The serve is the most important part of your tennis game, and equally the most difficult stroke to master. When serving well, everything falls into place, but when serving poorly and without confidence, your entire game often goes to pieces. The Five Keys to a Dramatically Improved Serve are:

Balance – Far too many players shift their weight forward during the toss, rather than during the hit. Shifting forward too early robs the swing of power and rhythm. Release the toss with the legs evenly weighted, consciously keeping your weight centered.

Effort – Unlike golfers who hit the ball farther when not trying, most servers tense up and try and hit the ball hard, often producing just the opposite result. The first key to an effortless service begins with a relaxed grip. Visualize the great servers – Sampras and Federer – and note how loose and flowing they appear, from start to finish.

Rhythm – The two parts of the serve are the toss and the swing, but often an overly high toss disrupts the rhythm. Somehow when trying to “serve tall” that prompt influences the toss rather than the hit, for when the toss is too high the swing comes to a dead stop while waiting for the ball.

Serve to a musical tempo, where you can count one-two-three. More or less ONE – start the arms, TWO – toss, TWO and ONE HALF – knee bend and racquet drop, and THREE – turn and extend up and into the hit. With practice, the tempo and three count beat becomes habitual.

Spin – Side spin or topspin will make the ball curve down (and hopefully into the service box) as the ball crosses the net. To develop a spin serve, moving toward (not necessarily all the way mind you but at least toward) a continental or volley grip will place the racquet on edge as it approaches the ball.

Snap – Whether using a wet towel in a locker room, or even some type of whip, the secret is to pull forcefully and then stop the hand to snap the towel or whip, or in this instance the racquet. Good serves have a loose whip like look and feel, where at the top of the swing the hand actually slows down while the racquet speeds up. Loose and whippy are the keys.

Systematic Practice – Yes I said there are five keys, but truly none of this works in the “quick fix tip of the day” method. Improving your serve will take repeated practice. Pay specific attention to your balance, tension, rhythm, and snap. And when you put this all together with a whip like hit at he top of the swing – ladies and gentlemen you will have arrived !!!!!

To learn more, visit EssentialTennisInstruction.com and get a copy of a free report that reveals how to avoid costly mistakes on your tennis serve.

Jim McLennan has played, studied and taught tennis for some 40 years and started Essential Tennis Instruction for players that are ready to take their game to the next level

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