DEVELOPING AN AGGRESSIVE SERVE: ADVANCED PLAYERS ONLY

The Serve is considered the most aggressive stroke in tennis and the only stroke in which the player has complete control over the placement and speed of the ball. It is the only Closed-skill stroke in an Open-skill sport like tennis.

The serve is an opportunity to take control of the point by gaining an advantage over your opponent early in the point. Focusing on the Serve can help players become more dominant in key moments and improve their results quickly.

I have been focusing recently on improving players' mindset during the serve. An aggressive attitude coupled with good technique will take you a long way. Along with being more positive and optimistic, you'll make better decisions, execute the stroke more confidently, and maintain an aggressive mindset throughout service games.

Negativity hurts your service games a lot because it leads to conservative decisions regarding the targets and the overall execution of the stroke. If you merely get the ball in to start a rally due to conservatism or because stress has tightened you physically it’s going to be difficult to hold serve a big moments. This is particularly true in the women's game, where many players do not take full advantage of their serve in matches. In the men's game, a grateful opponent will almost immediately exploit any drop in the quality of the serve.

The Serve is a critical stroke in tennis and can 
control the game for you.

Sometimes, a player can hold serve comfortably throughout a set. Still, at the most critical moments of a match, the serve lets them down, and the increase in pressure creates either conservatism or makes the player physically tight, affecting the consistency and effectiveness during those crucial times.

As a player, it's also essential to consider the type of service you want 3-5 years from now. What kind of service will you need to continue improving to better deal with stronger opponents in the years to come?

Most players think about increasing the speed of the Serve when they look to improve their Serve. Still, your best option is to develop versatility by having a wide range of serves such as a wide slice, flat, a kicker, and a level of consistency yet aggressive, accurate and intelligent.  If that sounds like a tall order, it is, but if you want to progress in professional tennis, your serve must be all those things. 

Increasing the speed of your serve will only do so
much, at higher levels you need to increase the
the versatility of your serve, 

I've found a simple process to improve a player's aggressiveness, variety, and accuracy and to do all this under pressure during those pressure situations,

STEP ONE: Isolate the Importance of the Serve

• Play a tie-break to 5 points that focuses solely on the serve and the return
• Reward the server with the point if they can hit an ace or un-returnable serve
• If the Returner can make the Return, they win the point. There are no rallies.

By eliminating the groundstroke rally, you focus the player's attention on the serve, which they usually need to do more in matches. It will create an aggressive mindset on the first and second serve because conservatism is not rewarded here.

You will also begin to see the weaknesses in the server's game. They may not be able to hit big enough, or their versatility may be lacking.

The players will initially "go for everything" but soon settle down and try to land more of their best serves in the service box. This may be the first drill they have done where they must unleash serves to the limit of their ability. Again, after some time, the player will become more comfortable going "big" with their serve and trying to win the point outright.

At the professional level, your service must be highly effective yet consistent at the same time. A player facing a break point only has one opportunity to serve their way out of trouble and find their target.

Players should be encouraged to go big or go home. Conservatism doesn’t get you out of challenging moments when serving.

STEP TWO: Alternate between two mindsets

Tennis needs a flexible brain to adapt to the different phases during a match. The mindset required for the Serve at the highest level differs from that of the rally. But if a serve is returned, you must still be able to change gears and play an effective rally point.

The player becomes comfortable in both modes by alternating between the two mindsets.

• Introduce the "No Winner Game" and alternate between the 5-point Serve and Return game.
• The Returner must now return the ball beyond the service Line to win the point
•  Look for mindset changes between the Serve, Return, and No Winner Game. 

You should begin to see the mindset changes occurring. The service points will become aggressive and urgent, while the No Winner Game will demand patience and a more calculated mindset. You are now beginning to form a more ruthless approach to the Service points that were missing before.

The Service points will become aggressive yet well-planned and calculated, and the execution of these services will start to be successful when needed.

Include a Returner in any drills you do to keep the
drill "real"

STEP THREE: Accuracy Drill

• Stand on the baseline and wrist balls to specific lines (1) Deuce wide (2) Centre line (3) Ad court wide, while competing with another player(s)
• If a player hits the designated line, they can progress to the next line target
• The first player to complete all three targets wins

This drill shows the player that accuracy comes from the wrist, particularly the amount of feel you have for late and early wrist pronation/snap.

Time spent developing your serve is well spent, and positive results can appear quite soon.