Tennis serve :top tips and techniques

A good serve is, first of all, a legal and fair one. Even on Wimbledon’s Centre Court, you’ll see the very best of players committing foot faults, so make sure you know the drill. 

The first service of the match should be from the right-hand side of the court. Both feet must be behind the baseline and on the correct side of the centre line until the ball is struck. The ball must be served into the diagonally opposite service court. 

Believe it or not, there’s no rule about serving overhand, and if you’re not yet comfortable with a toss-and-serve or the wind is high, just serve underhand – if your opponent asks what you’re doing, just say we told you so. Although bear in mind that you’re expected to let your opponent know your intention. It’s also your duty (or your doubles partner) to police your own foot position in the absence of a chair umpire. Just remember, honest tennis, there’s no other way.

No tennis shot will be good if it is based on poor foundations - in tennis, this means your grip.

To use their technical terms, the two most-favoured service grips are the continental grip and the eastern forehand grip. 

A quick way to learn the eastern forehand grip is to put the handle of your racket into your belly button, and take the easiest, natural grip you can, as if you’re shaking hands with the racket. Another way to think of it is to position the ‘V’ formed by your thumb and index finger at around 12 - 1 o’clock on your racket handle.

For the continental grip, which is preferred for powerful serves, use the same technique and place the ‘V’ at around 11 o’clock - powerful shots incoming.

Keeping your feet legal is the first thing to do, but once you’ve got them safely planted, your feet are key to getting the ball tossed up on its merry way, with power and precision, of course.

Right-footed? Stand with your right foot behind and parallel to the baseline. Keep your left foot around shoulders width from the right and slightly “in front” of it, both feet still remaining behind the baseline. Your left foot should be pointing diagonally forward towards the right-hand post of the net, with the heel lined up with the ball of your back foot.

This will give you a solid platform from which to bend your back leg, pushing up and forwards through your front foot as you strike the ball. Ace.

The aim of the ball toss is to give you maximum power and accuracy. So how high should you throw the ball? 

Hitting the ball at your maximum reach in your service stance will generate the most power. Of course, you can throw it a foot higher than your maximum reach and wait for it to come down, but this will reduce the power. 

The ideal serve is a smooth single motion with the backswing of the racket working in symmetry with the ball toss. Achieving this symmetry will mean connecting with the ball at full reach and at the apex of the toss – in other words, perfect timing.

If you examine the best of both back and forehand shots, you’ll see that power doesn’t come from hard swings, but from the effortless turning of your body. The same is true of a serve. 

As well as pushing up and forward from your back leg, you’ll be unwinding from a crouch as you turn anti-clockwise through the shot. Bear this in mind as you serve, and try to relax and produce a smooth rather than quick motion. 

This is true for all players, but particularly beginners. Nothing is more frustrating than swinging hard only to produce an out-of-control shot. Instead, take things slow, and build up your power as you progress – this will be by far the best and most successful approach to improving your serve.

Remember, the serve is supposed to be an advantage to the server. Part of that advantage is not just putting your opponent on the back foot with a powerful shot, but also by your moving forward to cut down angles. A smooth motion, power-producing turn, and step inside the court will see you on the attack.

The serve is one of the most technical parts of the game of tennis. It can be a ballet of perfectly moving, perfectly timed elegance. Or it can be a mess. 

Most of us can start off with a decent forehand (fairly) instinctively. The same can’t really be said for the serve – it is part of the game where coaching is very, very useful, even at hobby level. 

If you can’t access coaching, self-directed service drills are well worth trying away from competitive matches. Going through the motions without a ball or throwing a ball up in the air without a racket are worthwhile, and a quick search on YouTube can yield some valuable treasures. 

As you’re practising, observe. 

Because it is a set of movements with relatively few variables, this part of the game is the closest tennis has to a golf swing. or even a yoga or tai chi sequence – it can be learned. In fact, the ideal is to have a smooth, successful routine that you slip into without thought. 

So, as you serve ball after ball, see where they land, and adjust accordingly. Trainers often suggest visualisation as a good way to improve your serve. Imagine a window or frame over the net through which you can aim – if that window sees your service hitting the net, then raise it before aiming through it again. 

That’s game, set and match.