Serve (tennis)

Main article: Tennis shots

A serve (or, more formally, a service) in tennis is a shot to start a point. A player begins a serve by tossing the ball into the air and hitting it (usually near the highest point of the toss) into the diagonally opposite backside box without being stopped by the net. The ball can only touch the net on a return and will be considered good if it falls on the opposite side. If the ball contacts the net on the serve but then proceeds to the proper backside box, it is called a let; this is not a legal serve in the major tours (but see below) although it is also not a fault. Players typically serve overhead, but serving underhand, although rare, is allowed. The serve is the only shot a player can take their time to set up instead of having to react to an opponent's shot.

The serve is one of the more difficult shots for a novice, but once mastered it can be a considerable advantage. Advanced players can hit the serve in many different ways and often use it as an offensive weapon to gain an advantage in the point or to win it outright. Because of this, professional players are expected to win most of their service games, and the ability to break an opponent's serve plays a crucial role in a match.

Legal serves

For any given point, the server is permitted two attempts at a successful serve. A successful serve occurs when a legally-delivered ball lands in the cross-court service box without touching anything in flight. If the ball lands outside the box, it is a fault. If both service attempts result in faults, it is a double fault and the point is awarded to the receiver.

A foot fault takes place when the server assumes an illegal position while serving. A server's feet must not touch the baseline or the extension of the center line until the ball is struck. The server is also required to stay roughly on the same position to prevent the opponent from being misled as to where the serve will originate. Running or walking while serving is not allowed.

If the server tosses and swings his racket but misses the ball, it is a fault, but if a server is unsatisfied with his toss, and catches the ball or allows it to fall, there is no fault and the server may repeat the service attempt.

A service is called a let when the ball hits the net cord but still lands in the service court. Such a serve is not considered a fault and the server may repeat the service attempt. A ball that hits the net cord but lands outside the service box is still a fault.

Andy Roddick at the SAP Open in 2005

First and second serves

The rules make no distinction between the first and second serve. However, the tactics used are different. The first serve is typically struck with the maximum power, skill, and deception the player is capable of with the aim of winning the point either outright or on the next stroke, by forcing the receiver into a disadvantageous position. The second serve is usually more conservative to avoid getting a double fault, and is typically hit with less power or a higher curve.

Stances

There are two popular stances in the tennis serve: the platform stance and the pinpoint stance.

In the platform stance the feet are kept about shoulder-width apart throughout the serve, providing stable support and easy weight transfer from the back to the front foot. The hips rotate, and sometimes the back foot swings forward to complete the hip rotation.

In the pinpoint stance, the feet start apart, but as the serve unfolds, the back foot slides forward until it is adjacent to the front foot. As a result, the feet provide a very small base of support and balance may be a problem.

Advantages of Each Stance

The pinpoint serve provides better velocity, since the feet come together as a single unit, allowing them to push harder against the ground. However, the center of gravity moves more than in the platform stance, so the player must have good body control in order to contact the ball consistently.

Players will sacrifice some power with the platform serve, but their balance will be better so they should be more consistent. It's still possible to produce good power with the platform serve—Roger Federer uses a variation of a platform stance.

The serve each player uses will depend on their individual abilities and what they need the most—power or consistency. If they already have good body control but would like to produce extra power, they could try the pinpoint stance. If consistency is their problem, they can use the platform stance.

Types of serve

In the game of tennis, there are four commonly used serves , two of which can be hit "reversed". The Flat serve, the Slice/reverse Slice serve, the Kick/American Twist/reverse Kick/American Twist serve, and the Underhanded serve. All these serves are legal and allowed for use in professional and amateur play.

The term "kick serve" is ambiguous. Many use it as a synonym for the "Twist serve or American Twist." But most use the term "kick serve" to refer to any serve with heavy topspin/kick on it - that is, the kick serve and/or the twist serve.

Each type of serve has its tactical advantages. By varying the type of serve and its placement, the server gains the advantage in delivering a great variety of serves.

The flat and the slice serves are used primarily as first serves, as they are most likely to ace or force an error although they leave a small margin for error. Second serves usually have topspin/kick on them, which makes them much less likely to land in the net or out. Kick serves also make a good change-up as a first serve.

The fastest serve ever recorded by Ivo Karlović

The fastest serve ever recorded was by Ivo Karlović at 251.0 km/h (155.96 mph).

Among women, the fastest serves have been struck by Brenda Schultz-McCarthy and Venus Williams at 209 km/h (130 mph).

Flat serve

A flat serve is hit with a Continental grip and a swing path directly through the ball so that it doesn't spin and cuts through the air very fast. Professionals can hit flat serves at speeds approaching and sometimes exceeding 150 mph.

A flat serve must come close to the net, so it has a small margin for error. Therefore, flat serves are most often hit straight down the center, where the net is lowest, and they usually are delivered as first serves, when the server can afford the risk. The ball is normally thrown at 12 or 1 o clock for the optimal serving point.

Slice/reverse Slice serve

A slice serve is hit with sidespin, imparted by brushing the back of the ball rightward at contact. (A left-handed server brushes the back of the ball leftward at contact.) It is commonly hit with the Continental grip or the Eastern backhand grip (using the forehand face of the racket).

A sliced serve's sidespin causes the ball to curve leftward and skid when it bounces, curving further leftward after the bounce. A good slice serve curves so much that it can draw the receiver ten feet wide of the singles sideline to play the ball.

The ball is thrown slightly to the right of the server's head and is struck at the 2 or 3 o'clock position.

Since a slice serve has little or no topspin on it, it cannot be aimed high over the net and has little margin for error. So, it is generally used only as a first serve. It can be used to ace the receiver, to draw the receiver off the court and out of position, or to "jam" the receiver with a serve curving sharply into his or her body.

The reverse Slice serve is hardly ever used in professional or amateur tennis except as a novelty. As the word "reverse" is defined, one must hit opposite to the side and opposite to the path of the Slice struck serve.

Kick/American Twist/reverse Kick/American Twist serve

The Kick/American Twist serve was introduced by Holcombe Ward, and Dwight Davis in the late 1800s. The Kick serve is generated by tossing the ball up, and over the head, and then hitting it at the 7 or 8 o'clock position brushing up, and through the ball toward the 1 of 2 o'clock position. When hit correctly, the ball clears the net in a high arch with heavy topspin causing the ball to dive down into the service box, and upon hitting the surface of the court, bouncing high directly toward (Kick), or to the left (American Twist), to the receiver facing the struck serve. For the physics involved in the flight of spinning balls, see the Magnus effect.

The reverse Kick/American Twist serve is hardly ever used in professional or amateur tennis except as a novelty. As the word "reverse" is defined, one must hit opposite to the side and opposite to the path of the Kick struck serve.

Underhanded serve

The Underhanded serve is struck underhanded. In children's tennis, many of the very young children are encouraged to use the Underhand serve on 36' courts. In adult's tennis, this type of serve is normally frowned upon and seen as cowardly and unsportsmanlike.

Serve terminology

• Ace – a serve (not a fault or a let) that is untouched by the opponent.
• Break – server losing his or her game.
• Break point – one point away from a break.
• Challenge – when either player disputes whether the ball landed inside or outside the designated service box. Each player is allowed up to three unsuccessful challenges per set.
• Double fault – hitting a fault on the second service. The server loses the point.
• Fault – an unsuccessful serve that does not start the point because the ball does not land in the opponent's designated service box.
• Foot fault – a fault caused by the server stepping across his base line or the center line before striking the ball with his racquet.
• Hold – Server winning the game.
• Let – a serve is called a let when the ball hits the net cord but still lands in the service court. Such a serve is not considered a fault and the server may repeat the service attempt. A ball that hits the net cord but lands outside the service box is still a fault.
• On serve – both players have held each of their service games in the set or had an equal number of service breaks in the set, putting them "back on serve".
• Service winner – a serve that is touched by the opponent, but not returned.

Players with great serves

Players with demonstrably notable extremely powerful serve and accurate are:

• Roger Federer
• Ivo Karlovic
• John Isner
• Andy Roddick
• Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
• Tomas Berdych
• Robin Soderling
• Gael Monfils
• Juan Martin Del Potro
• Philipp Petzschner
• Michael Llodra
• Nicolas Mahut
• Feliciano Lopez
• Radek Stepanek
• Milos Raonic

Retired players:

• Pete Sampras
• Goran Ivanisevic
• Boris Becker
• Stefan Edberg

Serve-record holders

• Pete Sampras (Considered by many to have the greatest serve of all time. First player to record 1000 aces in a season in 1993.)
• Goran Ivanišević (holds the record for most aces in a season, most seasons leading the tour in aces, and most aces of all-time^{[citation needed]}
• Ivo Karlović (holds the record for the fastest men's serve)
• John Isner (holds the record for most aces in a tennis match)
• Venus Williams (holds the record for fastest serve on the women's tour)
• Serena Williams (Most aces served by a female at a Grand Slam)
• Roger Federer (holds the record for most aces in a Grand-Slam final)^{[citation needed]}
• Andy Roddick (holds the record for fastest serve at a Grand Slam)

See also

• Fastest recorded tennis serves

External links

• Tennis Serve
• BBC Serve Basics
• Videos
  • Service return
• Topspin Serve Instruction