Improving a Spin Second Serve

Second serves are usually hit with less pace, because players are under pressure not to double fault.

In order to make up for this decrease in speed, players should add more spin to their second serve to increase the chance it will land in, as well as to propel it deeper in the court and to provide a more difficult serve to return.

While there are many articles available on the contact point of a spin serve, two techniques which can help you add more spin to your serve are less commonly discussed: use of the legs to push off the ground; and an Eastern, backhand grip.

If you'd like to develop more spin on your serves, ignore the advice imparted by most American tennis magazines and local teaching pros. Respected biomechanists have for years wanted to slap each and every tennis "expert" who as written or taught "snap your wrist" or "brush the ball" for more power or spin.

They know that most of the power and spin on a serve come from the legs and upper body, and that accentuating the arm and wrist on the serve eventually lead to wrist, shoulder and elbow problems.

In actuality, how you contact the ball does have an effect on the amount of spin you put on your serve; but it's more a function of where you make contact on the ball, not any type of "brushing" motion -- which is impossible to do anyway.

Once the racquet strikes the ball, it's gone. You cannot "brush" the ball from 7 o'clock to 1 o'clock or "peel the ball like an orange." If you make contact at 7 o'clock, the ball is away from the strings before your racquet face can make it to1 o'clock.

So what can you do to get more spin on your serves?

In addition to having a mature throwing motion and using all of the parts of their body in the correct order, adding a deep knee-bend and push-off, and experimenting with an Eastern, backhand grip can help add spin to your serves.

As with all discussions of biomechanics, the USHSTCA warns that an over-emphasis of any single part of the kinetic chain of events that take place during a stroke can lead to injury.

Take the following precautions before you try these techniques:

#1 Read this article thoroughly.

#2 Understand the part these techniques play in the overall service motion.

#3 Practice any new technique at half speed to see if you are doing it correctly, and if there is any stress placed on the body by the new motion.

#4 Remember, if you teach girls or boys who do NOT have a mature throwing motion, otherwise correct techniques for the serve may be inappropriate.

The Knee Bend
Practice bending your knees and pushing off the ground while attempting spin second serves (making contact at 7 o'clock, if you think of the ball as the face of a clock). Practice second serves at half-speed so as not to over-stress the body, which is trying a new motion.

Because you are moving higher, you may need to get your toss higher, so watch for this. Experiment with a toss that is so high enough that is requires you to jump off the ground in order to make contact.

The Eastern Backhand Grip
Believe it or not, many players serve using a backhand grip.

When you try this yourself, it will feel extremely awkward at first. Experiment with the placement of the heel of the hand to make it less difficult.

Your first few serves with this motion may go straight into the ground, or markedly to your left (if you are a right-hander).

You will notice the extreme spin this grip provides, however.

Practicing at half-speed will allow you to experiment with this grip to see if it's something that can work for you.

Notice the pronounced pull to the left (for right-handed players). This means that serving with this grip to the deuce court can provide a serve that will run out of the court, while this serve down the middle in the ad court will produce a serve that also tails away from an opponent.

Be careful to make sure this grip does not cause any soreness in the player's wrist or arm after repeated use.

Summary
Remember, there is no single part of the kinetic chain that overrides any other. The most effective serves use the entire body in a coordinated effort, providing maximum power with less stress.

Experiment with these two parts of their serve to see if they can find that extra spin they've been missing.

NOTE: According to Richard Schoenborn, former Chief Coach of the German Tennis Federation and one of the leading authorities on tennis technique in the world, it takes approximately 4,000 watts of energy to execute a tennis stroke.

Depending on the size of the player the arm can only contribute 600 to 1,200 watts of energy to your racquet speed.

Therefore, players need to use the rest of their bodies, and this starts with a deep knee bend, pushing off the ground.

Proper rotation of the hips and upper body are also critical.