Do you an element of spin on your 1st serve or all out flat??

Question

I usually hit all out flat on 1st serve, when it goes in I usually win the point but my 1st serve percentage is like %10 which is a joke. I tried putting more top on the 1st serve which means the serve gets in more but opponents get the ball back more consistently any ideas??

Answer 1

10% is a bit too low for a first serve percentage... you should be looking for a minimum of 50-60%.  If you check out pro players' serves, even on their flat serves they have a great deal of spin.  The spin is necessary not only for control, but also to bring the ball down into the court faster, allowing you to be able to hit the ball higher over the net and increasing your window for a good serve.  And you can use a slice serve wide on the deuce side (assuming you're a righty) which is also a good first serve and is much easier to get down than a flat serve.  

I was in the same situation as you, with a low-percentage all-flat first serve, but the inability to hold service games forced me to change it up.  I started to use the motion that Federer has, and started tossing more above my head instead of to my side.  You may need to adjust your service style and toss placement up a bit to be able to add spin while retaining your pace.  For examples of serves, you can check out the USTA website below.  

If you do decide to make changes to your serve, keep in mind that while it's a long process to improve it the reward is a dominant serve that you can have supreme confidence in. =)

Answer 2

first serve can have any spin but topspin is a must on the second serve.

Answer 3

I put a TON of slice spin on both of my serves. Not a lot of people would recommend it, but it works well for me. The slice helps it stay in, which means that I rarely have to go to my second serve. My first serve isn't as strong as some players', but I've had my fair share of aces with it.

The thing with slice is that you can position it to be very difficult to get to, and you can have a variety of placements, which makes your serve unpredictable. For example, if you're serving deuce court and you serve way out wide, your opponent will have to MOVE to get there on time. If you're serving deuce court and you serve towards the middle, the ball will spin towards your opponent, cramping their backhand and making the return weaker.

Also, slice will keep the ball low to the ground, since it will skid. It moves forwards more than downwards.

What serve works best for you will really depend on what you prefer, what level you play at, and how you execute it. Hopefully, you'll try a variety of methods out and find what works for you!

Answer 4

i used to use a flat serve and get it in just about 10% of the time as well.  So now i use a kick serve for my first serve.  Most of my opponents can get it back into play, but it sets me up in the point.  Also it gives me time to serve and volley.

If im going for a big first serve, the i usually put a little slice on it, just to give me some margin over the net.