JAK'S MONTHLY ESSAY SERIES: Achieving Your Personal Best
“YOU’RE ONLY AS GOOD AS YOUR SECOND SERVE”
It always strikes me as an unfortunate waste of talent when I observe a veteran, accomplished club player who, with an otherwise well-developed game, tentatively taps in a spin-less, slow-motion second serve knuckleball at a velocity rate so slow that it would fail to even register on a radar gun, or, in inside tennis jargon break an egg – amusingly recognized by some as the Grandpa or Grandma serve.
Jack Kramer, the professional tour founder (most of you do not remember the “shamateur” days,) also a world #1 way back in 1946, and namesake of Wilson’s iconic wooden frame, the Jack Kramer Autograph, one that made him a fortune (also I’m betting some of you played with it back then), is credited with this essay’s title which some of you have heard me quote on-court previously.
These otherwise ambitious players, after playing for a number of years, never made the time to both learn and practice a legitimate bending spin serve, or the slice/slider version of spin, content with an underachieving second delivery that immediately put them, or their double’s partners at net, in jeopardy against capable opponents. Advantage receiver.
Why set the bar so low on serve – most important shot in the game - when you’ve worked so diligently to improve every other facet of your game? Sure, it’s a steep learning curve, requiring solo practice, perseverance, and patience. It’s perhaps the biggest challenge of all to round out one’s game and while gaining admission into higher level of play.
So besides the obvious – tapping in a cupcake that opponents devour and then results in them immediately getting on top of the point – learning to develop a reliable spin serve on your second will negate that scenario and provide the following plusses:
- Allow you to consistently, confidently generate the same racket speed as on the first – versus two completely different speeds – re one on first, then inefficiently slower on the second,
- the rainbow trajectory will provide an expanded and resulting safer margin over the net,
- the accompanying steeper angle of decent will bounce the ball up higher in the receivers hitting zone where they are typically more challenged – especially on backhand,
- the spin itself will give you speed of swing confidence by teaming with gravity in causing the ball to descend into the box at a far faster rate versus flat serves, i.e. bending it in.
Now the hard part, how do you go about learning it? What are the key components?
- You’ll need to adjust the grip from your flat-power serve mostly forehand positioned to create a more angled racket face (closed) at contact,
- you’ll also have to alter your toss from well in front (flat) to slightly left and closer to your body – and a bit higher - to facilitate hitting up on the ball versus mostly straight through on your flat “bomb”…that’s varying the swing path,
- your body should move up to the ball (vertical) by leaving (jump) the court slightly, or more (to facilitate a good kinetic chain with more wrist action) versus more forward movement (horizontal) on your first serve,
- altering your pre-serve visualization from minimal net clearance (flat) to much higher on your spin second – now a looping rainbow trajectory, plus in the early stages of its development you will probably have to envision more to the right until your brain adjusts to the spin generating some right to left ball movement.
Be advised that you’re going to need to get some help from your pro/coach to really achieve a bona fide spin serve unique to your skills since individual idiosyncrasies and viable interpretations will occur.
Enjoy the challenge.
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