Continuing with last month's column on Strategies and Tactics, I want to spend a little time addressing service strategies.
 
Generally, players have two basic serves: a flat or more powerful first serve, and a spinned or less powerful second serve. Of the two, the latter is more important. Why? Well, you are only as good as your second serve is reliable. The problem is that we usually fall into a very simple service pattern that is predictable as the match unfolds. This allows for your opponent to have a better chance of winning points off of your serve. Remember, you can't lose if you win every service game and every tiebreak serve.
 
With this in mind, I will focus this month's column on the "best practices" associated with serving. Of course, this presumes two things. First, that you are able to direct your first and second serves to any area in the service box. Second, that you have more than one type of serve in your arsenal.
 
If neither of these are the case, as may be the true with beginners and/or intermediate players, the first requisite is to work on both of these in practice. It is my contention that players do not spend enough time on perfecting their serves in this wonderful game of ours. Given the fact that weather conditions may affect being able to play outdoors as the areas north of the equator head from autumn into winter, this may be the perfect time to work on your serve. You don't need a partner to practice serves, and the court conditions do not need to be pristine.
 
This said, let's start with the type of serves that you want to have in your arsenal and how one might develop these.
 
The flat serve is a starting point for even novice tennis players. Usually, beginners will use a forehand grip (eastern forehand) and hit a somewhat "badminton-like serve." This results in a fairly powerful serve and usually the ball has no spin or backspin. The flat serve is characterized by both power and an absence of spin.
 
If you produce your first serve in the manner described above, you are automatically a candidate for learning the backspin serve. In a previously published column, I discuss how to produce this unusual but very effective serve. See: The "Infamous" Backspin Serve.
 
Usually, the flat serve is produced with a continental grip and/or an eastern backhand grip as a player advances. The advantage to these grips is that they permit the server to "break" or bend the wrist. This is an important component when trying to impart spin, but the wrist bending can provide extra power to any serve.
 
Should the reader be confused about what each of the aforementioned grips may look like, I would refer you to my previous column, The Grip: Picture Perfect.
 
The second serve that each player should possess in her/his arsenal, is what is known as the slice serve. Normally, this is produced using a continental grip, but it can be effectively executed using an eastern backhand grip. Some players may actually be able to produce the slice serve with an eastern forehand grip, but this is certainly the exception... not the rule.
 
A sliced serve curves to either the left (if you are right handed) or to the right (if you are left handed). Once the ball bounces, it moves in curved direction that is the exact opposite of what was the previous curve. To help clarify what I mean by the above descriptions, I have included some diagrams. You will see the direction of the curves before and after the bounce by looking at the accompanying arrows.
 

 

 
You will note that I have created the illustrations where the right-handed player uses the slice serve when serving to the deuce court and the leftie uses it when serving to the ad court. These are the most effective use of the slice serve because they pull the opponent out of court. The opposite spin that is produced after the ball bounces makes the slice serve that much more difficult to return with authority.
 
Lastly, we have the kick serve. The kick serve is a serve that is hit in a manner that produces topspin. As always is the case with topspin, the ball bounces higher than would normally be the case. Most pros use this as their second serve. When a bit of side spin (slice) is added to the kick serve it is referred to as the American Twist serve or twist serve.
 
The goal for any serious player of this great game is to be able to produce each of these three serves. If you are truly proficient, you will be able to produce all three in a manner that uses a single grip, a similar toss and similar motion.
 
To reach this level of consistent delivery is not an easy task. Perhaps, the player who was best able to achieve this consistency was Pete Sampras in his prime. Having seen him play and photographed him in tournament competition, I was amazed. Whether it was a flat, slice or kick serve; Pete's service motion and toss were identical. This made his serve extremely deceptive and difficult to read.
 
I doubt that many who are reading this will be able to reach this level of deception. But truthfully at most levels of competition, it is not necessary. Rather, it is simply important that you are able to produce each serve, even if your toss, stance or motion give away what serve you are about to execute.
 
Assuming that you are able to produce these three serves, there are some basic rules that apply to each.

1. Flat serves should only be used as a first serve. They are generally more effective on faster surfaces that they are on slower surfaces such as clay.
2. Slice serves are a great first serve when used in moderation, and should be the normal second serve when playing on surfaces that do not allow for much bounce, as would be the case when competing on grass, carpet, and some indoor hard courts.
3. The kick serve is the normal second serve in the modern game of tennis. It should be used about 80% of the time when competing on slow to medium speed hard courts, and clay surfaces. Kick serves on grass and carpet are more of a liability because these surfaces do not allow for much bounce... the true advantage of the kick serve. If you can hit the kick serve with a bit of side spin (the twist serve), all the better.

1. First serve to the deuce court... Flat serve hit down the T.
2. Second serve to the deuce court... Kick serve hit down the T.
3. First serve to the ad court... Flat serve hit down the T.
4. Second serve to the ad court... Kick serve hit wide.

1. First Serve to the deuce court... Slice serve hit wide.
2. Second serve to the deuce court... Kick serve hit down the T.
3. First serve to the ad court... Flat serve hit directly at the opponent (jammed serve).
4. Second serve to the ad court... Kick serve hit wide.

1. First serve to the deuce court... Flat serve hit directly at the opponent (jammed serve).
2. Second serve to the deuce court... Slice serve hit down the T.
3. First serve to the ad court... Kick serve hit wide.
4. Second serve to the ad court... Kick serve hit directly at the opponent (jamming the opponent).

1. First serve to the deuce court... Flat serve hit wide to the forehand.
2. Second serve to the deuce court... Flat serve hit directly at the opponent (jammed serve).
3. First serve to the ad court... Flat serve hit directly at the opponent (jammed serve).
4. Second serve to the ad court... Slice serve that is hit as wide as is possible.