B y   J e f f    C o o p e r

Q.  How should I stand for serving?

A.  If you're a right-hander, stand with your right foot parallel to the baseline, roughly a shoulder width behind your left foot. Your left foot should be a few inches behind the baseline, pointing roughly toward the right net post.

Q.  What grip should I use for my first serve?

A.  A Continental grip is best for most first serves. Beginners might find it more awkward than the Eastern forehand grip, but they usually adjust quickly.

Q.  What grip should I use for my second serve?

A.  Many players hit all serves with a Continental grip, but some move toward the Eastern backhand grip for heavier spin on twist and topspin serves.

Q.  How should I hold the ball for the toss?

A.  Hold the ball in the outermost segments of all five fingers, almost in your fingertips. Your hand should be mostly below the ball, but it can also be somewhat to the side of the ball.

Q.  Where should I be meeting the ball?

A.  For the most common spin serve (topspin-slice), flat serves, and all beginner serves, try to meet the ball where your arm and racquet are extended as high as you can reach and roughly a foot to the right and 1-2 feet forward from your head. As you develop your serve, you will probably thrust upward with your legs enough to lift you off the ground, and that will raise your point of contact, but you shouldn't try this when you're first learning. On heavier spin serves, which are also more advanced, you'll meet the ball slightly lower -- and also less to the right for topspin, more to the right for heavy slice, and more to the left for twist.

Q.  How can I get my toss to the proper point of contact?

A.  Here is a step-by-step guide…

A poor ball toss is one of the most common causes of serving problems. Fortunately, you can practice your toss easily on your own.

How To Practice a Perfect Ball Toss

Difficulty: Average

Time Required:  5 minutes

Here's How:

1.   Stand on the baseline where you normally do for serving.

2.   Point your right foot parallel to the baseline and your left foot (for righties) at the right net post.

3.   Place a spare racquet so that its butt end touches the toe-tip of your shoe and its tip points toward the right net post.

4.   Holding your playing racquet in your right hand, reach as high up as you can, approximately one foot in front of you.

5.   Hold a ball in your fingertips, a few inches in front of your right thigh.

6.   Push the ball up and release it with your left hand fully extended upward.

7.   Practice tossing the ball so that it peaks at the tip of your extended racquet.

8.   Bring your racquet back down to the normal starting position for a serve.

9.   As you make your normal service windup with your right arm, push the ball up to same height you were practicing in step 7, but now try to get it to land on the face of the racquet lying on the ground.

Tips:

1. Note that when you practice with the windup, you still don't hit the ball.
2. If you're having trouble getting the ball to land forward enough, imagine that you're pushing it up a pipe that extends from in front of your right thigh to the spot where you'd be hitting it.
3. Remember to release the ball from your left hand with that hand fully extended upward.

Q.  Should I try to jump to meet the ball?

A.  As your serve develops, you will use a good knee bend and drive upward with your legs, which will usually lift you off the ground as you go up after the ball, but don't deliberately jump.

Q.  Should I try to snap my wrist on my serve?

A.  If you keep your arm and wrist loose on your serve, the upward force of a proper swing will make your wrist whip through at exactly the right moment. Trying to snap your wrist deliberately won't help, and it can hurt both your serve and your arm.

Q.  Where should my feet be after I've made contact with the serve?

A.  On most serves, the forces of your service motion should make you end up with your right foot (for right-hander) inside the baseline, ahead of your left, so that you'll be facing more or less the left sideline when you finish your follow through.