Serve

The serve is the only shot in tennis the player fully controls. A consistent, varied serve sets up easy points, protects the second-serve return, and is the single biggest predictor of winning percentage on most surfaces.

Stance and toss

Platform stance keeps the feet still and is more stable; pinpoint stance brings the back foot up to the front foot and stores more elastic energy. Both work — the choice is personal.

The toss is the foundation. It should be placed slightly in front and to the right (for right-handers) for a flat or topspin serve, and more to the left for a slice. The tossing arm goes up smoothly and stays up — pulling it down too early collapses the chest.

Trophy position and pronation

The 'trophy' is the moment the tossing arm is fully extended, the racket is bent behind the head, knees loaded, and the body coiled. From here the legs push, the shoulders rotate, the racket drops into the back-scratch, and the wrist snaps through contact.

Pronation — the inward rotation of the forearm at contact — is what gives the modern serve speed and disguise. Without it the serve becomes a slow push.

First vs second serve

The first serve is typically flat or slice, hit at 85-100% intensity, aiming for free points. The second serve is heavy topspin or kick — high net clearance, big jump off the bounce, and consistency over speed.

Pros land roughly 60-65% of first serves and almost never double-fault on the second. Amateurs should aim for 50%+ first serves and prioritise spin and depth on the second.

Common mistakes

Toss too low — kills the trophy position and forces a rushed swing.
Hitting up at the ball with the arm only, no leg drive.
No pronation — the racket strings face the net throughout, removing spin and speed.
Landing back instead of forward — wastes the kinetic chain.
Identical-looking first and second serve, giving the returner no doubt.

Drills

Toss-only practice — toss 20 balls and let them land on the spot you want to hit from.
Knees-bent serves from the trophy position — no full motion, just feel the legs and pronation.
Targets in the corners — 10 first serves wide, 10 down the T.
Second-serve pressure — 50 second serves; every double fault costs a push-up.

Brief history

The serve evolved from a flat 'cannonball' in the wood-racket era to the modern, kick-heavy weapon. The introduction of larger heads and graphite frames in the 1980s allowed for the topspin second serve. Pete Sampras' kick second serve in the 1990s set the modern template.

Notable players

Pete Sampras — the modern second-serve template.
Roger Federer — disguise and placement over raw speed.
John Isner — record-breaking speed and reach.
Serena Williams — the best women's serve of all time.