Directions are described from the server's point of view:

1. slice - stays low and curves left
2. topspin - dips faster in flight and bounces higher
3. topspin-slice - dips and curves left
4. twist - dips and curves left in the air, then bounces high to the right
5. flat (no spin)
6. underhand sidespin - curves sharply right on the bounce
7. reverse underhand sidespin - curves sharply left on the bounce
8. backspin - acts like a drop shot
9. underhand topspin - acts like a topspin groundstroke

Basically, you hit a slice serve by brushing across the ball from its center toward what would be the 3:00 position if the ball were a clock face.

How would I hit a topspin/slice serve?

Using a Continental grip, brush upward and across the right side of the ball from the ball's center toward what would be 1:30 on a clock face -- for an even mixture of the two spins. Within the topspin-slice type, you can vary the mixture of the two spins, hitting, for example, 70% topspin - 30% slice, then a 40% topspin - 60% slice. Meet the ball at full extension roughly a foot to your right and a foot farther forward than your head.

Here's the essence of how to hit the twist serve:

1. Use a grip closer to Eastern backhand than Continental.
2. Toss the ball so that if you didn't hit it, it would come down slightly behind and to the left of where your head would be at the time you would swing.
3. Bend your knees, arch your back, and turn your shoulders so that your back is almost facing the net.
4. Plan to meet the ball 6-12" lower and with less of a forward lean than you would your fully extended power serve.
5. Swing so that you brush up the back of the ball from 7:00 to 1:00 (upward and left-to-right). Your follow-through will first go toward your right, then, for most players, naturally come around to your left.
6. Aim high: the ball should clear the net by at least two, preferably three or more feet.

If you have trouble, these tips might help:

• Try choking up on your racquet, using the same grip. Move close to the net and concentrate just on hitting up and over with the correct spin.
• If, while your grip is still choked-up, you can't get the left-to-right brush on the ball, try following through past your right side so that the racquet head ends up behind your back. (Don't try this holding the racquet at full length.)
• To increase the height and depth of your serve, meet the ball slightly farther back.
• If you continue to have trouble getting the ball to fly well above the net, take a bunch of balls outside the court, stand roughly 20 feet from the fence, and try to hit twist serves over the fence.
• To generate more spin, rotate your grip more toward the Eastern backhand and increase your swing speed.

Flat serves with any real pace have very little margin of clearance over the net, but if you want to try one, meet the ball at full extension roughly a foot to your right and 1-2 feet farther forward than your head. Smack the ball squarely at its center. Use a Continental grip even though you might be able to get away with an Eastern forehand grip.

How would I hit a underhand sidespin serve?

How would I hit a reverse underhand sidespin serve?

Use the same procedure (including the grip) as the underhand sidespin serve, but swing from left to right and stand with both feet facing the net. Your swing will look somewhat like a heavy sidespin backhand groundstroke, including hitting the ball with the "back" side of the strings.

How would I hit a backspin serve?

Use a normal stance and a Continental grip. Toss the ball roughly as high as your chin. Without a wind-up, bring the racquet straight back around navel high. As you swing forward, bend your knees to accentuate your brushing down the back of the ball. Swing straight toward your target. The swing is similar to a drop shot, but instead of trying to take pace off the ball, you have to generate enough power to send the ball more than 40 feet, which still keeping it soft and short enough to act like a drop shot. It's a difficult serve to use effectively.

How would I hit a reverse slice serve?

Most players find this by far the most difficult serve to execute. Instead of brushing the outside (right side) of the ball as on a slice, you brush the inside (left side). This rarely used serve requires a few uncommon techniques:

• Use an extreme Western backhand grip .
• Strike the ball with the "back" of the strings, the side roughly aligned with the back of your hand.
• Stand with both feet pointing toward the net.
• Follow through to your right.

Use any one of the curving spins to serve into the body of a tall player, which will make his long reach a disadvantage. When you "jam" him, he has farther to move than a shorter player would to get to the distance from the ball where he'd normally want to swing. Serving straight into the body can work, but a ball that curves into him is more likely to catch him by surprise.

Which spin is best for second serves?

How would I hit an underhand topspin serve?

You can hit this serve using a stroke very similar to whichever topspin forehand groundstroke style you like best. The Western style, grip and all, will give you the heaviest spin. For the Western style, toss the ball around head high, to your right, and toward the net 1-2 feet. Let the ball drop around 1.5 feet, then brush sharply up the back of the ball with as much swing speed as possible. Semi-western or Eastern styles will use a less forward toss and a lower point of contact.

Which spin is best for first serves?

Which serves work best against short players?

Heavy kick serves can be made to jump well above the maximum height at which most short players can hit an aggressive return. On the backhand side especially, the return is likely to be fairly soft and easy to put away either with an aggressive groundstroke, or better, at the net.