Serving “Up Words”
To increase the power and precision of your serve, think about the succession of four “up” words:
Line Up Sideways
Line up sideways with your shoulders and hips towards the “T” in the deuce court and the alley corner in the ad court, if right handed. Line up sideways to the alley corner in the deuce court and towards the “T” in the ad court, if left handed. You’ll be able to hit either corner with the same toss, thus disguising your intended target.
Arm Up (Exaggerate)
Exaggerate keeping your arm up longer than normal. This keeps your shoulders sideways towards your target longer, giving you more power and accuracy.
Spring Up
Springing up on your toes helps you hit the ball at full arm extension, giving you more power.
Eyes Up (Exaggerate)
You can do the first three steps correctly and not do the fourth one and you will miss your serve every time. You have to keep your eyes up long enough to see the strings hit the ball. Then you can look down. The throwing motion will hit the serve in, not looking ahead as you are hitting the ball.
Think of these four words in sequence every time your serve. It works.
To see this tip in action, watch this video clip I narrate from my Instructional DVD, Tips For Better Tennis.
Nice serve!
Film clip courtesy Kiawah Island Golf Resort