4 Types of Tennis Serves
The serve is probably the most important shot in tennis as it is the first shot in every point and can allow you to dictate the point from the very first ball.
Having a powerful and consistent first and second serve is, therefore, a big advantage in tennis.
4 Types of Serves in Tennis
The four main types of serves in tennis are the Flat, the Slice, the Kick, and the Underarm Serve.
1. Flat
The flat serve is the most powerful of the four types and is used most often as a first serve.
The serve that is hit flat has less spin on it when compared to a slice or kick serve which means it is a riskier shot as it is more likely to go into the net or sail long.
This is why I wouldn’t recommend using a flat serve for your second serve.
Instead, you should opt for a slice or kick serve as you will be less likely to double fault.
The main advantage of a flat serve is that you are more likely to ace your opponent or even if you don’t get an ace, a good serve that is hit flat can allow you to dictate a point.
Although you can get an ace using a slice or kick serve, it is more common to get aces by hitting your serve flat.
2. Slice
The slice serve has a slower pace than a flat serve but because of the spin on the ball, it is a more consistent serve to hit.
Beginners often use a slice serve as their first and second serve as it is easier to learn than a kick serve and is more consistent than hitting every serve flat.
For more advanced players, a good tactic to use a slice serve for is to slice the ball out wide on the deuce side if you are a righty or on the ad side if you are a lefty.
If executed correctly, this will open up the opposite side of the court so you to hit a winner.
Tip: Even if you have a good flat serve as your first serve, it is useful to throw in the odd slice serve as this will keep your opponent guessing.
3. Kick
The kick serve is probably the most important serve to learn but ironically is probably the least used at the recreational level.
A kick serve is ideal to use for your second serve as the ball is hit high over the net and the spin generated on a well-executed kick serve will cause the ball to kick up on your opponent, making it hard for them to hit a strong return.
As the majority of recreational players have weaker backhands, a good tactic to use with a kick serve is to hit it to your opponent’s backhand side the majority of the time with the odd one going to their body or forehand side to keep them honest.
4. Underarm
The underarm serve is the least used of the four types mainly because it is hard to pull off effectively and some see it as showing disrespect to your opponent as it relies on catching your opponent on the hop as they aren’t expecting it.
It is especially effective if you have a powerful first serve and your opponent is standing way back in order to return your serve.
In this situation, it can be a good idea to hit an underarm serve as your opponent will have a greater distance to cover to get to the ball.
I wouldn’t recommend using the underarm serve in a competitive match but you can throw it in if you are having a friendly match with people you know well.
Nikola Aracic from Intuitive Tennis has a good video on why you shouldn’t use the underarm serve.
Common Serve Mistakes in Tennis
1. Little to no Pronation
A common mistake I see from recreational players is the lack of pronation on their serves.
Correct pronation is often the key to getting more power on your first serves.
2. Using a Forehand Grip
Using a forehand grip is another big mistake I see at the recreational level.
Having a forehand grip makes it hard if not impossible to pronate on your serves and you are more likely to have a waiter’s tray position when you are in your trophy position.
Many players can get decent power using a forehand grip but when they have to hit a second serve, they usually have to just tap the ball over the net as they find it hard to generate spin on the ball using a forehand grip.
3. Not tossing the ball in front
Another common mistake I see with recreational players is tossing the ball too much over their heads rather than out in front.
The result of this is that they lose a tremendous amount of power and speed on their first serves.
4. Not throwing the ball high enough
This next mistake is probably the one I see most frequently and that is making contact with the ball too low.
If you want to hit a good serve then your arm should be fully extended and you should be reaching for the ball when you make contact.
5. No Serving Routine developed
The last mistake I see from recreational players is the lack of a serving routine.
I am not saying you have to bounce the ball 30 times in a row before you hit the ball but you should develop some sort of routine so that you can improve your consistency.
It is also important to take your time and not rush between hitting a first and second serve.
Tips for hitting a better Serve
1. Use a Continental Grip
Use a continental grip for all your serves (slice, kick, and flat) so you can better disguise what type of serve you are about to hit.
For example, If you use a different grip for a flat and a kick serve, then your opponent will know what type of serve you are about to hit when they see you changing your grip.
2. Mix up the type of serves you hit
Be sure to mix up the type of serves you hit to your opponent as you don’t want them to get comfortable on their return.
Don’t just always hit flat on your first serve and then a kicker for your second serve as your opponent is likely to get comfortable returning these shots as they know what’s coming.
Instead, I would recommend that you mix it up by hitting a kick or slice as a first serve every now and then.
This will keep your opponent guessing and will avoid the risk of them getting comfortable on their return.
3. Mix up your targets
It’s important that mix up your targets and try to avoid hitting the same location each time as you will make it easy for your opponent to read your serve.
Your favorite serve might be hitting it to your opponent’s backhand but you should mix it up every now and then by serving to their body or forehand.
This can be quite effective even against players with good forehands as they are expecting you to hit to their backhand so often they can be caught unaware if you hit a good serve to their forehand.
4. Go for control rather than power
Don’t always try and blast your first serve, as you should consider the strengths and weaknesses of your opponent as sometimes a slower serve to the player’s backhand will result in a weak return or an error.
5. Master the flat serve first
It is important to master your flat serve first as if you learn a slice or a kick first then often recreational players will find it hard to hit a purely flat ball afterward
