How to Do a Proper Serve in Tennis

How to do a proper serve in tennis? This is a question that many beginner and recreational players ask. While there are many ways to do a proper serve, the following tips are key to success.

The grip

In tennis, there are two main types of grips: the continental grip and the eastern backhand grip. The continental grip is most commonly used for serves, while the eastern backhand grip is most often used for backhands.

To execute a proper serve using the continental grip, start by holding the racquet in your non-dominant hand. For right-handed players, this would be your left hand. Place your hand so that the base of your palm is on top of the racquet handle and your fingers are wrapped around the handle. Next, take your dominant hand and place it on top of your non-dominant hand, so that both hands are now gripping the racquet.

Your dominant hand should be positioned in such a way that your thumb and first finger form a “V” shape. This “V” shape should be pointing towards the top of the racquet head. Once you have positioned both hands correctly on the racquet, you can then proceed to adjust your grip width. A good rule of thumb is to position your hands so that they are approximately shoulder-width apart.

Once you have chosen a Grip Width that feels comfortable for you, it is important to make sure that you do not change it during your service motion. If you find that you need to make an adjustment to your grip during your service motion, it is likely that you are not using the correct Grip Width for your height and arm length.

The stance

One of the most important aspects of a proper serve is the stance. If your feet are not properly positioned, it will be difficult to hit the ball in the right spot. For a right-handed player, the left foot should be positioned behind the baseline, and the right foot should be pointing toward the net. The weight should be evenly distributed on both feet, and the knees should be slightly bent.

The next step is to position the ball. For a right-handed player, the ball should be held in the right hand and placed just behind the left shoulder. The racquet should be held in the left hand and placed behind the head. The elbow of the racquet arm should be pointing toward the sky.

The next step is to swing the racquet. The player should start with a small backswing and then slowly increase it until it is at shoulder level. At this point, the player should start to bring the racquet forward, and then make contact with the ball at waist level. The player should follow through with their swing so that their arm ends up in front of their body.

The toss

The toss is an important part of the serve—it gets the ball up in the air and into the correct position. Here’s how to do it:

Start with your feet together and the ball in your right hand.
Bend your elbow and bring your hand up so that the ball is resting on your fingertips, just below your chin.
Keeping your eyes on the ball, bring your arm back behind you.
Swing your arm forward and release the ball at the same time. As you release the ball, jump up slightly and land on your left foot, pointing it towards the net.
Your right foot should land just behind and to the left of your left foot, in a sort of “ready” position.

The swing

The most important part of the serve is the swing. Start with your elbow up, and then bring the racket back in a circular motion. As you do this, your wrist should snap upward, making contact with the ball at the very top of your backswing. From there, follow through by continuing the circular motion and snapping your wrist downward as you make contact with the ball again. Your arm should be extended fully at this point.

The follow-through

After contact, the racquet continues on up until your arm is fully extended above your head. As your arm extends, your body should rotate so that your back is now facing the direction of the net. This follows through will ensure that you put enough topspin on the ball to bring it down into the service box.