| The Arsenal | | | | Timing and Placement |
| Let's take a quick inventory of what serves you might | | | | When and where should you use each serve? It |
| have available. | | | | depends on your opponent. Here are some ideas. |
| | | | Start out with the heater, the flat serve. The balls will |
| - Topspin - A slower serve that bounces high | | | | be fresh at the start of the match and should travel |
| - Slice - Moves from side to side like a curve ball | | | | faster. The opponent may not be used to the speed |
| - Kicker - Hit in one direction, bounces in opposite | | | | yet. When you notice the opponent start to adjust his |
| The Delivery | | | | her position in the backcourt and start to get the timing |
| Just like a baseball pitcher who covers his grip on the | | | | down. Throw in a topspin serve and volley. If your |
| baseball before throwing, when serving you want to | | | | opponent starts to 'protect' his backhand side by |
| keep your opponent guessing at what kind of serve is | | | | moving towards the middle on the deuce side, try |
| coming. For instance, typically when a player throws a | | | | serving a slice out wide. Even if they get to it, the court |
| ball far behind his/her head, they are probably going to | | | | will be wide open for a down the line winner. Some |
| serve a topspin serve or kick serve most likely to the | | | | returners will get very defensive and start to chop |
| backhand, if a right handed player is serving to a right | | | | slice the backhand return. I suggest serving a flat serve |
| handed returner. If thrown in front it might be a flat | | | | to their backhand and not a high sitting topspin shot. |
| serve, and a slice serve when thrown to the front side | | | | Slicers seem to have an easier time dinking those |
| of the body. A great way to conceal the serve is to | | | | back. Serve to your opponents weaker side around |
| learn how to hit all your different serves when tossing | | | | %70 of the time and on important points to put |
| the ball in the same spot. Watch Federer or Sampras, | | | | pressure on them. Of course mix that up once in a |
| the ball is tossed in the same spot almost every time. | | | | while to keep them guessing. Change the speeds of |
| Of course you could do something like toss the ball | | | | your serve like a pitcher who throws a fastball once |
| behind your head when serving on the ad side and | | | | and a change up the next. |
| maybe your opponent will expect something to the | | | | Follow these strategies for serving and keep your |
| backhand and you can hit down the middle. | | | | opponent guessing at what's coming next. |