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| by Mike Whittington - Director of Tennis, Hardscrabble Country Club Fort Smith, Arkansas |
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Ever get in a tight situation and can't figure out where to serve? The serve down the middle is to your opponent's backhand but it is the serve you've struggled with today. The serve wide is your bread and butter but your opponent has ripped his big weapon with it. What do you do? One serve to consider is the into the body serve. You might have heard John McEnroe mention how former Davis Cup coach Tony Trabert emphasized this serve.
The serve has several advantages. First it gives you a specific target which enables you to focus more on your shot. Second, body shots usually keep your opponent from stepping in on the return, thereby resulting in a less powerful shot. You also might see your opponent a little unsure as to take the shot as a forehand or backhand.
But the biggest advantage my coach taught me was in reference to limiting angles. He always said "when you hit an angle, you create an angle". If you've ever been passed crosscourt off a wide serve, this needs no explanation.
As a lefty myself, I've seen how effective a wide serve can be. I've also been on the losing end of the point by an opponent ready to hit a big angle off of my angle.
Continue to add variety to your serves but don't neglect the body shot. It might be the angle you've been looking for!
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| This article provided by Mike Whittington. Mike is the Director of Tennis at Hardscrabble Country Club Fort Smith, Arkansas and a member of both the USRSA and USPTR. He is also USPTA certified and serving as President of the USPTA Arkansas Chapter. |
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