Exaggerated Learning:
The Serve

Dave Hagler

In the first article, (Click Here) we saw that by exaggerating certain geometric and technical patterns, players could make significant breakthroughs in their ability to control the tennis ball on the groundstrokes. This article applies the same concept of exaggeration to the serve.

Learning to control placements, spins, and rhythm on the serve are critical to improving and achieving competitive success. Exaggerated learning helps players do this without fear of failure. Try out these exaggeration drills and see if they lead to a breakthrough on your serve.

Controlling Service Placement

All coaches have seen high level players who can not hit serves to all parts of the service boxes. The exaggerated solution is to have your players practice their serve from the service line. Have them aim wide and down the T in each court.

I guarantee that whichever serve is most difficult for them to hit from the service line will be the most difficult for them to hit from the baseline as well. This drill will help them create a real feeling for all the placements. In my experience, players trained in this drill are much more likely to be able to hit different serves in pressure situations. You can have players progressively move back to the baseline, doing it from 3/4 court as well.

In small group settings I set up targets and have players compete against one another or try to achieve a new personal best on a wide or T serve in each court. Players can see their improvement and seem highly motivated by assigning point totals based on relative accuracy. If you are concerned that players will develop some bad habits from serving from so close to the net, you can offset this by having them also serve from several feet behind the baseline.

Hitting a Slice Serve

Have the player start from the sideline T on the deuce side if they are right handed and the add side if they are left handed. The toss should be slightly forward and into the doubles alley. Have the player attempt to hit the outside of the ball (3 oclock for a righty and 9 oclock for a lefty) as opposed to back of the ball. As soon as the student achieves success, move them 2 steps further from the net and one step towards the middle. Progressively move the server towards the baseline and the serving T. Many students will be able to hit and control a slice serve within minutes.

Hitting a Topspin Serve

One pro in my area who was in the top 10 U.S. as a player believes that everyone over the age of 5 should hit a topspin serve. I do not believe that a player should learn to hit a topspin serve until he or she can hit a relatively flat and a slice serve. While I realize that on the pro tour truly flat serves do not exist, there is a great deal of evidence that learning to a hit topspin serves too soon is NOT in the best interest of the player for developmental and physiological reasons.

When the player is ready to hit topspin, here is the Exaggeration Drill. Have the player serve from at least 10 feet behind the baseline. The player should serve from the add court if right handed and to the deuce court if left handed. He should be asked to move his grip slightly if he serves with a Continental grip, he should be asked to move the grip away from Continental to a slightly more extreme backhand grip. toward the top of the frame. Have him throw the ball (on his service toss) so that it would hit his back heel (if his stance is slightly closed), you may use a different reference point if he utilizes a different stance. Ask him to hit the ball "up," and tell him it can land anywhere between the service line and the baseline. The trajectory of the serve should initially be similar to that of an offensive lob.

The goal is to help him learn the feel of hitting upward and generating topspin. You may also want him to try finishing on the same side of his body (i.e. outside his right leg for a right handed player). As he achieves success you can move him closer to the baseline and/or have him attempt to hit his serve into the service box. This process tends to take longer than learning a slice, but it will work!

Serving Rhythm

Serving problems are often rhythm problems. Ask your student to close his or her eyes and serve a "normal speed" serve. Have them model the motion without actually hitting the ball. Then ask the student to keep his or her eyes closed and "hit" one or two serves at a slightly slower speed, and then the same number slightly faster. Ask the player which serve feels better. If one or the other feels better than the normal serve, then 99% of the time, that is the modification that is needed.

Hand Position

You can also change the rhythm by having students change their starting position by raising or lowering their hands 2 or 3 inches. This will affect their timing a great deal. You might also have them toss a bit higher then lower than normal. Would I have a student try all of these the same day? No, but with practice you will have a very good idea of what will work for each student.

Extra Special Thanks to the following students for doing the exaggerated demonstrations so well: Travis Tu, Lestter Yeh, Ashley Dai, Eric Gao and Valerie Thong.