Second Service

In tennis you are allowed two serves. If you miss your first serve you are allowed to take one more. If you miss your second serve then you lose the point.

Most of the times tennis players will be more cautious on the second serve to ensure that they get it in and don’t lose the point.

This is why you will often see second serves that are a bit slower and may not seem as strong.

If the first serve is a fault, the server must serve again without delay from behind the same half of the court from which that fault was served, unless the serve was from the wrong half.

Why is the Second Serve So Vital?

At the end of the day, a lot of its importance relates to the fact that it’s a safety net, and it’s one that you don’t get with any other shot.

Asides from the second serve, there are no do-overs in tennis, which means you’ve really got to make the most of the one time you do get a second chance.

To help make sure you’re getting the most out of your second serve, there are some tips and tricks to help you out.

It frees you up on the first serve

A good first serve is probably the biggest weapon you have on a tennis court. Even if it’s not picking you up free points, it’s normally going to put you on the front foot in the point. However, if you’re lacking confidence on your second serve, this is going to severely limit your first serve.

Nobody wants to face an important point with their second serve when they’re lacking confidence, which means you have to dial down the first serve to give you a better chance of getting it in.

Before you’ve even hit a ball, your lack of confidence on the second serve has had a big impact on how you approach the point, and this can be the difference between winning and losing the match.

On the flip side, if you’re really confident in your second serve, then you feel much freer to be aggressive with the first serve.

You’re in control

Even though you’ve missed the first serve, you’re still in complete control of what happens next.

You’ve got the ball in your hand, can take your time (think Djokovic’s 50 bounces before the second serve), make sure your ball toss is perfect and you can still make a good start to the point.

You don’t have this opportunity with any shot other than the serve, so you’ve got to make the most of it.

By practicing your second serve, you can put in place the systems that allow you to maximize its effectiveness and making it into a solid foundation for your game.

It’s one of the most attackable shots

If you’re not confident in your second serve and you’re dropping it short, then it’s going to be one of the most attackable shots your opponent faces.

If your opponent is alert, then they can use this opportunity to really get on top in the point, and from there, it’s difficult to claw things back.

The best players all manage to win over 50% of their points on second serve, which means they’re starting the point at least at 50/50.

There’s nothing stopping you from doing the same thing, because although the pros are better servers than you, they’re also up against much better returners, so it’s all comparative.

Major Points of Concentration for a Good Second Serve (same for first serve)

Develop sound biomechanical technique, and understand the basic elements of a good serve.

1. The service motion is very similar to throwing a baseball; i.e. throwing from the outfield to home base – not pitching from pitcher’s mound to catcher. Your release should extend upward – not downward. The service motion should be one continuous accelerated motion!
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2. Depend on a rhythm and coordination of power sources for more velocity while maintaining control. Don’t “hit” the ball; “stroke” the ball.
3. Toss the ball in the path of the racquet. Don’t change your grooved swing to accommodate a bad toss. Remember that power comes from the legs up. The power sources are: lateral weight transfer, rotational power, vertical lift, arc of the arm, and snap of the wrist.
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When you wish to hit with power – yet maintain control – you must establish a rhythmic coordination with the power sources

Use a linkage system of letting the power develop from the legs and lower body, to the trunk and shoulders, and finally to the arc of the arm. Most players lose their consistency and accuracy because they try to “muscle” the ball or hit it harder, but only by increasing the power from the arm. As a result, they lose the rhythm and coordinated flow of the lower body power sources. Hence, they hit with more power but the trade-off is a loss of consistency and accuracy.

The Keys to Developing the Best Second Serve

Establish your routine before, and after each serve. For example: how you approach the service line, how many times you bounce the ball, use of relaxation technique, etc. Routine means doing exactly the same thing every time you are going to serve – mentally and physically.

Once you are in position to serve, go through your Relax – Target – Toss (R-T-T) routine.

1. Relax: Before serving you should go through a specific relaxation technique, either by shrugging shoulders, deep breathing, or shaking your hitting arm loosely.
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2. Target: While relaxing, focus directly on your secondary target – then translate that into focusing on your primary target. You will see the secondary target through the net – then raise your eyes straight up to the top of the net, and then 12 inches above the net. You will have to use your imagination and visualize a target above the net. This target is what you focus on – to the extent that everything else becomes hazy and blurred – even non-existent. This takes very strong concentration since you are in the habit of looking at your opponent or other areas of the service box. Practice with targets.
3. Toss: Once you have established your primary target in your mind by visualizing and focusing on that specific spot, then concentrate on your toss. Depending on the spin and power you are going to hit, you need to concentrate on where you need to toss the ball in order for you to hit your primary target (point of tangency).
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Just before tossing the ball and hitting it, say to yourself: “I am aiming at the primary target and if I miss it, the ball will go long (over the target)”. You should visualize this happening before you start your motion. Visualize the ball going through (or over) the primary target and long. Then relax and hit with rhythm and fluidity – not brute strength.

1. Hit the ball with authority, but don’t blast it or you’ll break the coordinated flow of the body (kinetic link). Remember the most important thing you must do is repeat the same motion time and again. Replicating your service motion every time requires relying on rhythm and coordination of the power sources. Once you start to “force” or “press” the motion, you will be unable to repeat the same motion every time. Rhythm, balance, and coordination are more important to the success of the serve than power.
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If you do the above, in sequence and precisely, then your serve should either hit the target area or go long in the direction of the target. If the ball goes into the target, that’s a bonus; accept it and then start over again with the first serve. If the serve goes long (but in the direction of your target) you should do the following.

1. Say “Good!” to yourself. Say it enthusiastically and sincerely, then follow that praise by saying, “I did precisely what I asked myself to do – now do exactly the same thing” (routine, R-T-T and, most importantly, swing the same way with the same amount of power – don’t decrease your power). Repeat the entire process you went through for the first serve. Make the necessary and appropriate modifications with the toss, the grip, and/or the aim point as needed or desired.
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2. After you have executed the second serve, then observe carefully and objectively (without emotion) where the second serve went. If performed successfully, the motion, speed and spin on the serve should have been the same as the first serve. However, the ball should have hit shorter than the first serve – hopefully, but not necessarily in the secondary target.
3. If you followed your own directions and performed well, then you were successful if the ball landed short of your first serve, landed in the secondary target, or even hit the net (in line with secondary target). If it landed in any of these three spots then you should repeat the same affirmation you used after the first serve: “Good! I did exactly what I directed. Now, the next time I need to make the appropriate adjustment either with my toss, grip, or aim point – depending on where the 2nd serve landed!”
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Ten Major Points to Make First/Second Serve Sequence Work

1. Remember that you need to be confident, not fearful, and you control your confidence by creating achievable goals. These goals must be achievable.
2. You’re working on the ultimate second serve (not the first serve). You have two chances to make your second serve – only one to make your first serve.
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3. You must use the same motion, rhythm, and velocity on both serves. Don’t “let up” on the second serve. The only change you make is with the toss, grip, and/or aim point.
4. Definitely practice the affirmation the way it is written. Don’t just serve, or make the mistake of getting upset if you miss the first serve or the second. Just observe each serve in a detached, objective manner, and make the necessary corrections to be able to come closer to your ultimate target the next time.
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5. Always use targets when serving (secondary for sure, and primary when needed) and practice serving for 30-40 minutes/day, 6 days/week! Don’t hit more – and try not to hit less per week (1,000 serves per week). Remember that ‘Ready, Aim, Fire’ works much better than ‘Ready, Fire, Aim’!
6. Concentrate exclusively on the routines and the affirmations before and after each serve. This will diminish any fears you have and help you develop the ultimate second serve much more efficiently and effectively.
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7. Fabricate game conditions and specific score situations, i.e. 4-5, 30-40; 5-6, 30-15 etc. – critical points.
8. Remember, this will not become a habit unless you persist with it over a sustained period of time (12-18 months). But, if you persist long enough and are conscientious and enthusiastic in your practice habits, you will reap the rewards of your efforts 100-fold for the remainder of your tennis career.
9. Read this outline three times per day for the next 30 days.
10. If you are missing both serves (in the target) then you are hitting the ball too hard. Reduce your power by 5% or more as necessary. Add spin and change the arc of your swing as needed.

There is a price for confidence – but the price is well worth the effort.