Serve 'em "Up"

The physics of the serve dictate that the ball must be hit up, not down, in order for it to go into the service box across the net -- unless your are more than seven feet tall!

That's right -- when you see pros hitting serves at more than 140 mph, they are actually hitting the ball up. This is possible because of the immense amount of spin that is put on a correctly hit ball which brings it back down into the court.

Players who do not have a powerful serve will begin to see that it may be because they are not using the throwing motion (used in passing a football, throwing a pitch or hitting a serve) or using a Continental or slightly Eastern grip which will allow them to get the necessary spin to hit a serve hard and bring it back down into the court.

To understand this better, serve several first serves. Next, kneel down on one or two knees and practice serving from the baseline, using your regular service motion. You will soon see that with the proper service motion and/or grip, you will be able to serve the ball quite hard and still get it in.

Vic Braden has had experienced players serving more than 100 mph from a kneeling position. (NOTE: Serving this hard without using the lower body would cause repetitive stress injuries to your shoulder or arm).

After you have gotten the hang of serving from a kneeling position, try serving from a seated position. That's correct -- you should still be able to hit an effective first serve from a seated position on the court (although you won't be able to get up and cover a drop shot from that position!).

This drill will demonstrate to you a little-known aspect of physics concerning the serve, and help players with improper mechanics realize what it will take for them to improve their serves.