Should we change an effective serve

Evgeny Shumilin Asked 12 years ago

Hi, Jeff and Alois

One player at my club told me that in one game that I should have one I had been doing wrong with my tomahawk serve.

My tomahawk serve worked quite well and I even won some points with the serve. But this player told me that instead of serving it so insistantly I should have served other sevrices too even if they had not been as effective not to let my opponent adjust to my tomahawk serve.

So, I want to ask you how often should a player vary his effective serve which gains him advantage in the point to keep the opponent unconfident at reception. Or maybe there is no need in changing a good serve if the opponent receives it ineffectively.

Thanks in advance, Evgeny, Moscow.

Alois Rosario Answered 12 years ago

Hi Evgeny,

I like to serve an effective serve most of the time if it is still working.  Perhaps you can change up slightly sometimes, maybe 1 in 6 serves but if they are not getting used to it then keep serving it.  If you do find that they get used to it later in the match, then change for a little while to change their stance and mindset, but go back to it.