Top 10 Most Common Serve Mistakes

Serve

If you don’t turn your shoulders horizontally, you will likely hit the ball into the net.

If you don’t turn your shoulders enough vertically, it is difficult to get lift-off from the ground, and you will likely be hitting the ball into the net.

If you drop your left hand too soon, the ball will fly horizontally with no spin or slice, and likely hit the net.

If you pull your head down and take your eye off the ball before contact, it will cause the ball to be pulled into the net.

If your toss is too far left, you’ll likely hit the ball into the net because you cannot hit under the ball.

If your toss is too far to the right, it will also be hard to hit under the ball, and you will likely only be able to get the ball in if you hit it with slice. It will feel like all arm.

If your toss is consistently errant, it may be because you are shifting your weight between your feet at the wrong time, causing the ball to move with your body weight. Your body should be still with your weight on the front foot, moving slightly forward when you toss the ball to encourage a slightly forward ball toss. Errant ball tosses can also be caused by a bent left arm, or moving shoulders too much during the toss. I find it is helpful to pause as I rock back, and breathe out slowly to relax myself. Being relaxed helps the toss be more consistent.

If you are hitting many balls into the net consistently, check the above problems. If that does not work, consider checking your overall rhythm. Your motion should consist of an easy toss, body coil, and hit. You should be able to count “one, two, three” with plenty of time as you practice your rhythm.

If you can’t get much spin, keep the face closed on takeback (salute style), with your palm down, rather than opening the strings up to the sky.

Breathing

Telling someone “remember to breathe” will elicit an eye-roll no matter who they are. But the vast majority of people who play tennis get exhausted after only a few shots. Are they really that fat and out of shape? Maybe. But most of the time it is because they are holding their breath while they play, or at least not regulating their breathing properly.

This is what the pros are doing when they grunt. Grunting serves 4 main purposes.

1. It makes sure that you are breathing regularly and you are in control of your breathing.
2. Every time you exhale, it relaxes your muscles more so than if you were inhaling or holding your breath. This helps your explosivity through the shot.
3. There is some indimidation factor, or distraction factor for your opponent.
4. It can also muffle the sound of your hitting the ball, which in some cases can be a small advantage if you did not hit it full strength or if it was a mis-hit.

Do you find it difficult to breathe, or don’t want to be obnoxious about it? Post your thoughts in the comments below!

On to the next lesson: Hitting the ball perfectly every time!