Spin
As you hit the tennis ball with your racket, adding spin to the ball will help you, especially on your serve. The friction between the ball and the racket strings is what causes the ball to spin. When you put spin on the ball, the spin on the ball barely decreases with flight, and the spin on the ball actually increases when the ball hits the ground. When the ball hits the ground, friction on the court grabs the bottom of the ball while the top of the ball continues to spin, so more spin is added.
Putting spin on the ball is important when you are playing tennis. Spin helps you control the ball more. If you put the correct amount of spin on the ball, you decrease your margin for error and make the ball bounce a certain way.
Topspin: Topspin is created by moving the racket in an upward motion to hit the ball, going from low to high. Topspin requires lots of effort to be created because rotation of ball must be reversed.
Sidespin: Sidespin is created by moving the racket in a sideward motion to hit the ball.
Backspin: Backspin is created by moving the racket in a downward motion to hit the ball, going from high to low.
Putting spin on the ball is important when you are playing tennis. Spin helps you control the ball more. If you put the correct amount of spin on the ball, you decrease your margin for error and make the ball bounce a certain way.
Topspin: Topspin is created by moving the racket in an upward motion to hit the ball, going from low to high. Topspin requires lots of effort to be created because rotation of ball must be reversed.
Sidespin: Sidespin is created by moving the racket in a sideward motion to hit the ball.
Backspin: Backspin is created by moving the racket in a downward motion to hit the ball, going from high to low.
The Four Types of Serves
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Flat Serve - A serve where you hit the ball and put very little spin on the ball. You drive the ball forward with your racket.
Advantages
1)A fast serve which can give your opponent less time to react and prepare their return hit
2)Easy to learn, which is why many beginners use this serve
3)This serve is able to help you win easy points, which can help you conserve your energy for the rest of the match
Disadvantages
1)Difficult for shorter people to get the serve over the net
2)If you are a serve and volley player then this serve will not work for you as you will have less time to get to the net after your serve
3)Your flat serves that go in can be low in percentage
4)If your opponent is able to return your serve, the ball can come back to you really fast because they are using the power you generated
Kick Serve - In a kick serve, you toss the ball up over your head, instead of in front of you. Your racket brushes the ball from left to right, and when the ball lands on the other side, it bounces really high and far. That makes it difficult for the returner to return the serve.
Advantages
1)Ball bounces very high, and it bounces away from your opponent
2)Serve and volley players have more time to get to the net after their serve
3)Hard to attack the kick serve
4)Good against less experience players as they are not used to returning kick serves
5)The ball bounces the opposite direction of which it hits the ground
Disadvantages
1)Hard to learn
2)If your opponent hits the ball off the rise, the effectiveness of the serve is taken away because the ball won't bounce very far
Topspin Serve - Topspin serve is created by brushing the racket up the back of the tennis ball. The ball loops high over the net, and then dips down into the other side of the court.
Advantages
1)Easy to learn
2)Hard to attack this serve
3)Can get the serve in very often
4)Serve and volley players have more time to get to the net after their serve
5)Bounces high
Disadvantages
1)It is easy for your opponent to see your serve coming to them, so it is easy for them to return your serve
2)If your opponent hits the ball off the rise, the effectiveness of the serve is taken away because then the ball won't bounce high
Slice Serve - In a slice serve, you hit the ball with side spin. You brush the back of the ball with your racket in this serve. When the ball lands on the other side, it curves very far to the left, if you are a right-handed server.
Advantages
1)Easy to learn
2)Can get the serve in very often
3)Ball bounces low and away from your opponent
4)The spin you put on the ball in a slice serve can pull your opponent off the court when they are trying to return your serve
Disadvantages
1)Basic serve and people are used to returning slice serves
Advantages
1)A fast serve which can give your opponent less time to react and prepare their return hit
2)Easy to learn, which is why many beginners use this serve
3)This serve is able to help you win easy points, which can help you conserve your energy for the rest of the match
Disadvantages
1)Difficult for shorter people to get the serve over the net
2)If you are a serve and volley player then this serve will not work for you as you will have less time to get to the net after your serve
3)Your flat serves that go in can be low in percentage
4)If your opponent is able to return your serve, the ball can come back to you really fast because they are using the power you generated
Kick Serve - In a kick serve, you toss the ball up over your head, instead of in front of you. Your racket brushes the ball from left to right, and when the ball lands on the other side, it bounces really high and far. That makes it difficult for the returner to return the serve.
Advantages
1)Ball bounces very high, and it bounces away from your opponent
2)Serve and volley players have more time to get to the net after their serve
3)Hard to attack the kick serve
4)Good against less experience players as they are not used to returning kick serves
5)The ball bounces the opposite direction of which it hits the ground
Disadvantages
1)Hard to learn
2)If your opponent hits the ball off the rise, the effectiveness of the serve is taken away because the ball won't bounce very far
Topspin Serve - Topspin serve is created by brushing the racket up the back of the tennis ball. The ball loops high over the net, and then dips down into the other side of the court.
Advantages
1)Easy to learn
2)Hard to attack this serve
3)Can get the serve in very often
4)Serve and volley players have more time to get to the net after their serve
5)Bounces high
Disadvantages
1)It is easy for your opponent to see your serve coming to them, so it is easy for them to return your serve
2)If your opponent hits the ball off the rise, the effectiveness of the serve is taken away because then the ball won't bounce high
Slice Serve - In a slice serve, you hit the ball with side spin. You brush the back of the ball with your racket in this serve. When the ball lands on the other side, it curves very far to the left, if you are a right-handed server.
Advantages
1)Easy to learn
2)Can get the serve in very often
3)Ball bounces low and away from your opponent
4)The spin you put on the ball in a slice serve can pull your opponent off the court when they are trying to return your serve
Disadvantages
1)Basic serve and people are used to returning slice serves
First and Second Serves.
First serves are flashy, faster, and have flatter trajectories (high velocity serve) than second serves. But the thing is, it is harder to get your first serve in than your second serve. Professional tennis players are successful on 50 to 60 percent of their first serves, which means they win 50-60 percent of their first serves. Second serves are a better predictor of success than first serves as it is easier to get the serve in. If you want to become a successful tennis player then you need to be able to win points on your second serves. The top three players in the world win the most points on their second serves. Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal are all very good on their second serves.
Balance
Positioning of Feet-The Two Stances
When you are serving, you need to be balanced to get the most power out of your serve, so the positioning of your feet at the start of your serve is important. There are two ways to position your feet for your serve. One way is called the platform stance, and another way is called the pinpoint stance. In the platform stance, you keep your feet still when serving, while in the pinpoint stance, you move your back foot forward as you throw the ball up. Both stances work well, so it is your choice on what stance you want to use.
When you are serving, you need to be balanced to get the most power out of your serve, so the positioning of your feet at the start of your serve is important. There are two ways to position your feet for your serve. One way is called the platform stance, and another way is called the pinpoint stance. In the platform stance, you keep your feet still when serving, while in the pinpoint stance, you move your back foot forward as you throw the ball up. Both stances work well, so it is your choice on what stance you want to use.
Acceptance Window
As you hit the ball in your serve, the ball must travel over the net and bounce into the service box. The ball also must travel within a very narrow range of angles to be able to travel over the net and into the service box. This is called the "acceptance window". The faster your serve is, the smaller the "acceptance window", so you need good timing and precision to make your fast serve go in. You can make this "acceptance window" bigger by hitting the ball more slowly, although then your serve would be really weak. Or you can strike the ball high off the ground as possible or give the ball more topspin in your serve to make the "acceptance window" bigger. By putting topspin on the ball, you create an area of low pressure beneath the ball (phenomenon known as Magnus effect) that makes the ball land in the service box, not out of bounds. That's what topspin does.
What to do at the End of a Serve
Near the end of your serve, the rotation of your trunk is helpful to creating a powerful serve. It helps create momentum (Momentum can be defined as "mass in motion") that can be transferred to your racket arm, which helps you swing your racket faster. Therefore, increasing the speed of your serve.