest strokes in tennis to master especially if you have a lack of hand to eye coordination. Unfortunately having a good tennis serve is essential in the sport, without it you will give away needless points to your opponent and give them the upper hand in the game. If you really want to learn how to serve properly then you want to break down the motion bit by bit until it becomes clear.

First Step – Stance

The first part of the tennis serve you should focus on is the stance. Stance and footwork is important so you want to make sure you have it correct. For tennis you should look to have your feet a shoulder width apart, facing your opponent side-on, knees bent and front foot away from the baseline. This stance is used to keep you stable when serving and to give you your power in your serve.

Second Step – The Toss

The toss is the easier part of the motion. All you have to do is toss the ball upwards but something that you may want to do differently is to imagine a small box in front of you where the ball should drop if you miss the serve. This will help you lean into the serve and generate more power.

Third Step – The Serve

This is the hardest part of the serve but if pulled off can make your serve a deadly weapon. By setting up the correct stance you have built up a lot of potential energy which is about to become kinetic energy. As you toss the ball up your racquet should loop up behind your back (like a backscratcher) and as you go to hit the ball your body should unravel (shoulder, arm and hips should turn) and you should explode from your knees giving you that extra power.

Final Step – Follow Through

This is essential because if your opponent returns the ball you need to be ready. When you hit the ball you want to follow through so that it feels like you are about to fall over. At this point stabilise yourself by sticking your lead leg out and this should put you in a good stance ready for the return ball (if the opponent can even hit it back after you’ve read these tips).

The easiest way to learn how to serve in tennis properly is to break things up into baby steps as that is one of the easiest ways to learn. I used to be in the same place where my sloppy serve would give my opponent the upper hand but just by following the simple techniques (video demos) over at FixMyServe.com I managed to develop a serve that DEMANDS respect!

If you recently watched John Isner and Nicholas Mahut battle through their epic long match 6-4, 3-6, 6-7(9-7), 7-6(7-3), 70-68 you know that tennis is sport which requires a tremendous amount of energy and stamina.

While their match is a classic example of a professional level of stamina and years and years of training, what tennis lessons and strategies can junior players and novice players implement to help boost their physical and mental stamina on the court?

In my last article, I recommended storing energy prior to competition (no heavy hitting the day prior) and suggested truly preparing for a tournament 3-5 days in advance. One aspect included saving your eyes, by not reading or watching movies. Another aspect, which I will focus on, was not watching very high adrenaline action movies the night before? Why?

Most players have a very equal level of concentration and output during a match. If you look at Roger Federer he is typically very calm and shows little emotion on the court. He did not always used to be this way. In the juniors Roger Federer had a reputation for having a temper. In his move from amateur to probably the greatest player of all time one of the greatest changes was the way he conserves energy on the court.

Roger will keep an even keel temper and mentality throughout most of his match. However, in a tough situation where he gets down or wins a big point he will yell or scream “CMON”. Not only does this show his opponent he is into the match and willing to put up a fight, but it also released adrenaline throughout his body.

Understanding how to release adrenaline throughout your body and storing it for difficult points in a match or most importantly tough third set can help you increase your energy and mental output late in a competition.

A couple tips to do this:

1) Conserve your energy prior to a match. Listen to soft music but nothing that will really get your blood pumping prior to competition. In other sports this may work, but in tennis your are engaging in a lengthy match process where THERE IS NOT SHOT CLOCK OR TIMER that you can depend on to end the match. You are entering a state of competition where the end time is not predetermined (biggest difference in preparing for tennis vs. other sports).

2) Keep an even keel mindset and temper during the tennis match. If you are required to pump yourself up to get through a tough first set then do so… but understand the consequences later in the match.

3) Learn how your body responds to yelling or fist pumps during tennis practice and learn what points you should do this on… (i.e. not when you tie… when you take the lead or win the more important points in a match)

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