How to Serve in Tennis: Instruction for a Better Serve

Tennis is a beautiful sport. It helps you to stay active, have fun, and enjoy the great outdoors.

With that said, however, it is far from being a natural sport. Tennis is a very competitive, challenging sport to master, especially for those who are just starting out.

You might think that the only way to truly learn the game is to hire a professional coach or instructor. And, while this indeed can be helpful, it is also expensive and far from being your only option.

Thanks to the internet, you can now watch videos to learn things like how to serve in tennis or how to improve your swing. Whatever you want to learn, you probably can just by heading to YouTube.

In addition to what you learn from videos, you can also follow a few helpful tips to learn how to serve in tennis.

Remember the Importance of Stance

A lot of people are under the impression that learning how to serve in tennis is all about what you do with your arm and the ball.

And, while these things indeed are important, other, smaller things are equally important and work together to help you perfect your serve.

One such “small thing” is your stance. If you are not standing correctly, then you are going to have a tough time serving the ball accurately.

To serve correctly, you will want to position your feet in such a way that your front foot points toward the right net post. Your back foot should be next to the baseline. This stance, of course, will be reversed if you are a left-handed player.

Another thing to keep in mind when it comes to stance is to keep the toes of your back foot aligned with the heel of your right foot. This will help to increase stability as you serve and will make for a smoother, more powerful serve.

While stance may seem simple, if you can master it, you will find that serving is a whole lot easier.

Grip can be everything

How you hold your racquet can determine a lot about the final way you serve and how effective it will be. This technique is crucial, and one of the most important things you can learn immediately.

The continental grip is the grip used by pros and is considered a “proper” tennis serve grip.

Looking up a description of this serve could prove confusing. There are a lot of different descriptions for how to hold this grip. Here are some basic descriptions to help you determine if your grip really is a continental grip.

Hold the racquet as if it were a hammer with the side edge perpendicular to the court, or the ground.

Clasp your hands together around the racquet with your right hand on the bottom and your left hand over your right. With your left index finger resting between your right thumb and index finger, align the fingers on your left hand in the valleys of the fingers on your right hand.

Your right index finger should be pointing to the top left corner of the racquet handle.

How to Serve in Tennis:

Practice Makes Perfect

Something else you will want to keep in mind as you work to perfect your serve is that repetition and a lot of practice are both vital to your success.

Top tennis pros will recommend that, on a daily basis, you fill a basket with 100 balls (or more if you can manage it).

Once your basket is full, you’ll want to take it out to the tennis court and then serve until your basket is empty.

If that seems like a lot of work, it is, but it’s the kind of work that is going to allow you to improve your serve honestly, so don’t shy away from it.

Master Your Toss Before

Anything Else

As mentioned earlier, a lot of little things go into determining the strength of your serve.

One other “little thing” is your toss. The full serve is built around that initial toss, so it does need to be perfect.

An easy way to master the toss is to take some balls out to the court. Then, stand in the serving position and toss the ball. Your goal will be for the ball to land right in front of your body. This is trickier than it sounds and takes some practice to master.

Once you are consistently getting the ball to land where you want, however, this is a good indicator that you’ve got the toss down pat and are ready to move into more demanding drills.

Give the Platform Serve Stance a Try

In addition to general practice, you are also encouraged to try out different types of stances. This will enable you to find the serving position that works best for you.

After you have mastered the basic stance, try the platform serve stance.

With this simple stance, you want to keep your feet in the same position as you serve. Thus, instead of moving your feet, you bend your knees, tilt your body, and push into the serve with an upward motion.

This simple stance works well for a lot of people, so it is worth a try.

Focus on Building Up Your

Serving Muscles

All of the practice and hard work in the world isn’t going to help you if you don’t have strong serving muscles.

Your upper arms, your legs, and your wrists all need to be healthy, firm, and capable if you are going to excel at serving.

One way to build up these muscles is through practice. They will get naturally stronger the more you practice your serving.

However, little extra work at the gym targeting these areas also doesn’t hurt.

As you can see, learning how to serve in tennis isn’t easy, but it is possible. You have to commit to doing the work!

Featured Image via Pixabay

Best Tennis Bags Reviews

Whether you are a newbie or pro player, we can all agree that a tennis bags is the next crucial gear of a tennis player after the racket. You’ll need a bag with the right design and features for you. Most players carry lots of gear – from shoes, clothes, extra rackets and ball packs to water bottles, wallets, and keys. The ideal bag should be easily accessible, spacious, well-organized, and ensures the security of your items.

 There are different brands with different features in the market, and it can be difficult to select the best one that fits your budget. Nonetheless, here are the some of the best tennis bags to consider:

Top 7 Tennis Bags Comparison Table

Pro​​​​​duct

Preview

Price​​​​​

Wilson Tour 9-Pack Tennis Bag product photo of Wilson Tour 9 Pack Tennis Bag is one of the tennis bags with high quality tennis bag

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HEAD Maria Sharapova Combi Tennis Bag product photo for HEAD Maria Sharapova Tennis Combi Bag

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Babolat 6 product photo of Babolat 6 Tennis bag

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Wilson Federer Team Collection Fed Team product photo of Wilson Federer Team Collection Fed Team Tennis bag

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Adidas Barricade product photo of Adidas Barricade tennis bag

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Court Couture Hampton product photo of Court Couture Hampton tennis bag

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Maggie Mather Tote Bag product photo of Maggie Mather Tote Bag tennis bag

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Here’s Our Full Reviews Of The 7 Best Tennis Bags For 2018

Wilson Tour 9-Pack Tennis Bag

product photo of Wilson Tour 9 Pack Tennis Bag is one of the tennis bags with high quality tennis bag

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Wilson always guarantees satisfaction with their high-quality tennis merchandises. The Wilson Tour bag is no exception. It’s spacious to accommodate your tennis rackets, shoes, shirts, balls and many items.

Its semi-rigid lining on its exteriors will protect your items from damage and water. If you are looking for a spacious and safe tennis bag, the Wilson Tour 9-Pack is your best bet.

Pros

  • Large accessory pockets
  • Large compartment
  • Thermo guard 2.0 protects equipment

Cons

  • Expensive bag

Here’s A Video From YouTube:

HEAD Maria Sharapova Combi Tennis Bag

product photo of HEAD Maria Sharapova Combi Tennis Bag

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A classy tennis bag, anyone?

The Head Maria Sharapova is just as elegant and classy as the player herself. Its design is quite simple, but has stunning gold cross-stitches fitted upfront to give it a refined look that you’ll just love.

Even with class, it offers enough space for all your gear – it can comfortably store up to six tennis rackets plus other equipment. Its handles and backpack straps are padded for a more comfortable carry. It also has a compartment installed with Climate Control Tech to separate your wet and dry gear. It’s cool and sophisticated.

Pros

  • Three racquet compartments
  • Quality material mix of pet and leather
  • Metal buckles and zipper pulls

Cons

  • Detachable shoulder straps

Babolat 6

product photo of Babolat 6 Tennis bag

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The Bablot 6 is compact in size and offers ample space for all your tennis gear. It comes with comfy, durable shoulder straps and padded handles, making it easy to carry on the go.

It is versatile and quite roomy – it has dual racket compartments with a capacity to hold up to six rackets and other gear. It’ll keep your equipment protected, dry, and organized.

Made of lightweight, durable material, the bag can be used as a backpack or as a carry bag. It can also be used for other sports other than tennis.

Pros

  • Hold up to 6 uncovered racquets
  •  Offers roomy protection
  • Provides temperature control

Cons

  • Zipper easily breaks

Wilson Federer Team Collection Fed Team

product photo of Wilson Federer Team Collection Fed Team Tennis bag

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This bag from Wilson is perfect for short tournaments. It’s quite spacious with easily accessible compartments. It can fit up to six rackets plus basic essentials like balls and towels.

It has a safe compartment that’s great for keeping your phone, wallet, glasses, and/or keys. Its adjustable backside straps and a handle across its center make it a convertible backpack-carrybag.

Talk of style, it comes with a Roger Federer signature on one side and an awesome black print logo.

Pros

  • Red zippers
  • Exterior pocket for personal effects
  • Holds up to 6 tennis rackets

Cons

  • Thin, plastic fabric
  • No support inside when empty

Adidas Barricade

product photo of Adidas Barricade tennis bag

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With ample storage, tech, and versatility, the Adidas Barricade is a force to reckon with. Its two-compartment design allows storage of up to 6 rackets plus other essentials items.

Its FreshPAK technology and thermal pocket make it well-ventilated. It is also quite versatile with three carrying methods. You can use it as a tote, a backpack, or a unique briefcase.

It comes with an easily accessible and reliable media compartment. You never have to worry about the safety of your items.

Pros

  • 100% Polyester
  • A thermal lined temperature controlled pocket
  • The top tricot lined media pocket keeps your belongings safe

Cons

  • Easily gets dirty

Court Couture Hampton

product photo of Court Couture Hampton tennis bag

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If you love fashionable tennis gear, the Court Couture Hampton could be a great choice. It is a trendy tennis bag which you can use basically anywhere. It offers space for two rackets and training essentials like balls, shoes, and water bottles.

Its convertible from a backpack to a sling bag – simply detach and adjust its straps.

Pros

  • Separate compartment fits 2 tennis rackets
  • Matching cosmetic case is included

Cons

  • Only for women

Maggie Mather Tote Bag

product photo of Maggie Mather Tote Bag tennis bag

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Having a great design, its spacious enough to hold up to two rackets with a durable double-stitched construction. With its adjustable shoulder straps, you can use it as a carry bag or backpack.

It has several zippered storage pockets for extra storage and made from water-resistant material to keep your items dry.

Pros

  • One large exterior racquet pocket
  • Four front pockets
  • Spacious black and white geometric lined interior

Cons

  • Multi-purpose use bag

Play in Style and Comfort With Tennis Bags

tennis shoes, balls and rackets which you can put on tennis bag

Tennis is a cool sport, so you’ll need a cool bag. Considering your taste, design, and material, a good tennis bag should provide you with ample space for all your tennis gear and serve you over the years while offering a sporty, sophisticated feel.

Get one of these high-quality bags and enjoy your game.