Variations on a tennis serve are an effective way for players to keep opponents guessing and gain an edge in match play. From topspin serves with powerful topspin to slice serves that skim the net, there are numerous strategies players can employ in their serve to surprise and outwit opponents.
To execute these serves successfully, the toss should remain within the service box and contact with a flat serve at its center should be preferred.
Dynamic Variations
As tennis has evolved from an arena of long points requiring finesse into one with faster, stronger play, research has focused on its various kinetic chain components that make up its serve. Of particular note is leg movement associated with producing rotational force necessary to propel it across the net (3-5). This force comes from lower body muscles including hip muscles.
Previous studies that investigated leg movements and vertical ground reaction forces during serving have relied heavily on clinical isometric lower-body strength tests (5,6) or surface electromyography (EMG) (7-10). Unfortunately, these methods may not be suitable in an applied setting due to needing to rest the body on the floor for short periods (10).
Girard et al. (2005) responded to these limitations by conducting a surface EMG investigation of lower-body muscle activity during serve speed by measuring surface EMG signals from lower body muscles during serve speed, as well as measuring internal/external rotation strength using an isokinetic dynamometer.
Participants were male competitive tennis players. A standard on-court warm-up consisted of 10 shadow serves focusing on smooth tempo and rhythm; 10 slice serves around a pole that had been placed through the center of the net into a deuce service box; as well as first and second serves. Surface EMG recordings from left (RF) and right leg muscles (SOL) were collected and normalised against three reference values: maximal voluntary contraction of knee extensors/plantar flexors; peak activity during squat jump; and an actual serve.
EMG amplitude for the RF and SOL muscles differed amongst normalisation methods, with MVC showing higher readings than SJ and actual serve. This result supports the hypothesis that lower-limb muscle activity is altered during serving motion; whether or not this impact varies with regards to normalisation methods used.
Overall, this study demonstrated that anthropometric measurements such as body height, CMJ height and impulse at 300 milliseconds strongly correlate with serve speed; furthermore isometric shoulder internal/external rotation strength moderately correlates.
Flat Serve
Flat serves are known for their minimal spin and difficulty of return, often landing close to the net with little margin for error – they are most frequently employed during first points. In order to hit an effective flat serve you need to have control of both footwork and ball when hitting. In order to hit an effective flat serve you must master controlling both.
Footwork should differ when serving flat serves than when hitting other types of serves; rather than moving forward as you complete the hit, move them backwards into the service box so you can react faster when the ball comes back towards you.
As well, to effectively utilize a flat serve you must be able to control its distance. Therefore, for optimal results it may be advantageous to hit one with a lower toss than you might use with other servers; this will enable you to better control its distance and prevent it from traveling too far beyond its baseline.
As is important for beginners when hitting a flat serve, when making this effort should not include trying to slice or add top spin to the ball – often seen when trying to conceal their flat serve from opponents. While topspin serves are slower, that does not justify players trying to hide what type of serve they are hitting from opponents.
Contact point for a flat serve is also different from other forms of serves; to generate sidespin, contact with outer edge of racket should make contact with ball. However, slightly upping hitting also generates topspin.
Like with other types of serves, the key to hitting an effective flat serve lies in mastering your footwork and being able to control distance and speed with each stroke of the serve. With practice comes success – learning its distance and spin will allow you to use it effectively in all court settings.
Kick Serve
The kick serve is a heavy topspin serve that bounces higher than usual and allows a server to put their opponent on the defensive, as its spin can be difficult for returners to deal with. It should also be noted that producing an effective twist requires hip and shoulder rotation which may pose difficulty for some players not used to this movement.
To hit an effective kick serve, players should start off by adopting a strong platform stance and sliding their back foot slightly forward so they are able to jump when hitting their serve, thus producing maximum power in their serve. When hitting their serve they should orientate their body left so it becomes easier to achieve their desired spin on their serve.
As part of hitting a kick serve, toss is also an integral component. Some coaches recommend tossing closer to your body than usual in order to provide greater disguise for the serve and prevent its detection by the returner; other coaches may advise players to throw the ball more centrally above themselves for maximum racquet acceleration.
Once the ball has been tossed, players should aim for an impact point near 7 o’clock on the clock when hitting their serve. This will ensure they hit it off the back, giving it extra kick and topspin – keeping returners guessing which type of serve they might face next.
Players should practice all three types of serves to become adept at each. Varying speed, spin and placement will make it harder for their opponents to establish an effective rhythm of play.
Sidespin Serve
Sidespin is a type of spin which creates curves on either side of the ball. Skilled players use sidespin in combination with backspin and topspin to create angles and force their opponents off court; slice serves are an example of this; they combine backspin and sidespin so as to force an opponent into making difficult decisions when returning it back to them.
Spin is usually created when a racquet brushes up and across the ball, with the server hoping to produce a slight bend to either the left or right side. There are also players who prefer creating straighter paths of spin with their racquet brushing down and across, with more controlled shots such as when serving from close service boxes near tables.
To play a sidespin serve, the optimal approach is to push back and compensate for its spin using wrist position. Unfortunately, however, some players struggle with this technique because they lack experience reading its spin properly. To overcome this hurdle, practice returning all types of serves even those that prove challenging; doing this will provide an understanding of how best to attack its spin as well as improve your ability to determine where the ball is coming from and adjust racquet position accordingly when hitting it back.
One way to practice this skill is to play a heavy sidespin serve with an opponent and ensure you play a long ball as this will give you an idea of its bounce-back characteristics; if it lands short of the table, this allows you to adjust accordingly.
If the ball lands long, you can try looping it to win the point. Remember that your main objective should always be getting the ball over the net and into your opponent’s side of the court!