[heysaemilee]

So, I've been playing tennis since I was a 6th grader. and I didn't learn how to serve until my freshman year. As of now, I am a senior. My parents and my friends tells me that I'm serving wrong. They tell me to throw the ball higher.. and they tell me that I look funny when I serve. Because my i toss the ball really low.
How do you guys serve?

[Ryuzaki]

You have the exact same problem as my brother.
Low ball toss and very unco.
I learned how to serve just by watching the professionals do it.
Having a higher ball toss really helps with the speed and accuracy of your serve, so work on that.
I have never seen you serve so other than your ball toss, I have no idea.
I guess it would help if you just try to copy the professionals' styles.
Best option though, would be to ask your coach. It's their job to teach you.

[supa'Wanki]

What I learned:

1. Face front foot sideways towards the direction you want the ball to go to.
2. Instead of throwing the ball, extend your arms up and let go of the ball like trying to place the ball on a high shelf.
3. Try throwing the ball towards your right and a little towards the front, instead of throwing it up your head.(if you're right handed)
4. Bend your knees, but not too much.
5. ALWAYS KEEP YOUR HEAD UP!

[ShukakuOTS]

So, I've been playing tennis since I was a 6th grader. and I didn't learn how to serve until my freshman year. As of now, I am a senior. My parents and my friends tells me that I'm serving wrong. They tell me to throw the ball higher.. and they tell me that I look funny when I serve. Because my i toss the ball really low.
How do you guys serve?

hmm yeah try tossing the ball just higher so you can extend your arm more. The arm should be fully stretched pretty much


not best pic but too lazy right now to look for a better one.

[THiS ONE LOSER]

I face to the side, bend my knees slightly and just throw it in the air. But you really have to concentrate on where you're hitting the ball. (:

[nobody knows]

I do it like how you're supposed to serve for badminton =v=;;

I always put too much power into it and hit it out of bounds though >< grr

[magator]

It really depends. It's about timing. You don't want to toss the ball too high as it is harder to time and gives you more time to do things incorrectly.

The location of your ball toss depends on what kind of serve you want to hit. Flat, slice, kick/topspin. Generally most people will tell you to hit a flat serve at 12 to 1 o'clock (imaginary clock in front of you). A kick serve you want to serve at 11 oclock.

I don't want to be condescending but it sounds like you're a beginner. First practice tossing the ball and see where it lands on court. You want to have a consistent toss--should land at the same place every time. A lot of the power of a serve comes from your legs and the opening of your hips. But for now don't worry about bending your knees, etc--these things will come later--the important thing is to be balanced. Worrying about too many things will just detract you from the purpose. You want to snap your wrist on the follow through of the serve and accelerate the racquet when you make contact. A good way of first learning to serve is to get into your stance and put the racquet in a back scratching position (upside down and behind your head, the butt of the racquet pointing to the sky). With your racquet in that position toss the ball in front of you at one oclock and hit it pronating your wrist. After you perfect that (which could take a while depending how much you practice) start incorporating the taking of your racquet back with the backscratching position. I'm a big fan of abbreviated serve motions, which means instead of taking your racquet back in a loop, you lift your racquet straight up. An abbreviated motion is much easier to time and because it has fewer "parts" to it gives you less opportunity to do things wrong.

I do it like how you're supposed to serve for badminton =v=;;

I always put too much power into it and hit it out of bounds though >< grr

If your serve is always going out you have to snap your wrist.

hmm yeah try tossing the ball just higher so you can extend your arm more. The arm should be fully stretched pretty much


not best pic but too lazy right now to look for a better one.

Look at Roddick left arm. Tucking it in gives him balance. Also a common misconception is too "jump." these professionals are not "jumping" when hitting their serves.

Another extremely important part of the serve is your grip. 100% of players either use a continental ("shake hands") grip or an eastern backhand grip. I use something closer to an eastern backhand because I mostly use kick serves because I'm not a big server who goes for aces. Do not use your forehand grip (unless its a continental rip.)

[playtoe]

^ woah... kick serves... i can never do that... i have a harder time with my second serves than my first, not that my 1st serves are great... i'd give it a 50-50 at best hehe... for my 2nd serve, i usually end up basically tapping the ball over.

as far a grip goes, i use the eastern grip for both my forehand and one-handed backhand, and my backhand grip for the serve.

So, I've been playing tennis since I was a 6th grader. and I didn't learn how to serve until my freshman year. As of now, I am a senior. My parents and my friends tells me that I'm serving wrong. They tell me to throw the ball higher.. and they tell me that I look funny when I serve. Because my i toss the ball really low.
How do you guys serve?

and as long as you can hit your serves with some consitency, power and accuracy, i don't think it really matters whether or not you have a high/low toss. remember jim courier? he had a pretty low toss...