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How to serve in tennis: A comprehensive guide for beginners
If you’re working to perfect your own serve, read ahead for a guide on how to serve in tennis, from basic technique to advanced variations.
Tennis player Reilly Opelka has many strengths on the court, but one move in particular makes the 6’11” player stand above the rest. Opelka told Red Bull why a certain shot gives him a special advantage.
Reilly Opelka in New York
© Dustin Snipes / Red Bull Content Pool
“My serve is my best shot, because it’s coming from such a high angle,” he says.
Even with his natural advantage, Opelka’s next-level serve also comes from a lot of practice. For both the pros at the Red Bull Bassline tournament and the most casual players, landing the perfect serve only happens after hours on the court. If you’re working to perfect your own serve, read ahead for a guide on how to serve in tennis, from basic technique to advanced variations.
01
Understanding the basics of serving
To the unfamiliar, serving looks like simply tossing the ball and hitting it with your racket. In reality, so many factors influence whether your tennis ball makes it over the net and into the service box on your opponent’s side.
It might look like your arm is doing most of the work, but serving is truly a full-body effort. If you want a powerful serve, you need to move fluidly from head to toe to generate momentum. As you practice, you’ll learn how to control your serves so you get exactly the level of force you’re going for.
Casper Ruud plays during the Red Bull Bassline 2023 in Madrid, Spain
© Gianfranco Tripodo / Red Bull Content Pool
First and second serve:
The ability to subtly adjust your tennis serve technique comes into play big-time between your first and second serves. Namely, with every point in a game, a server gets two chances to hit the ball. In the tennis scoring system, the first serve means no fault has occurred and no points have been awarded. You’ll want your first serve to have the maximum impact.
It’s the opposite with your second serve, though, which happens when you’ve already faulted once and are in danger of losing a point. The second serve is more about control than power. If you can get a nice topspin on your second serve, you’re less likely to get a double fault and lose your point.
02
Grip and stance
Tennis serve grip:
Some types of tennis grips are better than others for serving. For example, many experts recommend the continental grip, with your index finger on the second bevel, if your dominant hand is your right. (Your finger will lay on bevel number eight if you’re a left-handed player.) However, tennis icon Venus Williams prefers the eastern grip for serving, with your forefinger on the third bevel if you’re right-handed. If you’re serving with your left hand, your index finger will rest on bevel number seven.
Matteo Berrettini
© Gabriele Seghizzi / Red Bull Content Pool
Whichever of the two grips you prefer, the most important thing is keeping your racket in the right position. Don’t hold your racket flat with your strings parallel to the court. You want the edge of your racket facing the ground instead.
Tennis serve stance:
The power of your serve is generated from the ground up, so proper stance is essential. You’ll stand at the baseline at the back of the court, with your front foot pointed toward the right net post. (If you’re left-handed, it’ll be the left net post and vice versa.) Your back foot should be parallel to the baseline.
You may see some of the pros take a step while serving. This is an advanced technique, so if you’re starting out, don’t move your feet yet — get the foundation right before you shake things up. If you’re further along in your training, though, make sure you step so your back foot is in line with your front foot. Whether you take that step or not, always keep your knees bent.
Stefanos Tsitsipas at the 2022 Erste Bank Open in Vienna, Austria
© Mirja Geh / Red Bull Content Pool
03
Serving mechanics
Once you’ve established your foundation, it’s time to aim the ball. With your racket arm at an almost 90-degree angle, you’ll get ready to swing, and with the other, you’ll hold the ball in position. The arm holding the tennis ball should be nice and straight, and you shouldn’t grip the ball too hard. Your shoulders should stay closed until the last possible second if you want to maintain both power and accuracy throughout your serve.
Your serve may appear to happen in one fluid motion, but you can break it down into parts. First, you’ll loosen and drop your racket arm. After the toss, you’ll swing up and make contact with the ball. Lastly, you’ll follow through by pronating your racket hand and rotating your wrist so your palm is facing downward. It’s all a delicate balance of timing as you control the ball’s motion while knowing the right moment to let go.
The toss:
The key to a good serving toss is consistency — you want to make contact with the ball from the same place every time. Keeping your ball at your fingertips with a gentle grip is the first step. As your tossing arm moves straight up, you’ll release the ball.
Stefanos Tsitsipas at the 2023 Erste Bank Open ATP Tournament in Vienna
© Mirja Geh / Red Bull Content Pool
Try to toss the ball no more or less than two feet high. This is the optimal height for getting the ball to drop at the right speed for you to hit a powerful serve. If you toss the ball higher, it’ll descend at a much faster speed than you want.
04
Common serve faults and how to fix them
If your serves aren’t landing where you’d like, try some serve troubleshooting to figure out which part of your fluid motion is off the mark. Here are some common serving mistakes to watch out for when learning how to serve.
- Losing control on the toss. Maintaining consistency on your toss is key to avoiding serves that go into the net, resulting in double faults. A lot of new tennis players bend their arm on the toss, but this is a surefire way to sacrifice accuracy. It’s also common for new players to get a hitch — tossing the ball so high you’re waiting too long for it to come down.
- Focusing on the toss, but not the swing. Tossing the ball and hitting it over the net happens in one swift motion, so it’s important to practice them together.
- Opening your upper body too soon. Open shoulders mean less control, and if you do this too soon, your serve may not go in the right direction. Don’t open your shoulders until the last possible moment on your swing.
- Making contact on the wrong side of the ball. If you’re trying to serve wide, you won’t hit the ball in the same location as if you were hitting the ball straight. If your goal is the former, aim for the side of the ball, at about the three o’clock position.
05
Practicing your serve
Dominic Thiem at the 2023 Erste Bank Open ATP Tournament in Vienna
© Mirja Geh / Red Bull Content Pool
A few drills can improve your serve. If you do these regularly, you’ll see the positive effects on the court with each match.
- Increase distance behind the baseline. If you want to practice your serving power, stand three or four feet back from the baseline. Practicing with this extra distance improves your hitting after your toss.
- Bounce on the service line. This is a great way to test your pronation. Aim the ball at the service line on your side of the court to get a strong bounce.
- Set up a target. If you’re having a hard time hitting the ball all the way to the opposite service box, try hitting targets at your level first. Some players struggle with downward aim, so you can ease into this with targets that are air-level rather than court-level.
06
Strategies and variations
Here are some other types of serves that can help you surprise your opponent and improve your game, depending on what’s happening in your match.
- Flat serve. This is the basic type of serve detailed above. You can get a lot of power on this serve, so it’s great for your first serve.
- Slice serve. Instead of hitting the ball up, you’ll hit from the side, giving you a nice sidespin. This type of serve is great for throwing your opponent off guard and out of position.
- Kick serve. This serve, which hits high above the net, gives you the most topspin possible. It’s great for boosting control, but the ball moves slower, so your opponent may have extra time to prepare for the return.
- Underhand serve. This type of serve is best for players who need a lower impact on their shoulder but aren’t playing in a professional circuit match. You’ll make contact and follow through below the shoulder.
Start your game right with a strong serve
Mastering the swift fluid motion of a tennis serve takes a lot of practice, but with enough time, it’ll feel second-nature. Practice each component of your serve together so that it all flows perfectly on match day. If you want to show your opponents who they’re up against from the start, a powerful serve is a must.