6 TIPS TO MAKE YOUR SERVE AS FAST AS

POSSIBLERachael Hesling

6 TIPS TO MAKE YOUR SERVE AS FAST AS POSSIBLE One of the skills that both amateurs and experienced tennis players work on quite a bit is their serve. With a strong serve, you can quickly win a game. A lackluster serve, on the other hand, makes it easy for your opponent to return the ball. While there are several different aspects of a good serve, one of the most difficult to master is speed.

Too often, people end up sending the ball straight into the net when they focus on speed, or they end up hitting the ball even slower than normal. Serving a fast ball involves more than just manifesting bodily power in the arms. The following tips can help you build the skills you need to achieve a formidable serve.

1. KEEP THE GRIP ON THE RACQUET LOOSE. The most essential part to generating a lot of speed in the ball is to whip it with the racquet, which is only possible when you swing with a loose grip. Amateur players tend to grip the racquet too tightly in general, and the pressure only increases with the serve. Putting less pressure on the racquet allows it to snap in the hand and transfer considerably more momentum to the ball. In fact, following this tip alone should noticeably quicken your serve. If you’re struggling with your grip, you may want to flex your fingers before the serve, similar to how baseball players stretch their fingers before throwing a pitch. A quick flex can help relax your grip.

2. LEAD WITH THE BOTTOM OF THE RACQUET.

Beginners tend to swing down at the ball when they serve, which limits the speed that they can generate. This problem often becomes a habit that more experienced players don’t realize they’ve picked up. Swinging down locks the wrists, when they really need to be loose, in order to help the racquet snap through the ball to generate momentum. When serving, it’s helpful to lead with the butt end of the racquet, which makes it impossible to swing down through the ball and keeps the wrists capable of achieving that necessary snap.

3. STRIVE FOR CONSISTENCY WITH THE BALL TOSS. When serving, too many players overlook the importance of the ball toss—but if you treat it as an inconsequential part of the serve, it will be difficult to achieve consistency. Practice the ball toss until you achieve something that is gentle and consistent. To get the ball in the ideal space for a serve, experts recommend tossing it high and just slightly in front of your body, so that you can move forward into the swing. You can also test your swing on a fence. Standing about one foot from a fence, toss the ball and swing normally to pin the ball to the fence. Your arm should be straight and the ball should still be high off the ground.

4. PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR LOWER BODY. If you have problems with your stance, you’ll find it harder to generate speed and hit the ball with consistency. When it comes to serving in tennis, two technical errors with the lower body are very common. The first error is keeping the legs too straight. To generate power, the upper body stays limber, while the legs provide power. Try focusing on bending your knees to get your body low, and then catapulting upward to generate power. Another common problem is keeping your stance too open. You should rotate your body through the swing, but this is difficult if your feet are too wide apart.

5. RELAX. Because there can be a lot of pressure to serve well, players often tense up before they swing. However, every tense muscle will steal power from your serve. The muscles need to be limber, which means that players should relax before they go into the swing. For some people, taking a few seconds to breathe in and out can clear their minds and let them focus. Others may want to imagine their “happy place,” such as the beach. Figure out what works best for you and try to chill out. To see just how big of a difference muscle tension can make, you can try snapping your wrist while relaxed and again with your arm muscles tensed. In the latter situation, it’s hard to generate speed.

6. ROTATE THE ENTIRE UPPER BODY THROUGH THE SWING.

When serving, it can be helpful to think of your body like a whip. Your arms and the racquet are simply an extension of this whip that transfers the momentum to the ball. A faster whipping motion results in more power. It’s also important to rotate your body consciously through the swing to achieve top speeds. People who struggle with this concept can focus on their shoulders. If your shoulders rotate, the rest of your body will follow. Practicing this motion without actually hitting the ball can help build muscle memory.