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Tennis Lessons

A Consistent Second Serve

By Mike Whittington, TennisONE Contributing Editor

Question

How can I get a consistent second serve? Please help!

Answer

Of course I could give you the obvious answer to help a troubled second serve and that would be to get the first one in so you never have to hit the second serve. But since we all have a little trouble time to time on serving consistency, there are a few things to think about when hitting a second serve.

I prefer my students to not slow down on their racquet head speed when they hit a second serve. Slice and topspin serves both require this speed to make it over the net, and I like both on second serves because of the net clearance (margin for error) it allows. I might recommend that you use a continental grip rather than a full backhand. You may possibly be getting too much spin and hitting only the side of the ball when using a backhand grip. You might think of snapping up rather than down if you are hitting a high number of balls into the net.

I also have my students play sets getting only one serve. I think this gives us confidence knowing that you've used your second serve consistently under some type of pressure. It may even sound a little silly but I also tell my students to hit out rather than into the net. If you have consistency--even in your misses--it is easier to correct your problems.

In a nutshell I would suggest you use a continental grip, hit topspin or slice, and practice, practice, practice. And remember, "get your first serve in and you'll never double fault."

The Service Key

In many of my lessons on serving, I find the student is so wrapped up in the mechanics of the swing that he/she forgets the importance of a correct toss. In my opinion, the basic motion of the serve is really pretty simple to learn for most people. However, when that motion is combined with a faulty toss, all sorts of problems can arise.

The toss is the key element in having a successful serve. All great service motions in the world will get you nowhere if you don't connect with the ball at the proper place. And getting that toss right is not always the easy since you are trying to get the ball in a specific target area by tossing the ball up with your non-dominant hand.

To gain consistency in your serve, make sure you have consistency in your toss. Of course that doesn't mean every toss has to be in the same place because in different types of serves call for different toss placements. For instance, if your game plan called for a topspin serve you would throw the toss above the crown of your head or slightly behind it. But what if the toss went farther to the right? Your best be is to catch it and try again. Many club players will attempt some type of serve off a misplaced toss anyway. If the toss doesn't jive with what you had planned, then start again!

Servers should remember that they are throwing up a toss that should fit smoothly into their service motion. Special movements and motion changes should not be made to chase down an errant toss. Hold the ball lightly in the fingertips and push upwards lifting the ball just beyond the sweet spot of your extended racquet. Master a consistent toss and many of your other inconsistencies in your serve game will disappear.

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