1
00:00:02,860 --> 00:00:04,367
Hey I'm Andy with tennis warehouse and

2
00:00:04,367 --> 00:00:06,366
today we're going to learn how to hit a

3
00:00:06,366 --> 00:00:08,536
serve. The service arguably the most

4
00:00:08,536 --> 00:00:10,428
important stroke and tennis it starts

5
00:00:10,428 --> 00:00:12,633
every point and when used correctly it

6
00:00:12,633 --> 00:00:15,626
can give you a tactical advantage in the

7
00:00:15,626 --> 00:00:17,426
point. I'm going to highlight the five

8
00:00:17,426 --> 00:00:19,750
key elements that every high-level serve

9
00:00:19,750 --> 00:00:21,977
should have. FIRST it's very important

10
00:00:21,977 --> 00:00:24,110
that you're serving with a continental

11
00:00:24,110 --> 00:00:26,470
grip. Many people when they start out

12
00:00:26,492 --> 00:00:28,790
playing tennis use their forehand grip

13
00:00:28,790 --> 00:00:30,919
to serve. This is called the frying pan

14
00:00:30,919 --> 00:00:33,059
grip and a pancake grip and people can

15
00:00:33,059 --> 00:00:34,936
produce some pretty effective serves

16
00:00:34,936 --> 00:00:37,033
with it but it's going to limit how good

17
00:00:37,033 --> 00:00:38,663
and consistent your serve can be. If you

18
00:00:38,677 --> 00:00:40,425
watch the pros every player is serving

19
00:00:40,425 --> 00:00:42,465
with a continental grip. The easiest way

20
00:00:42,465 --> 00:00:44,715
to find your continental grip is to take

21
00:00:44,715 --> 00:00:46,975
the racket in your opposite hand like so

22
00:00:46,982 --> 00:00:49,223
Take the V of your dominant hand and

23
00:00:49,223 --> 00:00:52,363
work it down the beam of the racket all

24
00:00:52,363 --> 00:00:54,705
the way down to the grip and that should

25
00:00:54,705 --> 00:00:56,979
be your continental grip. This should be

26
00:00:56,979 --> 00:01:00,057
the way that you would hold a hammer and

27
00:01:00,057 --> 00:01:02,297
the V of your hand should rest on the

28
00:01:02,297 --> 00:01:04,404
left bevel of the grip. This is the most

29
00:01:04,404 --> 00:01:06,604
universally used Griffin tennis. Next the

30
00:01:06,604 --> 00:01:09,214
tempo of your serve is very important

31
00:01:09,214 --> 00:01:13,168
you always want to think slow to fast.So

32
00:01:13,168 --> 00:01:14,782
when I'm starting my serve

33
00:01:14,782 --> 00:01:17,148
I want to start very calm and balanced

34
00:01:17,148 --> 00:01:19,270
and you want to start with a ritual that

35
00:01:19,270 --> 00:01:21,330
you can repeat every single time you

36
00:01:21,331 --> 00:01:23,328
serve and what that's going to do is

37
00:01:23,328 --> 00:01:25,674
help you get focused and balance before

38
00:01:25,674 --> 00:01:27,194
every server. For example I like to

39
00:01:27,194 --> 00:01:29,299
bounce the ball seven times before my

40
00:01:29,299 --> 00:01:31,456
first serve and three times before my

41
00:01:31,456 --> 00:01:33,736
second serve and I want to do so with my

42
00:01:33,736 --> 00:01:36,963
feet lined up so that. If I were to draw

43
00:01:36,963 --> 00:01:39,692
a line from my back foot and some to my

44
00:01:39,692 --> 00:01:41,920
front foot it would point at the net

45
00:01:41,920 --> 00:01:44,480
post in front of me. So remember think

46
00:01:44,480 --> 00:01:48,630
slow to fast come still and balanced at

47
00:01:48,632 --> 00:01:51,846
the beginning and fast and explosive up

48
00:01:51,846 --> 00:01:53,347
into your contact.

49
00:01:53,347 --> 00:01:55,848
NEXT I want to get to the most important

50
00:01:55,848 --> 00:01:58,193
aspect of the serve which is the toss a

51
00:01:58,193 --> 00:02:00,097
consistent toss will lead to a

52
00:02:00,097 --> 00:02:02,307
consistent serve while an inconsistent

53
00:02:02,325 --> 00:02:04,685
toss will lead to an inconsistent serve.

54
00:02:04,685 --> 00:02:06,855
Start with your arms straight doesn't

55
00:02:06,855 --> 00:02:08,890
have to be locked out like that, but just

56
00:02:08,890 --> 00:02:10,980
nice and comfortable there with the ball

57
00:02:10,980 --> 00:02:12,930
in the tips of your fingers and what

58
00:02:12,930 --> 00:02:14,551
you're going to want to do.

59
00:02:14,551 --> 00:02:16,463
You just place the ball up above you.

60
00:02:16,463 --> 00:02:18,399
Instead of flinging it out of your hands

61
00:02:18,399 --> 00:02:20,296
You don't want that ball to spin as

62
00:02:20,296 --> 00:02:22,346
you're tossing. Toss location is also

63
00:02:22,346 --> 00:02:24,234
extremely important for your servant may

64
00:02:24,234 --> 00:02:26,394
vary slightly from Player to Player also

65
00:02:26,394 --> 00:02:28,470
depending on what type of server that

66
00:02:28,470 --> 00:02:30,443
you're hitting. But a general rule of

67
00:02:30,443 --> 00:02:32,801
thumb if you picture me and the position

68
00:02:32,801 --> 00:02:34,885
of the toss is like a clock you want to

69
00:02:34,885 --> 00:02:37,798
be tossing right at twelve o'clock

70
00:02:37,798 --> 00:02:39,387
position directly above you.

71
00:02:39,387 --> 00:02:41,416
Some people may move their serves their

72
00:02:41,416 --> 00:02:43,392
toss slightly to the right for a flat or

73
00:02:43,392 --> 00:02:46,195
a slice serve or slightly to the left

74
00:02:46,195 --> 00:02:48,290
for a kick serve but generally you want

75
00:02:48,290 --> 00:02:50,358
to be right around that twelve o'clock

76
00:02:50,358 --> 00:02:52,205
range. Your toss height should be not too

77
00:02:52,205 --> 00:02:54,399
high but not too low. Your top should be

78
00:02:54,399 --> 00:02:57,197
high enough to allow you to not have to

79
00:02:57,197 --> 00:03:00,316
rush your motion and get fully extended

80
00:03:00,316 --> 00:03:02,514
for your contact position yet you don't

81
00:03:02,514 --> 00:03:04,496
want it too high to where the ball is

82
00:03:04,496 --> 00:03:06,713
falling more than a foot or two from the

83
00:03:06,713 --> 00:03:08,969
apex of the toss and be higher than that

84
00:03:08,969 --> 00:03:11,120
when the ball drops a few feet from its

85
00:03:11,120 --> 00:03:13,809
Highest point your toss may be too high

86
00:03:13,809 --> 00:03:15,895
After you toss the ball you're going to

87
00:03:15,895 --> 00:03:17,924
want to move yourself into a loading

88
00:03:17,924 --> 00:03:19,968
position getting ready to explode up

89
00:03:19,968 --> 00:03:21,922
into the ball and it's important here

90
00:03:21,922 --> 00:03:24,244
that we remember our slow to fast tempo

91
00:03:24,244 --> 00:03:26,474
we want our energy to build during our

92
00:03:26,479 --> 00:03:28,809
motion as you do so your left arm should

93
00:03:28,809 --> 00:03:31,539
still be fully extended from your toss

94
00:03:31,539 --> 00:03:33,377
that's going to help keep your left side

95
00:03:33,377 --> 00:03:35,777
of your body up and your knees should be

96
00:03:35,781 --> 00:03:37,900
bent ready to explode up into the ball

97
00:03:37,900 --> 00:03:39,968
with your legs they can they can be one

98
00:03:39,968 --> 00:03:42,098
of two ways here to do it either way is

99
00:03:42,098 --> 00:03:44,348
right or wrong they're both widely used

100
00:03:44,349 --> 00:03:46,279
on the Pro Tour you've got guys like

101
00:03:46,279 --> 00:03:48,511
Roger Federer are Pete Sampras that use

102
00:03:48,511 --> 00:03:50,613
a platform stance where their feet are

103
00:03:50,613 --> 00:03:52,700
still apart their weight is evenly

104
00:03:52,700 --> 00:03:54,780
balanced between their two feet and

105
00:03:54,780 --> 00:03:56,843
they're going to jump up into the ball

106
00:03:56,843 --> 00:03:58,585
without moving their feet. Other guys

107
00:03:58,585 --> 00:04:01,039
like John Isner, Rafa Nadal, myself

108
00:04:01,039 --> 00:04:03,307
actually use more of a step-up stand so.

109
00:04:03,307 --> 00:04:05,384
I may start a little bit wider at first

110
00:04:05,384 --> 00:04:07,334
and then step up into my loading

111
00:04:07,339 --> 00:04:09,445
position now my feet are together my

112
00:04:09,445 --> 00:04:11,697
knees are together once again my weight

113
00:04:11,697 --> 00:04:13,987
is balanced evenly between the two legs

114
00:04:14,003 --> 00:04:16,093
and I'm ready to explode up into the

115
00:04:16,093 --> 00:04:18,232
ball so your knees are nice and bent

116
00:04:18,232 --> 00:04:20,040
you're ready to explode up into the ball

117
00:04:20,040 --> 00:04:22,239
Your left arm is extended and now the

118
00:04:22,239 --> 00:04:24,200
position of your racket is extremely

119
00:04:24,200 --> 00:04:25,010
crucial here

120
00:04:25,010 --> 00:04:26,016
so with that let

121
00:04:26,016 --> 00:04:27,888
storm up you want your racket to be

122
00:04:27,888 --> 00:04:30,119
really close to your face right here and

123
00:04:30,119 --> 00:04:31,892
what that's going to do you want to get

124
00:04:31,892 --> 00:04:33,793
your kind of in a position where you

125
00:04:33,793 --> 00:04:35,652
would throw a baseball or football. If

126
00:04:35,652 --> 00:04:37,371
you didn't have a racket in your hand

127
00:04:37,371 --> 00:04:39,152
kind of right by your face there and

128
00:04:39,152 --> 00:04:41,209
when that's going to allow you to do is

129
00:04:41,209 --> 00:04:43,059
really generate lots of racket head

130
00:04:43,059 --> 00:04:45,264
speed up into the ball.The most commonly

131
00:04:45,264 --> 00:04:47,474
taught mistake here is to get into that

132
00:04:47,475 --> 00:04:49,400
loading position with your racket

133
00:04:49,400 --> 00:04:51,997
scratching. Your back okay and you'll

134
00:04:51,997 --> 00:04:53,892
eventually get to that point but you

135
00:04:53,892 --> 00:04:56,091
don't want to load to there because now

136
00:04:56,091 --> 00:04:58,350
you've got no momentum up into the ball

137
00:04:58,350 --> 00:05:00,660
and you can't generate racket head speed

138
00:05:00,663 --> 00:05:02,652
you want that racket right here so that

139
00:05:02,652 --> 00:05:04,825
as you explode up you're going to drop

140
00:05:04,825 --> 00:05:06,818
the racket and generate racket head

141
00:05:06,818 --> 00:05:09,125
speed up into your contact FINALLY we're

142
00:05:09,125 --> 00:05:11,089
ready to explode up into the ball for

143
00:05:11,089 --> 00:05:13,301
contact your in your loading position

144
00:05:13,301 --> 00:05:15,086
and now this is going to be the fastest

145
00:05:15,086 --> 00:05:16,938
part of your motion as you go up into

146
00:05:16,938 --> 00:05:17,868
the ball

147
00:05:17,875 --> 00:05:19,317
Your arms are going to exchange

148
00:05:19,317 --> 00:05:21,424
positions now so your left arm will drop

149
00:05:21,424 --> 00:05:23,628
into your chest your right arm should be

150
00:05:23,628 --> 00:05:25,931
loose and explosive your wrist should be

151
00:05:25,931 --> 00:05:28,237
very loose and right at your contact

152
00:05:28,237 --> 00:05:30,348
point at the top. You're going to want to

153
00:05:30,348 --> 00:05:32,291
get a nice wrist snap down into the

154
00:05:32,291 --> 00:05:34,438
court one thing that's also extremely

155
00:05:34,438 --> 00:05:35,363
important.

156
00:05:35,363 --> 00:05:37,599
You want to make sure your eyes are up

157
00:05:37,599 --> 00:05:39,617
at contact and you want to try to see

158
00:05:39,617 --> 00:05:41,842
the ball actually make contact with the

159
00:05:41,842 --> 00:05:44,292
strings. As you're at full extension with

160
00:05:44,292 --> 00:05:46,403
your arms there to reach up at contact

161
00:05:46,403 --> 00:05:48,716
your legs should explode up into the

162
00:05:48,716 --> 00:05:50,824
ball and into the court that's very

163
00:05:50,824 --> 00:05:52,129
important.

164
00:05:52,129 --> 00:05:53,779
You want to get your body going into the

165
00:05:53,779 --> 00:05:55,942
court as opposed to behind you. When you

166
00:05:55,942 --> 00:05:58,199
do so you're going to explode up land on

167
00:05:58,199 --> 00:06:00,696
that front leg there and your back leg

168
00:06:00,696 --> 00:06:02,517
will kick up behind you and that's going

169
00:06:02,517 --> 00:06:04,496
to kind of counterbalance you make sure

170
00:06:04,496 --> 00:06:06,381
I'm really balance from that point

171
00:06:06,381 --> 00:06:08,273
you're going to want to recover quickly

172
00:06:08,273 --> 00:06:10,399
and get back into your ready position as

173
00:06:10,399 --> 00:06:12,426
quick as you can for your next shot and

174
00:06:12,426 --> 00:06:14,497
that's the basics of the serve. Be sure

175
00:06:14,497 --> 00:06:16,507
to check out our youtube channel for

176
00:06:16,507 --> 00:06:18,812
more tennis Warehouse Academy videos for

177
00:06:18,812 --> 00:06:22,902
more helpful tips. Thanks for watching.