TMC- Superior Serve Strategy 101
The serve is one of the most important, if not the most important shot, in the entire game of tennis. It’s a tremendous factor in determining the tempo over the course of the match. This is where you can really take command and put the pressure on your opponent.
But if you fail to win your service game, you place yourself under a lot more pressure and it becomes much more difficult to win the match. That’s why this one concept is so crucial.
Yes, I see players with beautiful “looking” serves that go in. But to be honest with you, those same players aren’t the ones winning on a consistent basis. And the reason why a lot of players find it difficult to win their serve consistently is because their focus is misplaced.
They’re stressing the mechanics a little more than they should. Don’t get me wrong, mechanics are definitely necessary, but the mental part of it is much more important.
What separates the “ok” players and the great ones is their strategy. Being able to know the correct serve to hit in a specific situation, is incredibly crucial. If you just hit it your hardest every time, that isn’t gong to get you the results you want.
Also, you don’t want to use the same strategy for every player. Each opponent you face is going to have different strengths and weaknesses. Knowing what serve angle (…wide, up the T), spin (…topspin vs. the kick serve), speed, and trajectory to use to disrupt your opponent’s individual game plan the most will in fact take you to that next level of serving.
The way you figure this out is to study him before the match. See what types of serve he has trouble with, and which ones he simply rips to shreds.
Some serves that you have to choose from to help build your arsenal:
- The Outwide Serve (pulls your open off the court)
- The T-Serve (straight up the line where the two service boxes connect)
- The Rib-Breaker (down the middle and directly in the body)
- Flat Serve = (P-O-W-E-R)
Remember to mix these up, because you always want to keep your opponent guessing. But hey, if you see he can’t hit one particular serve, and he continuously is making error after error, stick with that!
