The serve is a skill used to start ever rally. It is necessary to develop a serve which is reliable and then develop it and make it stronger to try and force errors out of the opposition.

TYPE OF SERVES

There are 5 main types of serve : basic underarm serve, overarm float, overarm topspins, roundhouse and jump serves.

This page is only going to deal with the underarm serve.

 

For a Right handed player:

The server stands behind the base line.

The players left foot is pointed in the intended direction of the ball.

The weight is on the back right foot and the ball is held in the left hand.

The hitting hand can be in a fist or open and the ball is struck with the palm or flat fist.

THE CONTACT AND FOLLOW THROUGH

As the hitting hand is taken back and then swung forward, the body weight is moved from the back foot to the front foot. Just as the right hand is about to hit the ball the left hand releases the ball and the hitting arm strikes the ball.

All throughout this action the servers attention is always focused on the ball.