Trick Serve

mat huang Asked 8 years ago

Hi Coach,

I think my serves are alright but one thing which is lacking is that i dont have a "trick" serve or like a unique or powerful serve that can win me direct points or give me an easy return.

Most of my competitors have a special serve (e.g. tomahawk, punch serve etc.) which they use for a crucial point.

Just want to know if you or other members have any type of special or trick serves you use so i can take some of those ideas and practice some which fits my style.

Thanks

Alois Rosario Answered 8 years ago

Hi Mat,

Experiment with all types of different serves in your matches and see what works well for you.

The one I like is the High Toss serve because it has subtle variation.

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Jean Balthazar Posted 8 years ago

Once you have found a type of serve that feels good for you, and before investing too many hours perfecting it, make sure that it will provoque a type of return that will be good for you to use (3rd ball attack). For example, if you're a right hander and you work on variations of sidespin pendulum serve, the returns will most often come into your backhand side (because of your sidespin). So if you're not very good at attacking with your backhand, or too slow to pivot and attack with your forehand, this type of serve might not be the most beneficial for you overall. A backhand sidespin serve would tend to bring the returns to your forehand side. So if your FH topspin is very strong, such serve might gain you more points, even if your BH sidespin serve itself isn't that strong and doesn't generate as many direct return fails as your FH pendulum. The best thing to make sure the serve you're working on provoques returns that are manageable for you is to do your serve training with a partner who will return them to you, and you do the 3rd ball attack.

Michael Song Posted 8 years ago

In critical points, I don't think it's honestly about having an ultra special serve and expecting it to end the point, since if that's the goal, you wont have a clear cut way to finish it up if it returned. I'd rather have a serve, simple or complex, that you can trust to set up the point in your favor. Having a special serve is great though, I just wouldn't use it when it's 10-9, maybe a bit earlier to gain that crucial lead. I do believe that this is all up to the personality of the player, and if you think this is the way to go, well, trust your instincts, that's what I always say!

mat huang Posted 8 years ago

Thanks for the meaningful input. Really appreciate it!! :D

D K Posted 8 years ago

Sometimes I use a "sidespin block serve" (I serve with a move that is similar to backhand sidespin block)
For now,70% players have failed to receive the first use of this serve in a match.