There are five commonly used types of serve: the flat/cannonball serve, the slice serve, the topspin serve, the topspin-slice serve, and the American twist/Twist serve. In addition, there are some rarely used types of serve, such as the underhanded serve (which usually carries underspin) and the reverse-slice serve. The most noted underhand serves were done by Michael Chang and Martina Hingis, both at the French Open.
The term "kick serve" is ambiguous. Many use it as a synonym for "twist serve." But most use the term "kick serve" to refer to any serve with heavy topspin on it - that is, the topspin serve and the twist serve.
Each type of serve has its tactical advantages. By varying the type of serve and its placement, the server gains the advantage in delivering a great variety of serves.
The flat serve and the slice serve are used primarily as first serves, because they have a small margin for error but are most likely to ace or force an error. Second serves usually have topspin on them, which makes them much less likely to land in the net or out. Topspin serves like the twist serve also make a good change-up as a first serve.
The fastest serve ever recorded was by Andy Roddick at 249.5 km/h (155 mph).[2]
For the ladies' tennis, the fastest serve was by Brenda Schultz-McCarthy and Venus Williams at 209 km/h (130 mph).[3]
Flat serve
A flat serve (in the old days sometimes called a cannonball serve) is hit with an Eastern or Continental grip and a swing path directly through the ball so that it doesn't spin and cuts through the air very fast. Male professionals often hit flat serves at speeds in excess of 200 km/h (124 mph), and a few professional women, e.g. Serena Williams and Venus Williams, do as well.
A flat serve must come close to the net, so it has a small margin for error. Therefore, flat serves are most often hit straight down the center, where the net is lowest, and they usually are delivered as first serves, when the server can afford the risk.
Topspin serve
A topspin serve is hit with forward spin imparted by brushing the back of the ball upward at contact. Like all spin serves, the topspin serve travels slower than a flat serve. The topspin on the ball makes it dive downward, so that it can be aimed high over the net and still land in. For the physics involved in the flight of spinning balls, see the Magnus effect. The topspin serve therefore is a relatively safe serve often used as a second serve. The topspin serve should not be hit weaker than the first serve, but with equal or greater power than the first serve in order to generate the necessary spin.
The topspin on the ball also makes it bounce high. Many receivers handle the high bounce well on their forehand side but not on their backhand side. Therefore, placed to the backhand, topspin serves are useful for serve and volley play, even on the first serve.
The topspin serve is harder to learn than the flat serve and the topspin-slice serve, as the contact point is directly over the server's head or perhaps even a little behind it, requiring complex body mechanics. It is hit with a Continental grip or an Eastern Backhand grip (using the forehand side of the racket face).
Slice serve
A slice serve is hit with sidespin, imparted by brushing the back of the ball rightward at contact. (A left-handed server brushes the back of the ball leftward at contact.) It is commonly hit with the Continental grip or the Eastern backhand grip (using the forehand face of the racket).
A sliced serve's sidespin causes the ball to curve leftward and skid when it bounces, curving further leftward after the bounce. A good slice serve curves so much that it can draw the receiver ten feet wide of the singles sideline to play the ball.
The ball is thrown slightly to the right of the server's head and is struck at the 2 or 3 o'clock position.
A severely sliced serve is sometimes called a "sidespin" serve or a "slider."
Since a slice serve has little or no topspin on it, it cannot be aimed high over the net and has little margin for error. So, it is generally used only as a first serve. It can be used to ace the receiver, to draw the receiver off the court and out of position, or to "jam" the receiver with a serve curving sharply into his or her body.
Topspin-slice serve
A topspin-slice serve is hit with a combination of both sidespin and topspin, imparted by brushing the back of the ball upward and rightward at about a 45 degree angle at contact. This is the spin beginners naturally serve with, though they don't get the ball spinning very fast.
This blend of topspin and sidespin makes the ball curve downward and leftward in flight, bouncing high and continuing to curve leftward.
Because of the topspin on it, a topspin-slice serve can be aimed higher over the net than a slice serve or a flat serve. So, it has a greater margin for error.
American Twist/Twist serve/Kick Serve
The twist serve was originally known as the "American twist" serve, and it is still sometimes referred to by that name. It is a special kind of topspin-slice serve that behaves differently after the bounce because it has much more topspin than sidespin on it. So, instead of skidding and continuing to curve leftward after the bounce like a slice serve, it "grabs" the court and breaks rightward in the direction of a right-hander's backhand. Like all spin serves, it is hit higher over the net with a larger margin of error. This along with the awkward bounce, make it a popular second service choice.
To create this action the ball needs to have a twisted axis of rotation, so that the ball's spinning is out-of-line (axis of spin rotated slightly clockwise from a top view) with its flight path. To execute this serve, a continental or, more commonly, an Eastern backhand grip is used. The ball is thrown somewhat behind and to the left of the server's head, and the racquet brushes the ball from the 8 o'clock position to the 2 'clock position (although other players can have a 7 o'clock to 1 o'clock stroke), imparting a combination of topspin and sidespin. Different angles of attack by the racquet on the ball varies the action of the kick, making it less predictable.
Other Serves
- Reverse Slice/Reverse Slider/Reverse Sidespin Serve
- Reverse Twist/Reverse American Twist Serve
- Reverse Topspin-Slice Serve
