Serving and volley help!

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Serving and volley help!

by Scott
(Melbourne)

I am a 16 year old intermediate player and I am having a bit of trouble on my serve. The problem for me is my inconsistency.

Some days I go out and serve down cannons and everything is great and I can position the ball wherever I want but some days I go out to serve and I simply cannot get any pace and my whole style just feels awkward and unnatural. I sort of "chuck" my ball toss rather than toss it so I'm thinking this is perhaps one reason for the inconsistency but I am sure there are other reasons as there is such a huge difference between my best serving and my worst.

I know about some of what I NEED to do to improve my serve but I want to know how I am able to do those things (forward momentum, ball toss, knee bend etc) Any ideas??

Also, my second serve is rather useless and is a bit of a lollypop serve with little to no spin. So far it works okay but I get the idea that it is limiting my improvement as once I start playing harder players they will pick it off with ease.

However I am working on a kick serve in training but so far can't use it in matches as it is simply too inconsistent for a second serve. I find when I try it though I am slicing it with side spin rather than top spin, and when I try and really hit UP on the ball, there is no pace whatsoever and it barely makes it to the net. How do I produce a kick serve, hitting up on the ball, but still maintaining pace?

Just one more thing, with my volleys, I seem to have a fairly good technique when standing at the net and I have someone hit at directly at me such as in doubles and I can position it past my opposition with ease. However, in singles when I have a volley at the net and I'm running in I usually always stuff it up, no matter how easy it is. I do not punch at it at all and simply jab at it and it lands half way up the court, throwing away my fantastic position in the point and getting passed. Any ideas??

Thanks heaps

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Serving and volley help!

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Jul 20, 2009
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Play Play Play
by: Anonymous

Play Play Play

Jul 21, 2009
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Bad serving days
by: Anonymous

well I have faced a very similar problem with the consistency of the second serve.
We all know everything about where to toss, where to hit the ball, etc etc but some days things just dont work.
One thing that helped me to get consistency is for a few practice sessions and practice matches I just did my topspin serve(mostly what I plan use for second serve) even for the first serve.
This helped me to get the pressure off while serving. I could put even more kick into it, direct it down the T very well and felt good. Remember half way thru a good serving day you would be tempted to start using your first serves again but remember to choose this point wisely.

This may sound too simple but did help me a little. If I again feel that I am losing consistency, I switch back to this strategy.

Jul 21, 2009
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Serves and Volley
by: Mark in Sandy Eggo

Scott,
I won't address the kick serve. You have said that some days your serve is great, and other times it is awkward. It sounds like you are tightening up due to fear and expectations. When you come up to the service line, take a deep clearing breath, relax (I focus on relaxing my shoulders - just let them drop), look at your target, and in your mind's eye, visualize the flight of the ball on your serve. Then just think of nothing but making a good toss. With some practice (surprisingly little) your body will do the rest. Also, make sure you are completely willing to NOT swing when you make a bad toss. Think positive ("Wow, good thing I didn't swing at that one" - instead of "my toss sucks").

On your volley, it sounds like you are treating net position (how close you are to the net) as the objective, and it sounds like you are still moving at the time of the volley. Try doing a split step and stopping well before you have been, even short of the service line. You should be in your split step when your opponent hits the ball. Then, as you make your volley, step into the shot. This does three things - 1) It makes sure you can go any direction in reaction to your opponents shot 2) It makes sure that you have space to step to the ball, putting the weight of your body in the direction you are hitting the ball and 3) It makes it so that your eyes are not bouncing up and down at the critical time that you need to see the ball clearly.

Good luck, and keep with it.

Jul 22, 2009
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Minimum Serves
by: Anonymous

Serve a minimum of 500 daily serves, 7 days a week until you have full control ....... or until your arm falls off ........ ;)

Then serve 500 daily serves 3 days a week minimum including 1.5 hrs. of practice ......... and play tennis matches 2 or 3 days a week ..........

It takes determination, sacrifice, mind control, Attitude, and continuous Professional Training & Practice to be the best !!!!!

Aug 07, 2009
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how to have a hard but accurate serve
by: Anonymous

hit the ball and always aim for the middle of the boxes. at first just hit it with a firm grip and let the racket do the work. once you get good at this try a harder serve but remember to hit down on the ball slightly. hope it helps

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Serving and volley help!

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Serving and volley help!