Of all the shots, a tennis player needs to vary his serve the most. There have been significant changes in presentation in recent years. Therefore, before moving on to the teaching methodology, it is necessary to examine a number of important issues that the trainer must take into account in his work.
As you know, there are three types of feed: flat, twisted and cut. However, at present, a combination of a flat serve (Fig. 28, a) and a serve with rotation of the ball, which is close in coordination of the movement pattern to a flat serve, has become widespread.
The first serve is usually a flat one, which ensures fast flight of the ball and immediately creates the conditions for winning a point; serves with spin on the ball are used as the second serve.
Before teaching the spin serve, the coach should again demonstrate to students the basic mechanics of the serve motion.
When performing a serve, the hand and racket act as the striking end of the whip, and it is very flexible. The hand tenses exclusively only when the racket comes into direct contact with the ball. A special role is played by the hand, which at first lags a little behind, and then overtakes the forearm and shoulder and, as it were, whips up the ball.
The main rule of serving with ball rotation is to gradually accelerate the movement of the racket, while the muscles of the arm and torso should be firm, but not tense. You need to learn how to hold the ball on the string surface of the racket, “rolling” it from one edge of the rim to the other. Only in this case is a good so-called “combing” of the strings across the ball achieved, and, consequently, its rotation.
We will not go into details of the serving technique, which is quite well described in the methodological literature. Let’s just help the coach understand two more points related to teaching the serve: spinning the ball and throwing it up.
Imagine that the ball has a clock face on it. In this case, with a cut serve, when the ball rotates approximately around a vertical axis (movement of the string surface of the racket from left to right-down), the racket will come into contact with the ball at a point around 3 o'clock. on the dial (Fig. 28, b).
Rice. 28. Different positions of the racket head relative to the ball when serving: a - flat; b - cut; c - twisted; g - with inclined rotation
With a twist serve, the axis of rotation of the ball is closer to horizontal and the path of the string surface of the racket along the surface of the ball is much longer, and the direction of movement is from left to top to right (Fig. 28, c). With the movement of the hand, the server strives to describe a semicircle around the ball. In this case, the racket comes into contact with the ball at about 1 o'clock on the dial.
In technical terms, cut feed is simpler. However, an analysis of the serves of the strongest players in the world suggests that they use a serve that is something between a sliced and a twisted serve. The axis of rotation of this serve is close to an axis that has an angle of 30° to the vertical axis of rotation of the ball. The racket comes into contact with the ball at the 2 o’clock position on the dial (Fig. 28, d). We will henceforth call this serve a serve with the ball rotating around an inclined axis or simply a serve with inclined rotation.
If the toss of the ball for a pronounced slice serve should be to the right and in front of the head and shoulder, then for a curved serve it is much to the left and slightly behind the head. A serve with rotation of the ball around an inclined axis requires a toss, very close to a toss with a flat serve: it is necessary to make a slightly greater deflection of the body, and the racket, as it were, picks up the ball at a lower point and, moving from bottom to top, makes a good “comb” of the strings over the ball. In initial training, in order for the serving skill to be flexible, it is very valuable to teach students both a flat serve and a serve with rotation of the ball around an inclined axis.
I would also like to remind you that twisted and sliced serves, executed half-heartedly, differ sharply in technique from serves executed according to all the rules, and usually cause bad habits.
A group lesson should be structured like this.
First, the coach demonstrates all three types of serves - flat, twisted and sliced. If the coach himself cannot reproduce them, it is necessary to invite players who master these serves to the lesson.
After the demonstration, the students still do not have a clear idea of the difference in feeds, so it is advisable to use a small device for this purpose (Fig. 29). A tennis ball is placed on a knitting needle, in which two holes are pierced with an awl. The ball should rotate easily on the spoke, which is its axis. This device allows the coach to explain to students in an accessible form how the ball should rotate during a twisted serve, a cut serve, and a serve with rotation around an inclined axis. Using the same device, each student can try out the movement of the racket, which can achieve rotation of the ball. For this purpose, the coach stands on a chair or stool and holds the ball on the knitting needle so that the student can use the racket, without much strain on the arm, mainly due to the movement of the wrist, to spin the ball on the knitting needle while twisting, cutting and serving with rotating the ball around an inclined axis (Fig. 30).
Rice. 29. A device for demonstrating the rotation of the ball with various serves - “knitting needle with ball”
Rice. 30. Testing the rotation of the ball when serving on the “spokes with the ball” device
When students finally understand the intricacies of serving with ball rotation, it is advisable to use another auxiliary exercise.
The student takes the starting position: the racket is placed behind the head, the racket handle rests on the right shoulder (Fig. 31, 1). After this, the person practicing with his left hand throws the ball up and slightly behind his head and with a quick upward movement tries to spin the ball so that it flies up and resembles a twisted candle in its flight (Fig. 31, 2).
Rice. 31. An auxiliary exercise for developing the sense of “combing” the ball in students
This exercise accustoms students to the feeling of “combing” the ball with a racket. After mastering the exercise, you can move on to a full study of the serve movement.
It should also be noted that the rotation of the ball is better if you use a racket grip for a backhand shot. This grip ensures that when making a loop with the racket behind the back, the correct position of the racket head, which the student often turns upwards before hitting.
The use of pitching exercises, as well as the study of complex pitching techniques in a segmented manner, are a distinctive feature of children's training. But you shouldn’t spend too long on approach exercises and it’s advisable to move on to training serves with rotation directly on the court.
The training group is divided into two parts: one half lines up at sufficient intervals on one side of the court near the baseline, the other on the opposite side.
The first subgroup takes the starting position for serving and repeats, on command, the imitation of the movement for serving with rotating the ball. Then the ball is tossed while simultaneously swinging the racket back and up.
After watching the students perform these movements, the coach allows those who have achieved the correct coordination of movements to serve through the net. In this case, each student receives one or two boxes of balls (6-12 pieces).
In the initial development of serving with ball rotation, attention is paid to the ability to “comb” the strings of the racket over the ball, to the ease and coordination of movements, which consists of the “work” of the legs, the position and movement of the torso, shoulders, forearm and hand with the racket.
Usually, for most players the ball spins poorly. This is primarily due to poor ball tossing. If the ball is thrown in front of the player, it is difficult to spin it, and after being hit it flies down, often not even reaching the net. If the ball is thrown very strongly behind the head, then after the hit it flies far beyond the net, not falling into the service field. True, it is still better when the ball initially flies further rather than down, since the student gradually learns to spin it, and this is the main success of the initial mastery of a serve with rotation of the ball and getting into the service square.
After mastering the “combing” of strings over the ball and good rotation of the ball, it is advisable to conduct training near the fencing background and against the wall. It is not advisable to start teaching rotation near a background, since it is difficult for students, who are usually located a few meters away from it, to monitor the good spin of the ball and estimate the amount of rotation.
When students can hit the ball into the service field, they need to begin learning a “set” of serves - the first serve is flat, the second with the ball spinning. The score of “progress” is carried out by the coach for the complete execution of serves.
Practitioners should get used to the transition from a strong "slam" on a flat serve to a "comb" on a spin serve. This skill needs to be cultivated in students who are initially learning to serve, then those who practice in the game will be able, depending on the tactical moment, to use one or another strike on the ball (flat or with the ball spinning).
Then you need to train those involved in serving with coordination that allows you to immediately go to the net.
Usually the main obstacle that prevents you from immediately going to the net is the so-called “folding”, or squatting, after hitting the ball.
To reach the net after a serve, you need to throw the ball slightly forward, and at the moment of impact, also tilt your torso forward so that only the right leg put forward after the serve keeps the server from falling. This type of serve “carries” the server forward after the hit.
You need to train a serve that allows you to reach the net immediately, without allowing the skill to remain in place after serving to take hold.
The coach needs perseverance in teaching this technique, since those who train in childhood do not yet have an effective serve, and when they run to the net during a game with a score, they often lose. The coach’s task is to convince students of the great promise of such a tactical technique.
In parallel with this, it is also necessary to teach those involved to quickly return after serving to the starting position behind the back line.
When mastering a serve with ball rotation, it is necessary to simultaneously teach students a modern counterattacking serve technique.
The games of the strongest tennis players usually take place under the sign of the server's advantage. Winning the game on your serve is an unwritten law of modern tennis. It is enough for the server to lose the game on his own serve, and the game often ends in favor of the opponent. This indicates that the serving technique has become significantly higher than the serving technique.
Meanwhile, rarely do any coaches, especially in initial training, specifically teach the technique of serving. The technical side of receiving a serve has not been sufficiently analyzed either. Therefore, the task of the coach is to teach students how to receive a serve, not in a static position, as is the case with most beginners, but in movement towards the ball. That is, the serve must be not only a defensive means, but also a counterattack.
What points should be learned in the initial training in serving?
Firstly, the position for waiting for the ball must be within the court, half a meter inward from the baseline.
Of great importance for the receiver of the serve is his starting position, which should resemble the starting position (Fig. 32, 1). It is very important to be able to quickly remove yourself from a static position while receiving a serve. The strongest players, for example, as soon as they hear the sound of a hit when serving, make a slight jump.
Rice. 32. Reception of serve:
1 - starting position, 2 - running strike with a short swing at a point in front of the body
The receiver must also learn, depending on the strength, speed and rotation of the opponent’s serve, to be able to change the rhythm and nature of the movement of the racket when receiving. Due to the short time available to the receiver, movements with large swings become unsuitable here, and strikes involving only the forearm and hand come to the fore (Fig. 32, 2). These strikes must be performed on the move, with a short swing, at a point in front of the body.
When teaching how to receive a serve, the coach identifies two students who are located on one side of the court behind the back line. A basket of balls (30-40 pieces) is placed next to each one. Those learning to receive a serve, also no more than two people, take a position 3-4 m from the service line on the other side of the net and take their original starting position.
The servers (without rackets) throw the balls into the service field when the coach claps his hand. The trainers who receive the clap, putting the racket forward, take one or two steps towards the flying ball and after it bounces off the ground without swinging, only placing the racket, they meet the ball and try to push it back through the net without hitting the ball. You should try to do the “poke” as early as possible. It is allowed to do it with both hands.
The throw power of the ball servers needs to be adjusted depending on the skill of the receivers. If the receivers do not have time to reach the ball (this happens especially often with girls), then they need to throw the balls with a greater trajectory and less force.
After each reception of a serve, at the coach’s command, the receivers again take their starting position. During pauses between serves, the coach makes comments to the students. Then the exercise is repeated. After the students have received 10-15 serves, they go to throw the balls, and those waiting in line to receive the serve collect the balls and put them in a basket near the servers.
In this way, students gradually become accustomed to free actions when receiving the ball, and they gain confidence in their actions. Subsequently, students learn to make short swings with the racket and move on to receiving serves not by “poking”, but by hitting the ball.
One of the most important strokes in tennis is the tennis serve. This is the name of the shot with which the ball is put into play. A good attacking serve in tennis can immediately win a point, so it must be accurate and strong enough. The best way to serve a tennis serve is to hit the ball at the highest point.
To perform a tennis serve you need:
- Take a certain starting position. The player stands sideways to the net.
- The legs are shoulder-width apart, with the left leg (for right-handers) pointed forward, towards the back line of the court.
- The racket is held in front of you at approximately waist level.
- When swinging, the trajectory of the hand with the racket looks like this - to the side - down - back. At the end of the movement, the swing transitions into a looping motion of the racket behind the serving player.
- After the racket falls behind the body, the player brings it towards the ball with increasing speed in one vertical plane along an upward and forward trajectory. The racket meets the ball at its highest point, and at this moment of impact the player is stretched upward as much as possible.
- After separating the ball from the string surface of the racket, by inertia the hands continue to move forward and downward along the trajectory.
It is very important to throw the ball correctly when serving in tennis. The ball is thrown up with an almost outstretched hand approximately above the left foot (for right-handers) to a height at which the strike will be approximately made. It is necessary to monitor the accuracy of the toss - if the ball is not thrown accurately, the player will have to lean to the side to hit, which will cause loss of balance, lower the point of impact and ultimately reduce the likelihood of hitting the service field.
- Flat feed
A flat serve is produced by a sharp blow with the wrist and an open racket. With a flat serve, the first thing that matters is the force of impact, and, of course, accuracy.
- Cut feed
With a cut serve, the swing is made outside the body of the serving player, the ball is hit from left to right (for right-handers), after which the racket goes down to the left foot, as with a flat serve. The cut serve is used to force the opponent out of bounds. This is especially important when your opponent's forehand is a weak point.
- Twist serve
A twist serve is made by hitting the racket lowered behind the back, which then shoots up sharply and hits the ball. When serving a curved serve, the ball should be thrown behind the head, and the accompanying movement of the racket goes high and ends away from the player's body. The spin serve is primarily used as a reliable second serve. True, it is very, very important that it be accurate.
Know how to properly prepare for serving. Serving is a very important part of tennis and if a player is unable to serve the tennis ball into the game, then it will have a significant impact on the game. This usually results in the serving player becoming nervous and depressed due to a poor serve. Hit the ball on the court a couple of times, inhale and exhale. This will help calm your nerves and help you focus better on your serve.
Know how to hold your racket correctly. The grip with which you hold the racquet is a major factor in determining the spin of the ball, the power and accuracy of your serve. Typically, pitchers prefer a continental grip. A continental grip is when your fist is aligned with the right edge of the racket so that the racket and your hand become a straight line. This grip allows the serving player to control the power and accuracy of the serve.
Find your own play style. Knowing your playing style and the shots you prefer to crush your opponents with will form the basis of your desired serving style. Those wishing to confuse their opponents use the "serve to net" style of play, in which the server approaches the net sharply after the ball has been served to the opponent's side. For others, back line players, it is more comfortable to hit the ball with a rebound than to score curveballs near the net to an opponent puzzled by such an unexpected turn of events. If your playing style doesn't match your serving style, this may be the main reason why you are backed into a one-sided corner.
Decide which delivery style suits you best and stick with it. This is a big problem for most current tennis players. Perhaps one day they think they would like to learn a flat serve, another day they think they would like to learn a curve serve. The server should focus on only one serve. If you are working on several serves at the same time, there is a good chance that none of the serves will be fully learned by you, and you will lose due to weak serves.
Maintain proper form. Practicing serves for a long time in training helps a player develop his own form. But once a player takes a break for a week or two, he/she begins to forget the practiced form. This leads to problems when serving, which consequently leads to the destruction of the inner spirit of the serving player.
Jump and sudden impact. Jumping your serve will give you the advantage of height and increase your chances of getting the ball into the service square. Hitting the tennis ball hard and suddenly will cause you to have a lot of spin on the ball, which is unlikely to come back to you.
Folding with scrolling. This is a complex technique used by many people who prefer modest serves. This technique requires you to rotate your hand, bringing your hand down tangent to the ball. This will add power and spin to the ball, increasing your chances of getting the ball into the service square.
Innings. The most important serve in tennis is not the first, as you might think, but the second. The first serve is usually the play and sets the tone for the points, but the second serve is usually a reserve serve that has an 80-90% chance of putting the ball in play. If you miss the first serve, don't feel ashamed that you couldn't earn a point won by one hit. You need to understand that the second serve will require you to hit the ball harder and swing the racquet faster at the point of contact, as this will allow you to spin the ball more, increasing your chances of putting the ball in play.
The game of tennis begins with the serve, which is why so much attention is paid to the technique of serving in tennis.
The correct serve of the ball in tennis depends on several factors:
· Clean execution technique and automaticity of movements
· Impact speed and force
Focus on the strike and ignore distractions
The nuances of correct serve in tennis:
· Master the technique of serving. When learning to serve in tennis, the technique is first practiced in a slow and smooth manner to such an extent that every movement on the machine is performed correctly.
Tennis serve training is best taught by an experienced coach. With it you can choose the style of play with which you are most comfortable. If you have studied with a coach, you will not have any questions about how to serve correctly in tennis.
· Stand in front of the back line of the court, on the right side of the middle of the line with your side to the net.
· Before you start serving, hit the ball a few times on the court - this will help you concentrate and prevent your opponent from distracting you.
· When hitting, focus your attention on the ball and the point you want it to hit.
· Position the racket correctly for the shot. According to the rules of serving in tennis, the ball can be served either from above or from below, but beginners are advised to try the left (continental) grip of the racket when serving in tennis. It helps increase the efficiency of the movement: with a continental grip, the fist is in line with the right edge of the racket, the racket and outstretched arm form a straight line).
· Grab the ball with all your fingers and throw it with your straight hand to such a height that when serving you can hit it with the racket extended upward (There are flat, sliced, knockout, twisted serves in tennis. Serve the ball in front of the body, performing a flat serve, and slightly behind the head while performing a twist serve (in tennis, beginners use these types of serves less often).
· Hit the racket hard while following the ball. The ball must be directed diagonally.
· During the serve in tennis, running, jumping, and moving within the court are prohibited.
· Finish the movement by shifting your weight to your left foot and lowering the racquet to your left side.
How is a serve counted in tennis?
According to the rules of serving in tennis, a serve is not counted if the player serves the ball incorrectly or from the wrong position, or if he misses the ball. If, when serving in tennis, the ball hits the net, a net post, an opponent, or flies out of the field (over the line), the serve is also not counted.
If the ball hits the field, the opponent's racket, or the boundary line, according to the rules of serving in tennis, it is considered counted.
If your opponent informs the referee before serving that he is not ready to receive, your serve will not count.
After a failed first attempt, the player is entitled to a second serve in the same field. If the second attempt is also failed, the point goes to the opponent.
Regardless of a player's experience, bad serves happen to everyone. But constant training and control of technique will help increase the percentage of successful serves in tennis.
The serve, as the most powerful blow in tennis, affects the outcome of the entire game, so if a tennis player performs this element with violations and errors, it is difficult for him to count on winning. Most coaches pay a lot of attention to teaching the correct serving technique, striving for the student to achieve perfection of this basic strike.
- At the beginning of training, it is worth mastering the technique of smoothly and leisurely hitting the ball with a racket;
- Just before the moment of impact, the racket must be positioned so that it is behind the athlete and points straight up;
- The player must follow and hit the ball hard;
- After contact with the ball, you need to lower yourself onto your left foot (if the tennis player is right-handed), and the racket stops moving at the left side.
We must not forget that all the athlete’s movements when serving must be worked out literally to perfection. When a serve is made, a tennis player cannot concentrate on maintaining the technique of all elements; they must be performed automatically.
Racket position when serving
When a student is just mastering the serve technique, an experienced coach must introduce him to the left (continental) grip, which helps increase the speed of performing the element by almost 15%. Many novice tennis players find the left grip not very comfortable, but it is learned quite quickly and significantly helps improve the effectiveness of the stroke.
Player position when serving and preparation
At the moment of service, the athlete stands in front of the back line of the court, without stepping or stepping over it. The ball is served into the first square of the court, so you should stand to the right of the middle part of the back line, in a lateral position. The player’s feet are spaced shoulder-width apart, with a right-hander leaning on his left leg and a left-hander leaning on the opposite.
When preparing to serve, the athlete focuses on the upcoming shot and hits the ball a number of times on the court surface. You should completely ignore your opponent’s distracting techniques if they are present.
Ball toss
Before throwing, the player extends his hand forward and takes the ball with all his fingers at once. Then he throws it up with a straight hand, here it is important to avoid a low toss - the serve is made at the moment of the jump, and the racket is pointed vertically upward. If a tennis player intends to execute a flat serve, then the ball is thrown in front of the body; if it is a twisted serve, then it is thrown slightly back, behind the head.
Serving in tennis
