| A big serve is a huge weapon in tennis. A powerful | | | | useful to observe your opponents closely and see if |
| and accurate serve can allow you to control play, | | | | these strategies seem to apply to their strengths and |
| keep your opponent on the defensive and win a lot of | | | | weaknesses. If you have access to video of your |
| short points. | | | | opponents' previous matches, these would be useful |
| In order to serve well, you need to have reliable | | | | patterns to note. |
| mechanics, an effective pre-serve routine and a range | | | | Adjust Your Serve For Different Surfaces |
| of different serves. In addition, top servers know how | | | | Realize that the tennis ball behaves differently on |
| to disguise their serve, so their opponent can not | | | | different surfaces. Clay,for example will slow down the |
| determine what kind of serve is coming their way. | | | | pace of a big serve. On the other hand, a hard, flat |
| Furthermore, you need to understand the psychology | | | | serve can be a powerful and effective weapon on |
| behind serving well. In my view, there are two kinds of | | | | grass or on a hard court. |
| psychology related to serving. The internal psychology | | | | Adjusting Your Serve To The Score In The Match |
| and the external psychology. | | | | Smart players consider the score when they step to |
| The External Psychology | | | | the line to serve. If you are ahead forty-love, this is the |
| Serving in tennis is a lot like pitching in baseball. In order | | | | time to be aggressive on your first and second serves. |
| to be effective as a pitcher, you need to master a | | | | If you are behind in the game or the match, you may |
| variety of pitches and a variety of pitching locations.A | | | | need to consider a more conservative serving |
| baseball pitcher needs to keep a batter guessing as to | | | | strategy. |
| the location of the pitch, the movement of the pitch | | | | The Internal Psychology |
| and the location of the ball. These same concepts hold | | | | The internal psychology refers to the players ability to |
| true in tennis when the server needs to keep his or | | | | develop the right mental state for serving effectively. |
| her adversary off balance, confused and, when | | | | Most tennis players who I coach want to "serve in the |
| possible, guessing wrong. In short, if your adversary | | | | zone." In order to do this, they need develop a state of |
| does not know where and how the ball will bounce, it is | | | | mind in which they are relaxed, focused and confident. |
| very hard to react to it properly. | | | | I teach tennis pros how to place themselves in a |
| A great server can move the ball around the serving | | | | hypnotic trance prior to serving and how to develop |
| box with different speeds, different spins and with | | | | the right blend of relaxation, focus and confidence. |
| great disguise. Being able to serve down the middle, | | | | Once players learn how to integrate tools like |
| out wide and into your opponents body makes you a | | | | relaxation training, visualization, self-hypnosis and |
| tougher player. In addition,if you can disguise your | | | | positive self-talk into their serving routine, they tend to |
| serve, you can create a lot pressure for your | | | | serve quite effectively. These skills are not |
| adversary.Coming in behind your serve and attacking | | | | complicated, but they take a little time and a little |
| the net periodically, will also help to keep you opponent | | | | practice. Mastering the mental part of serving is a lot |
| guessing as to what you will do next and keep him or | | | | like learning serving mechanics. I generally teach |
| her off balance. | | | | relaxation techniques first and then teach people |
| Adjusting Your Serve To Attack Your Opponent's | | | | visualization and then self-hypnosis. |
| Body Type | | | | Different players require different kinds of mental |
| In general, taller players have difficulty handling a serve | | | | training and psychological tools. One tennis player |
| into their body. Tall athletes like to extend their arms on | | | | needed a hypnotic trance which helped him to feel |
| the ball, so a serve out wide or a serve down the | | | | more confident. Another needed to breathe deeply |
| middle may be easier for them to return effectively, | | | | five times before every serve in order to relax. A |
| than is s a serve which jams them. Taller players also | | | | female player used hypnosis to eliminate distractions. |
| often find it hard to manage a serve which skids or | | | | Many of these top players use our stay in the zone cd |
| slides and stays close to the ground. | | | | program prior to learn how to get into a mental state |
| Conversely, shorter players tend to handle balls that | | | | which has the right balance of the three elements |
| are served into their body better than do taller players. | | | | mentioned above. This program has a total of more |
| Obviously, because of their shorter reach, balls which | | | | than twenty trances for serious athletes. |
| require shorter players to extend for are usually more | | | | Once you master the internal and the external |
| difficult for them to return. Similarly, balls which kick up | | | | psychologies of serving your game will probably move |
| high can be tough for diminutive players. | | | | up a few notches and you will start to win more |
| Realize that these are general rules and there are | | | | matches. |
| always exceptions to them. However, you will find it | | | | |