What is a slice serve in tennis and why do we use it?

The slice serve is a type of serve for tennis players that adds sidespin to a first serve or second serve. Unlike flat serves that are hit primarily from the back, or kick serves that are hit “up” to add topspin, slice serves brush along the side, effectively changing the spin and bounce of the ball.

What is the most common serve used when playing tennis?

The most common type of serve in tennis is the kick serve or topspin serve. A common variation of this is the American twist. One main advantage of topspin is high speed. Roger Federer, a professional tennis player, is quite known for executing kick serves flawlessly.

What serve does Federer use?

Like all pro players, Federer uses some version of a backhand grip. You could call it a continental, or a mild eastern backhand. If we look at the position of his hand on the racket bevels, most of the palm of his hand is on the top bevel, or bevel one. His index knuckle appears to be in the center of bevel two.

Why do tennis players slice serve at the body?

For the taller opponent, who might not move as well as a shorter player, you might hit a slice serve at their body because they’ll struggle to reposition themselves quickly when returning. The same goes for court surfaces.

What are the different types of serves in tennis?

They are the flat serve, the slice serve, the kick serve, and the underhanded serve. Good players will often use a mixture of different types of serves. Typically, they will use a flat serve or a slice serve for their first serve, as these types can make things difficult for the receiver and are most likely to get aces.

What is the difference between a sidespin and a slice serve?

The sidespin makes the ball curve to the left and dip slightly, then bounce off the ground in a leftward direction (or rightward if the server is a lefty). The slice serve can be used to go for an ace, to push the receiver off court and out of position, or to make the ball bounce up at the receiver’s body.

Why do some tennis players have a low first serve percentage?

Many players enjoy hitting a big flat serve and rely almost exclusively on it as their first serve even if they only make 10\% of them. The problem with this mentality and a low first serve percentage is that it takes a great deal of pressure off your opponent.