How to Practice a Tennis Slice Serve

While a flat tennis serve can be a fast, powerful way to begin a point, it is tough to consistently serve into the court. Adding slice to your serve increases your chances of getting the serve in, while adding variety to your repertoire to keep your opponent on her toes. Tennis serves are also easy to work on, since you don't need a practice partner.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Hold your tennis racquet with a Continental grip. In a Continental grip, the palm rests on the upper-right slanted bevel of the handle, allowing the racquet face to slant upward slightly.

2. Turn your body to the side in standard serve position (left side facing the net if you're right handed, or right side facing the net if you're a lefty). Feet are approximately shoulder-width apart and angled slightly to the service box toward which you're aiming.

3. Hold the ball and the throat of your racquet in your off hand as you begin to shift your weight to your rear leg.

4. Bring your racquet up and behind your head (as if scratching your back with it) as you toss the ball in front of you.

5. Transfer your body weight to the front leg and begin to rotate your hips and shoulders to your off side, straightening your arm to contact the ball with your racquet.

6. Hit the ball at the highest point of the toss, coming up and around the outside of the ball. Brushing the outside of the ball causes the "slice" effect.

7. Follow through with your racquet to the non-dominant side of your body. When you finish the serve, you should be facing the net, prepared to play your opponent's service return.

8. Practice diligently, learning to use the slice serve to your advantage after becoming proficient. Used properly, a slice serve is an effective tennis weapon to potentially jam your opponent's body or ace them out wide.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure you toss the ball high enough to hit the serve with full arm extension.
• Practice the amount you brush past the ball, which controls the degree of slice. Experimenting with your ball toss will also affect the slice you achieve.
• Though the Continental grip is most commonly used in a slice serve, an Eastern grip works, as well. The Eastern grip places the racquet face more perpendicular to the court, rather than slanted up. If you're more comfortable executing your slice with an Eastern grip, don't worry about adapting to a Continental.

Who Can Help:

• Tired of Being Tired? Fight Fatigue and Try FRS for FREE!