In tennis, service symbols the beginning of a fresh round, a fresh game, a fresh set or a fresh match; in tennis until Dwight Davis and Holcombe Ward transformed the game by allocating the serve a brand new look by making it crucial to win points. A new and transformed service that this duo invented in now also called American Twist Delivery.
While this service became popular between the top tennis players throughout the globe, another player from US, Maurice E. MLoughlin also known as California Comet made a service like a thunderbolt sending it like fire balls that made his opponents gaping and stunned. This new style of service raised many questions among the top players of the yester years talking about the strictness of foot fault rules to control this giant that had left all the great old ground strokes outdated overnight! The new thrust that MLoughlin gave to Service continued to rule the tennis circuit till the time R.N. Williams had came through to counter attack the latest weapon cannon ball service. Williams answer for this serve was simple to follow the ball and hit it on the rising bounce.
Though, you need to deliver a service with a good amount of speed, it should not be considered as start and end of a good and effective service. To make a service more effective such that it is considered as a winner, along with speed it should have accuracy, reliability, and variety. Your service should never have a set style, but it should always vary so as to surprise your rival at every available instance.
Studies have established that a taller player always has a benefit in serving compared to his shorter rivals. A flawlessly flat service by a person who has a height of 6 ft with an added reach of 3 ft reach (and not disturbed by twist or wind), is found to just about clear the net at the center at its shortest height of 3 ft with the likelihood of the ball dropping only inside the 8-inch court area with the remaining at a level just below the angle of the net. The significant of adding a bit of twist to catch the ball and let it come into the tennis court is greatly visible over here. Landing the ball in the court alone is not sufficient, the speed of the ball with which it lands not leaving any room for your rival to let him go for a simple return. At the time of serving, thinking about that shot only is not fair enough; instead you should keep an eye on the next probable move, if the recipient is going to play the ball in the court. Hence, always place the ball in a good manner when serving such that the receiver should not have a good chance of returning the ball back in an area from where you cannot return the ball to him.
Just as receivers main concern is to play a good stroke and return the ball, a core plan behind your service need to be that not allow the receiver to return the shot properly. Instead of trying and making a lot of sweat for a clean sweep, you should concentrate on confusing your rival regarding his ground strokes. This confusion is likely to get you better reward as compared with thinking about clean sweep.
Always remember to serve from the highest possible point without tiring and overstretching yourself. The sign of a very good service is varied pace, accuracy and speed.
When you deliver a Slice Service, the service should start from the highest possible point from over your shoulder (obviously for right-handers its the right shoulder) by standing tall on your both feet with an angle of 45 degrees to the courts baseline. Swing the tennis racquet from your backside easily and freely transferring your body weight first on your (right) back foot. Throw the ball in the air and send it slightly above the desired straight hitting zone, and as your swing starts, with perfect timing to hit the ball when it comes down to your desired straight hitting zone, accelerate your swing at the same time giving your maximum power to your service by transferring your body weight on the (left) front foot just at the time of impact of ball with the racquet to smash the ball at your opponent. To get some twist or turn ball to the court, struck the ball at the stringed area along the inner side, as the tennis racquet moves in the direction of the court. Always keep in mind to have a somewhat flexible wrist (different from the rigid wrist position) at the time of service. To get the maximum pace and power towards the ball, you need to raise your back foot (that means right leg for right-handers people) well above the ground while bending forward and shifting your entire body weight on the (left) front foot with complete swing at the time of impact. The direction of the racquets swing should be from right to left (of course for right-handers) at the same time giving it an additional twist in the right path by your (left) front leg turned at the time of hitting the ball. For left-handers you only need to change the directions and foot arrangements as discussed above.
An extremely significant thing related to service is to take highest care for over foot-faulting. Crossing the line or foot touching, either of these, before delivering the ball is considered as a foot fault. You will not give away foot fault if you take proper care to place your both feet properly within the line while you are preparing to serve to your rival.
A deliberate foot faulting is equally bad as ball miscalling; but many a times its not caused because of carelessness, over anxiety, ignorance of rules, can also result in foot faulting. All this can be overcome easily with a bit of exposure and time.