Hiral Merchant

Final Draft

Tennis Serving Instruction Manual

A Merchants Guide to Left and Right Handed Players
Table of Contents
Section 1 Chapter 1 Introduction to Tennis
1. Introduction
2. Objectives
3. Modules

1
2
2

Section 2 Chapter 2 Fundamentals

1. Positioning
2. The Correct Grip
3. What is Lag?

3
4
5

Section 3 Chapter 3 The Implementation of Skills

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

The Perfect Ball Toss

Use your legs! Bend your Knees!
The Trophy Pose
8
Core is Key
8
Applying Lag
The Contact Zone
9
Following Through

5
6
8
9

Section 4 Chapter 4 The Different Serves

1. Flat Serve
2. Slice Serve
3. Kick Serve

10
10
10

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO TENNIS

INTRODUCTION
Welcome to Hiral Merchants guide to learning how to improve
your tennis serve. This manual informs readers the basics and
fundamentals that lead to performing an effective serve. This
guidebook gives in depth instructions regarding positioning, gripping,
lag, ball tossing, body implementation, how to contact through the ball,
and finishing up your stroke.

Hiral Merchant
Final Draft

OBJECTIVES
The main objective for this manual is to provide information
regarding how to become a proficient Tennis server. To do so, this
manual breaks down essential factors that lead into forming an
experienced tennis serve.

Beginners Guide: This manual promotes the implementation of

modern style tennis. This guide simplifies the game, allowing
users to learn how to serve professionally even if it were your
first time playing the sport.

In-Depth Analysis: This manual cover the scopes of a players

tennis serve extensively, explaining: What to do, when to do it,
and how to do it. The user can use this manual as a reference in
understanding what they might be lacking in their game.

Technique and Tactic: This manual includes not only the proper
skills to use during your serve, but how to use them
advantageously against your opponent as well. This guide will
explain when to use what grips with what serves, and how the
serve type and placement will affect the point.

MODULES

Positioning: Figuring out where to stand is ideal for setting up

your serve. Repositioning where you stand will allow more
flexibility in the placement of your serve. The manual offers
intensive information about how to get ready for your tennis
serve.

Grip: You can grip a tennis racket whichever way you want and
still become an outstanding tennis player; although, using a
proper grip will create easier accessibility to hitting a more
consistent serves and strokes. The manual proposes several
known grips, and the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Lag: The manual will provide insight on Lag, or Pre-Stretch,

or Pronation method. This is also known as Playing effortless
tennis, and is what the professionals use to generate their
power and spin. The manual introduces a brief explanation of lag,
and how to implement it in your serve.

Ball Toss: Tossing the ball is probably the most elementary part of
your serve, but its the first step in setting up the point and

Hiral Merchant
Final Draft

requires the most focus. The manual gives simple instructions on

how to toss the ball consistently.

Body: In order to play effortless tennis, you have to get rid of

the excessive body motion, and simply use your legs, core,
shoulders, and wrist. With the help of the lag you produce, you
will generate more power and spin. The manual explains how to
use each body part in detail.

Contact & Finish: The final part of your serve is when youve
made contact with the ball. This manual will provide information
on how to properly make contact with the ball, and how to follow
through and finish up. This manual explains follow through
process of making contact and following through effectively.

CHAPTER 2: FUNDAMENTALS
If youre a beginner, reading through these basic fundamentals is
imperative for understanding key concepts in future explanation such
as lag, and continental grip. Basic fundamentals that you must
know before you prepare to serve are: Proper positioning, grip choice,
and lag. It is necessary for players to continue following these
fundamentals to achieve more consistent game play.
1) POSITIONING
Beginners Tips: If youre new to tennis and have never played the
sport, then the best place to stand is behind the baseline the court
near the middle. You can stand wherever you would like on the court as
long as its on the opposite side from the box that you are serving to. It
is recommended that you dont serve too far away from the baseline.
How to Setup your Feet

Ochoa, Lin. How to Serve in Tennis. 2011. Pickup Sports Blog. Web. 10 Feb. 2015.
<http://blog.ipickupsports.com/author/Lin.aspx>.

a) Right Handed Players

If youre a right-handed player, point your left foot at the
bar that is holding up the net (Right-Side). Next place your right

Hiral Merchant
Final Draft

foot parallel to the heel of your left foot. Your feet should be
facing the bar on the right side for both the Deuce and Adv. Side.
b) Left Handed Players
If youre a left-handed player, point your right foot at the
bar that is holding up the net (Left-Side). Next place your left foot
parallel to the heel of your right foot. Your feet should be facing
the bar on the left side for both the Deuce and Adv. Side.
Intermediate Tips: The further away you stray from the middle of the
court, youll notice that your serves go more outward (after making
contact with the ground the balls direction is leaving the court),
whereas if youre standing more near the middle youll notice your
serves going inward (after making contact with the ground the balls
direction is staying in the court). This all has to do with the angle you
create with your positioning on court.
Advance Tips: If youre looking to apply your serves advantageously,
knowing the strengths and weaknesses of your opponent as a returner
is auspicious. For example, if your opponent is a right-handed player
and has a weak backhand, possibly stepping a bit wider away from
the middle, and angling your serve to go outward would score you an
ace. Even though serving out-wide sounds rewarding, it has its
consequences.
The further you stray away from the middle of the court; youll
notice the amount of spin you have to put on each serve (for the serve
to go inside the court) will increase. If youre putting more spin on the
serve, youre losing in power. The benefits of staying near the middle
of the court on your serve is that it allows you to generate more power
and spin on your serve, without worrying to get the ball inside the
court; however, youll quickly see its harder to hit the ball at an angle.
2) The Correct Grip
If youre playing tennis for the first time, the easiest way for you
to understand the different grips is by holding your racket in front of
you and looking at the octagon that is on the butt of the racket. The
topmost edge of the racket where 12:00 would be on a clock is called
bevel one.

Hiral Merchant
Final Draft

How to Grip a Tennis Racket. N.d. Tennis Equipment Tips. Web. 10 Feb. 2015.
<http://tennisracketbracket.com/pages/tennis-equipment-tips>.

a) Right-Handed Players
For right-handed players, the bevel numbers increase
clockwise. For example, the bevels increase clockwise from bevel
one to bevel two. If you put the palm of your hand where your
right index finger is on bevel two, and align the racket diagonally
with the rest of your palm this is called the Continental grip,
moving clockwise one more bevel, to bevel three we have now
located the Eastern grip, bevel number four is the SemiWestern grip, and finally the moving to bevel 5 is the Western
grip. The hand doesnt have to be directly on the bevel,
professionals in the ATP tour use variations of most grips to fit
their style.
b) Left-Handed Players
For left-handed players, the bevel numbers increase
counter-clockwise. For example, the bevels increase counterclockwise from bevel one to bevel two. If you put the palm of
your hand where your right index finger is on bevel two, and
align the racket diagonally with the rest of your palm this is
called the Continental grip, moving clockwise one more bevel,
to bevel three we have now located the Eastern grip, bevel
number four is the Semi-Western grip, and finally the moving
to bevel 5 is the Western grip. The hand doesnt have to be
directly on the bevel, professionals in the ATP tour use variations
of most grips to fit their style.
Grip

Reminder:
Continental Grip Bevel 2
Eastern Grip Bevel 3
Semi-Western Grip Bevel 4
Western Grip Bevel 5

3) What is lag?
If youre a beginner, then learning how to lag into your serve is
going to be a dynamic change. Lag or the Pronation (Pre-Stretch)
5

Hiral Merchant
Final Draft

method is the motion that you create after your wrist has snapped
when youre about the strike the ball. The process of lag is hard to get
at first, but a few technical tips that make the process easier.
A simple way of going through the process is keeping your arms
and grip loose (the grip should be loose enough to almost be thrown
out of your hand, but for obvious reasons dont let it leave your hand).
The lag process is completed once your wrist snaps when youre about
to make contact with the ball.

CHAPTER 3: THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SKILLS

If youre a beginner, reading through these basic implementation
of skills is significant for understanding essential skills that will improve
your game. This manual gives advise on the following skills: Ball toss,
Body Implementation, and Lag. This chapter also provides useful tips
for players when setting up for their serve.
1) THE PERFECT BALL TOSS
If you have a problem serving the ball into the net, or the ball is
going too far out of the court, it may be a problem with your ball toss.
As mentioned earlier, tossing the ball is easy, but a big mistake is
when the player is throwing the ball instead of tossing.
An efficient way to setup a ball toss for your tennis serve is by
keeping your arms loose. Extend your non-racket arm forward, and
turn your hand as if you were staring at your palm, or think of holding
the ball as if you were a waiter/waitress with a tray in your hand. This
is how your arm should look when youre about to raise it to toss the
ball. It is important to note that your Elbow should not bend and should
be straight until the ball has left your hand. When practicing your ball
toss you want to make sure youre throwing the ball in front of you, so
you can get more body usage and you dont have to bend your neck
backwards to see the ball. It is advised to attempt to toss the ball one
foot or two feet into the court, so if you didnt hit the ball after you
tossed it, it should bounce one or two feet inside the court. The height
of your toss is dependent on how high up you can make contact with
the ball. You never want too short of a ball toss otherwise the ball will
go in the net. If your ball toss is too high, youll have a harder time in
timing the shot as well as losing a bit of pace in your serve.

Hiral Merchant
Final Draft

BallToss.N.d.BBCSPORTTennis.Web.10Feb.2015.<http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/skills/4229708.stm>.

Reminders:
Hold the ball in the opposite hand of the racket.
Dont be tense be loose.
Hold the ball as if you were a waiter/waitress holding a tray.
Raise your arms without bending your elbow
Toss the ball one or two feet into the court in front of you
2) Use your legs! BEND YOUR KNEES!
Your legs are not just for transportation when playing tennis. Use
your legs for your strokes to hit the ball. This is because you dont get
power from your upper body; you get power from your legs. Your upper
body produces the lag method for your shot.
One of the most common phrases you will hear tennis instructors
say to their students is Bend your knees! The reason why bending
your knees is imperative to your success at becoming a proficient
tennis player is because that is where you begin storing, or locking up
your power.
Normally, before bending your knees players transfer their body
weight to their front foot once theyre positioned, then once you begin
going through the ball toss your body weight is transferred to your
back foot. While the player is bending their knees, the body weight is
naturally transferred back to the front foot. When bending your knees
both your front foot and back foot will equally distribute body weight at
one point, this called the Trophy Position.
Other than transferring just your body weight, there are other
things to consider when applying your legs as well such as: Am I
bending my knees right? Did I fully extend? Did I finish correctly?
Knee Bend: When you begin loading up for your serve, your knees
should bend at 90 degrees. This is going to allow you to jump higher in
the air, and allows your upper body to naturally lean back into position
to hit up at the ball. If you dont bend all the way you will potentially
lose power and spin on your serve. If you bend too low itll be harder to
time the ball, as well as strain your muscles.

Hiral Merchant
Final Draft

Andy Roddick's Trophy Position. N.d. SSN Satellite Sports Network. Web. 10 Feb. 2015.
<http://www.satellitesportsnetwork.com/content.php?contentID=292>.

Extension: After youve finished your loading phase your feet should
not be flat; however, your heels should be off the ground and you
should be on your toes. You then should push off your toes and use
your calves to jump in the air. When in the air it is suggested that you
no longer bend your knees, rather keep them as straight as possible
and drive your upper body toward the contact zone.
Finish: Once you have made contact with the ball you want to finish
with all your body weight on your front foot. Your front foot should be
on the ground facing the opposing side of the court (the side you are
serving to). Your back foot should still be slightly off the ground, and
should help you stay in balance after youve finished your serve. Doing
this will help you direct the ball to the opposing side of the court, as
well as generates more power and spin on your shot. This technique
also creates flexibility, because it allows the player to be ready to splitstep into their stroke if their opponent returns their serve.

Knee Bend or Wrist Snap? N.d. Andy's Busy, Now What? Web. 10 Feb. 2015. <http://paulihearttennis.blogspot.com/2009/02/andys-busy-now-what.html>.

In simple terms, you dont want to lose your balance when youre
jumping to hit the ball. Youll need to maintain a center of gravity that
is controlled by your front foot.
3) THE TROPHY POSE
The Trophy Pose is a coined term when describing a players
serves, and should look similar to a tennis trophy. The trophy pose is a
8

Hiral Merchant
Final Draft

traditional technique that helps players get a mental image of how

their body should look once theyve tossed the ball.

Pete Samprass Trophy Position. N.d. SSN Satellite Sports Network. Web. 10 Feb. 2015.
<http://www.satellitesportsnetwork.com/content.php?contentID=292>.

Reminders:
Your knees are bent.
Your weight is equally distributed between your feet.
Your racket arm should be at a 90-degree angle with your racket
behind your head.
4) CORE IS KEY
Applying your core is a technique that will help you naturally
produce lag and strike the ball. The purpose of you implementing your
core is similar to the knee bend, where the main goal is to store energy
for your stroke. Once your core is loaded, the player now has the
flexibility to rotate his shoulders and strike the ball intensely with the
lag method.
5) APPLYING LAG
If youre unfamiliar or forgot what lag is a quick summary is: The
process in which your body rotates and naturally produces a wrist snap
motion, generating more power and spin when striking the ball.
Lag is not something that you force to create; it happens
naturally with the help of your body. If you want to produce lag simply,
an efficient way to go about it is keeping your arms and grip as loose
as possible but in control of your actions (Dont let your racket leave
your hand).

Hiral Merchant
Final Draft

BallToss.N.d.BBCSPORTTennis.Web.10Feb.2015.<http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/skills/4229708.stm>.

When serving you want to lag into the ball as soon as youve
produced a trophy pose. After youve created a trophy pose, you want
to rotate your body where you can swing/whip your arm into the
contact zone. (Note: Your racket should already be behind your head,
and your racket arm should be at a 90-degree angle). Once youve
rotated your body and used it to whip your arm the next goal is making
contact.
6) THE CONTACT ZONE
Knowing where you should make contact with the ball is an easy
task, but its going to be a painful one.
Tasks & Reminders:
Raise your shoulder of your racket arm as high as you can,
this is where you should make contact with the ball.
You want to throw the ball slightly higher than you can
reach, or slightly higher than where you can reach if you
were to jump in your serve.
The second you see the ball dropping, or about to drop is
when you want to make contact with the ball and then
follow through.
Depending on what type of serve you are trying to hit may
change the way you strike the ball in the contact zone.
7) FOLLOWING THROUGH
Following through in tennis is crucial to hitting your shot
correctly. After going through a long process of setting up the serve
and hitting the ball, the last thing you want to do is mess up your shot.
The follow through process makes sure the ball is going in the right
place with the right pace. If you slow down on your stroke you will
possibly frame your serve, causing the ball to go out, or not balance
out your power and watch the serve go out. If you follow through too
fast you may miss the ball or put too much spin over power, causing
the ball to stay low, possibly hitting the net.
10

Hiral Merchant
Final Draft

Following through is also essential for keeping you in balance,

and not falling or hurting yourself after youve served.

BallToss.N.d.BBCSPORTTennis.Web.10Feb.2015.<http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/skills/4229708.stm>.

CHAPTER 4: THE DIFFERENT SERVES

If youre a beginner, reading through these basic serves may
help improve your game strategically. Basic fundamentals we cover
are: Flat serve, Slice Serve, and Kick Serve. This chapter provides
information regarding the continental grip as well.
Different Serves:
1) FLAT SERVE
The flat serve is one of the most common serves. It is easy
for a beginner to learn, as well as a serve that is easy to get in
the court consistently. The benefit of the flat serve is that the ball
goes exactly where you aim it with more power than spin. To hit
a flat serve when striking the ball you hit it directly, which means
you try not to brush up against the ball. Developing a strong flat
serve is key if you want to win some quick points. The flaw of a
flat serve is that it is easy for your opponent to detect and react
to unless you have a lot of pace.
2) SLICE SERVE
The slice serve is also another common serve, but doesnt
get used as often professionally compared to the flat and the
kick serve. The slice serve is also an easy serve to hit and similar
to the flat serve it goes exactly where you aim it. Similar to a flat
serve you strike the ball directly, but instead of purely driving
through the ball you slightly brush against the ball as well. This
will help create that bit of spin that differentiates the slice serve
from the kick serve.
3) KICK SERVE
The kick serve is an intermediate or advance level serve
because you definitely need to know how to properly generate
11

Hiral Merchant
Final Draft

power with your body. Instead of like a flat serve, youre not
directly striking the ball; however, youre suppose to brush up on
the ball as much as you can, trying to generate enough spin for
the ball to drop into the other side.

12