Having an effective serve is crucial in competitive tennis, since it’s the shot the sets the tone for the point to follow. Improving your serve enhances your ability to dictate how the points in your service game are played. Increasing the speed of your serve can make it a more dangerous weapon on the court. It’s important not to overlook other equally important facets of your service delivery when looking to improve.

Work on the placement. More important the power of your serve is its placement. An extremely fast serve that lands somewhere near the baseline or rips into the net is of no use. It only puts more pressure on your second serve. A slower serve that nestles inside the corner of the service box and spins away from your opponent’s racquet may be less flashy but is far more effective. Even if it is not an ace or service winner, it may give you the opportunity to come in and pick off an easy volley for a winner. Taking a little pace off your first serve for accuracy and a higher serve percentage will pay off in the long run.

Watch your feet. Your front foot should be planted firmly for the whole service motion. If you’re making slight adjustments during it, you run the risk of being off balance when hitting the ball. As you begin to raise your tossing arm and begin the wind up of the racquet arm, your weight will be on your back foot and we will transfer to the front foot as your serving motion progresses.

Watch the ball toss. It is important to try and keep your toss consistent. Unless you’re trying for a kick serve, where the toss will be slightly behind you make sure that the toss goes straight up in a direct line slightly in front of the area where your front foot is planted. Keep your eye on the ball and don’t make the mistake of altering the toss according to the direction you’re trying to serve in. Consistency is key to finding a rhythm on your serve.

Bend your knees. Bending the knees as you wind up for the serve will enable you to generate more power as you uncoil upwards and into your service motion. Reach up into the swing. Try to hit the ball at its highest point, making sure that you’re reaching up into the shot. Since your legs are bent, you have the capacity to propel your body into the serve. Remember, the higher the ball is when you hit it, the more power you’ll be able to create and the better the angle will be for bringing the ball down into the court.

Turn your shoulders. The rotation of your shoulders into the service determines the direction and accuracy of the delivery as well as supplying the power. Trying to create pace with your arm or wrist is a recipe for muscle strain and an inconsistent serve. As you reach for the ball, your racquet arm should be slightly lower than the tossing arm. As you swing to strike the ball, the rotation will bring the serving shoulder up and over and along with the push from your legs will give you the necessary power and direction for the shot.

Follow through. Although the forward motion of the racquet will vary a little depending on whether it’s a flat or a kick serve, the racquet should continue to move in an arc across your body at the end of the swing as you readjust your feet in preparation for the service return.

The topspin serve is an advanced technique you should add to your tennis game once you have experience. More advanced players typically use a topspin serve as a second serve creating an unexpected bounce which is difficult for your opponent to return.

Grip your tennis racquet similar to your backhand grip. Rotate your hand counter clockwise 90 degrees from your standard grip. This grip helps you generate greater spin on the ball. Toss the ball at the noon position, above or even behind your head slightly to the left. If the ball were to land, it would hit you on the top of your forehead. A high well placed toss allows you to maximise the topspin on your ball.

Arch your back more than usual as you toss the ball. Make sure your body faces slightly sideways to the court. Your swing path should flow sideways, parallel to the baseline rather than toward the net.

Swing your racquet so its head hits up and over the back of the ball. Push your racquet through the ball. This technique creates the spin, which causes your tennis ball to loop higher over the net and then dip down into the court. After it bounces, the topspin kicks the ball high and to the left. Continue to work on your form and accuracy to master this serve.

Playing doubles tennis is quite demanding, it is important to play with someone who fits your playing style in order to increase your odds of creating a winning doubles team.

Tip 1: Be certain when committing

Don’t commit to a doubles partnership unless you are certain the combination is the best fit for both of you.

Tip 2: Study and emulate the pros

Professional doubles players will always follow these key elements:

–          Constant communication

–          Support each other: willingness to forgive quickly for your mistakes and your partners

–          Adjusting positions, especially on serve and return of serve

–          Recognising the strengths and weaknesses of each player

Tip 3: Choose complimentary styles of play

Create a team where the players compliment, not compete against each other. For example, if one player is a big server, choose a partner who is a big returner or an aggressive volleyer. Keep in mind that great singles players do not always make great doubles players.

Tip 4: Consider personality traits when creating a doubles team

A team can have all the talent in the world, but if they are not playing together as a team and supporting each other, success will be limited.

Tip 5: Constantly seek self-improvement

Some doubles players have a tendency to become dependent on their partners to come to their rescue. This is dangerous as you will stop wanting to work on your weaknesses. Each player must constantly be working on improving their game, locate your weaknesses both individually and as a team and formulate strategies to improve.

Tennis players who want to move beyond their beginner level must devote time to refining their skills. The skills needed to volley a tough serve and send a backhand shot past your opponent does not come naturally. Your tennis skills will only improve with hours of practice and commitment to improvement.

Find a tennis court in your community where you can practice. Your primary court should have a well maintained playing surface, nets and small storage areas for personal belongings.

Stretch your back, legs and arms prior to hitting the tennis courts for practice. It is important to spend 10-15 minutes before and after practice keeping your muscles loose to avoid cramping.

Use the same tennis racquet for practice and live matches to maintain you form. Beginner tennis players should get comfortable with the handling of your racquet as they practice to focus on fundamentals during matches.

Wear comfortable clothing during tennis practice to avoid problems with posture and form. Tight shorts and shirts along with uncomfortable shoes draw your focus away from hitting the perfect volley back to your opponent.

Live up targets along the base line to practice your serves from both sides of the court. You should place orange cones at one foot intervals from side to side and aim for the cones as you strike the ball. Start to volley at the net with your practice partner and gradually move to the base line. Challenge your partner with forehand and backhand shots as you step back.

Aim your backhand shots at the point where the base line meets the side line to refine this skill. You can place a cone just inside the corners of the opposing court to give yourself a target.

Finally you can ask a friend to score games between you and your tennis partner to prepare for future matches.

When you play outdoor on a clay tennis court, one of the underrated factors is unpredictability. Clay courts are moody. When it’s warm and dry you can be versatile in your choice of tactics, but if the weather changes and court gets wet and the balls get heavy it is as if someone has flicked the slow motion switch. Even on a dry day it can be very difficult to play when a swirling wind gets up and blows the clay in your face. The most effective clay court players are those who are mentally tough and ready to adapt promptly and positively to all different challenges that get thrown at them.

You can expect the ball to bounce higher than on other surfaces when playing on clay. To take advantage of this many clay court specialists use relatively closed grips and an open stance base which allows them to whip up through the hitting zone to produce high-rolling topspin drives. A kicking second serve is also very useful.

You can expect the points to last longer than on other surfaces. You need to build up your physical and mental stamina. Even if you attack the net in an attempt to shorten the points, you should be ready to play two or three volleys in a row which is very demanding on the knees and thigh muscles.

You can expect movement to be difficult. As clay is not so firm underfoot as other courts, twisting and turning can present real problems. Make this work to your advantage by wrong footing your opponent. Try to master the art of sliding into your shots. You need to consistently practice these technical skills and build up your stamina.