Tennis: Glossary of terms and definitions Back to the main Tennis page Ace - a serve that is a winner without the receiving tennis player able to return the ball. Ad court - the part of the tennis court that is to the left of the tennis players Advantage - when a tennis player needs one more point to win the game after the score was deuce. Alley - the extra area of the side court used for doubles. ATP - stand for the Association of Tennis Professionals Backhand - a way to swing the tennis racquet where the player hits the ball with a swing that comes across the body. Backspin - spin of a tennis ball that causes the ball to slow down and/or bounce low. Backswing - the motion of a swing that moves the racquet into position to swing forward and strike the ball. Baseline - the line indicating back of the court. Baseliner - a tennis player whose strategy is to play from the baseline. See Tennis Strategies for more.

Break - when the server loses the game Break point - one point away from breaking serve Chip - blocking a shot with backspin Chip and charge - an aggressive strategy to return the opponent's serve with backspin and move forward to the net for a volley Chop - a tennis shot with extreme backspin. Meant to stop the ball where it lands. Counterpuncher - another name for a player who is a defensive baseliner. Court - the area where a tennis game is played Crosscourt - hitting the tennis ball diagonally into the opponent's court Deep - refers to a shot that bounces near the baseline verses near the net Deuce - when the score in a game is 40 to 40. Deuce court - the right side of the court Double Fault - two missed serves in a row. The server will lose the point. Doubles - a tennis game played by four players, two per side of the court. Down the line - hitting a tennis shot straight down the baseline Drop shot - a strategy where the tennis player hits the ball just go over the net. It is used when the opponent is far from the net. Drop volley - a drop shot from a volley Fault - a service that is not in play.

First Service - the first of the two serves of a tennis ball a player is allowed. Generally the server will try a more difficult serve on the first service. Flat - a shot with little to no spin Follow through - the part of the swing after the ball is hit. A good follow through is important for accuracy and power. Foot fault - when the server steps over the baseline while making a serve. Forehand - a tennis swing where the player hits the tennis ball from behind their body. Often the forehand is the players best stroke. Game point - one point away to win the tennis game. Grand Slam - any one of the four most prestigious tennis tournaments including the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. Groundstroke - a forehand or backhand shot made after the tennis ball bounces once on the court Head - the top part of the racket that has the strings and is meant to hit the ball. Hold - when the server wins the tennis game. I-formation - a formation in doubled where the both players stand on the same side of the court prior to starting the point. Jamming - to hit the tennis ball straight to the opponent's body not allowing them to extend the racquet to hit the ball well.

Kick serve - a serve with a lot of spin causing the ball to bounce high Let - when the tennis ball from a service touches the net but still lands within the service box. The server gets another try as this does not count as a fault. Lob - a tennis shot where the ball is lifted high above the net. Can be a defensive shot in some cases, but also may cause a winner when the ball is just out of reach of the opponent, but still lands in play. Love - zero points in a tennis game. Match point - when one tennis player only needs one more point to win the entire match Out - any tennis ball that lands outside the area of play. Passing shot - when the tennis ball is hit such that it passes by the opponent at the net without them being able to hit the ball. Poaching - an aggressive strategy in doubles where the tennis player at net attempts to volley a shot hit to their partner on the baseline. Tennis Racquet - the main piece of equipment in tennis. It has a long handle and a oval shaped head with a string mesh stretched across it. It is used by the tennis player to hit the ball.

Rally - when players hit the ball back and forth to each other while the ball is landing in play. Set point - when a tennis player needs one point to win the set Singles - a tennis game played by two players Second Service - the second serve that the server is allowed after missing the first serve. This serve must be successful or the server will lose the point (called a double fault). Serve - starts the point by the server hitting the tennis ball into the opponents half of the court Serve and volley - a tennis strategy where the player serves and then charges forward to the net for a volley off of the return. Spin - rotation of the tennis ball as it moves through the air. Skilled tennis players can control the spin and, therefore, the ball's trajectory and bounce Straight sets - when one player wins every set in a match. Topspin - when the tennis ball spins forward. This can cause it to bounce higher as well as dip down quickly. Unforced error - a missed shot by a player that was not caused by any excellent play by their opponent. Volley - a shot where the ball is hit by the player's racquet before the ball hits the ground. Winner - an outstanding tennis shot that cannot be returned by the opponent.

WTA - stands for Women's Tennis Association Tennis Vocabulary | English Club Download the Prepositions ebook! Tennis Vocabulary This page covers the vocabulary and language of tennis by looking at its background, equipment and people. Check your understanding with the vocabulary quiz and comprehension quiz . Tennis is one of the world's most widely-played sports, enjoyed by players of all ages. It is also a popular spectator sport, with star players in glamorous tournaments watched on TV by millions of fans all over the world. Women's matches attract as much interest as the men's, and tennis is one of the few professional sports in which women can earn as much prize money as men. Singles matches are played between two players and doubles matches are between two teams of two players. Each player uses a racket (also spelled racquet) to hit a felt-covered ball over a net into their opponent's side of a court. A player wins a point when his or her opponent cannot return a shot, or the opponent's shot doesn't land in the court. History The modern form of tennis first appeared in the 19th century, but earlier forms of the game had been played in Europe for centuries.

The most well-known was real tennis (or royal tennis), which had been popular with royal families and the rich since the thirteenth century. In 1571, French King Charles IX gave permission for the 'Corporation of Tennis Professionals', a type of 'pro tour', to be started, which shows how popular real tennis had become. The game became less popular around the time of the French Revolution, however, because of its links with royalty and the 'ruling classes' that people blamed for social injustices. In England in 1873, Major Walter Clopton Wingfield revived interest in the game by simplifying the rules and designing new courts that were easier and cheaper to build. He called his new version of the game 'lawn tennis' and kept most of the old scoring system, and many of the original French words used in real tennis, such as love and deuce. Why does love mean zero? Love, meaning zero (in tennis only), comes from the French expression l'oeuf, meaning the egg, and was used because of an egg's round shape, similar to zero (0). How the Game Works Tennis is played on a rectangular court, usually with a grass, clay, or hard court surface.

The court is 78 feet (23.77 m) long and 27 feet (8.23 m) wide for singles matches and 36 feet (10.97 m) wide for doubles matches. The net is 3 feet 6 inches (1.07 m) high at the outer posts and 3 feet (.914 m) high in the middle. Lines divide the court into different areas, including four 'service boxes' in the centre of the court, in which serves must land. Before a match begins, one player is designated server in the first game, and play begins with this player serving the ball from one side of the back of the court into the service box diagonally opposite. If the serve is good, the receiver must hit it back into the server's side of the court. Play continues until one player cannot return a shot, or hits a shot out of the court, and loses the point. The server then serves again, and play continues until one player scores enough points to win the first game. Then the second game begins with the player who received in the first game now serving.

Play continues until a player wins the first 'set' by being the first to win at least six games. Then the second set begins, and play continues until a player has won enough sets to win the match. In a 'best of three' match, the winner is the first to win two sets, and in a 'best of five' match, the winner is the first to win three sets. Professional players learn to use many different shots, including the serve, forehand, backhand, volley, half-volley, overhead smash, drop shot, and lob. They also learn how to put spin on their shots to make them more difficult to return, and learn how to use tactics to win, such as by playing to their opponent's weaknesses. Tournaments Every year hundreds of tournaments are held for professional players. The biggest of these are the Grand Slam tournaments; the Australian Open, the French Open, The Championships at Wimbledon in England, and the US Open. The greatest challenge in tennis is to win all four Grand Slam tournaments in one year. In men's singles this has only ever been done by two players; Don Budge (1938) and Rod Laver (1962 and 1969).

In women's singles it has been done by only three players; Maureen Connolly (1953), Margaret Smith Court (1970), and Steffi Graf (1988). Famous Players Rod Laver Born in 1938 in Rockhampton, Australia, Rod Laver is said by many tennis historians to be the greatest player of all time. He is the only player to have won the men's singles Grand Slam two times. At 1.72 metres, Rod Laver was not as tall as many of today's players, but he had a strong arm and his shots were powerful. He was very fast around the court, and very accurate with his play. He was also a very clever player, and often won matches by outwitting his opponents tactically. Steffi Graf Steffi Graf was born in Mannheim, Germany in 1969, and is one of the greatest female tennis players of all time. She won 107 singles titles, including 22 Grand Slam singles titles.

In 1988, Graf became the only player to have ever achieved a 'Golden Slam' by winning the Olympic gold medal in singles as well as all four Grand Slam singles titles that year. No other man or woman has ever done this. She also holds the record for the total number of weeks she was rated as the number one player in the world at 377 weeks. She is also the only player to have won all four Grand Slam singles tournaments at least four times each. Steffi married Andre Agassi, the former world number one in men's tennis. Tennis Vocabulary List Andy won the match by serving a beautiful ace that was almost impossible to return. a winning serve which the receiver fails to touch with his or her racket advantage With the score at deuce, Roger returned serve with a winner and the umpire announced, 'Advantage Federer'. a player who scores a point at 'deuce' has the advantage, meaning if they win the next point, they win the game backhand If your opponent is right-handed and has a weak backhand, hit the ball to his left if you can.

a stroke in which the ball is struck on the opposite side of the body to the racquet hand ballperson ballboy/girl/kid When I was young I was a 'ballboy', and my son does the same job now, but he's a 'ballperson'. youngsters who collect balls from the court and give them to players as required baseline If a player's foot touches the baseline while serving, the serve is a foot-fault. a line at each end of the court, marking the boundary of the playing area break I got off to good start by breaking my opponent's serve in the first game of the match. to beat an opponent in a game in which the opponent is serving break point The score is 30-40, so this point is a break point and if he wins it, he wins the game. a point which will result in a break of service if it's won by the receiver crosscourt Rafael played a beautiful crosscourt volley to win the match. a shot in which the ball is hit diagonally across the court deuce The word deuce was used in real tennis for hundreds of years before the modern game developed.

a score of 40-40, after which a player must win two consecutive points to win the game double fault After serving a fault I was worried about serving a double fault, so my second serve was much slower. two faults served in a row, resulting in the server losing the point doubles In a game of doubles, the outer line down each side of the court acts as the boundary. format in which players play in teams of two drop shot Serena played a perfect drop shot that just got over the net and landed about one foot from it. a gentle shot that just drops over the net fault Maria tried to hit her serve too hard and it missed the court and was a fault. a missed serve, served into the net or served outside the correct service box forehand Chris has a very strong forehand, so his opponents play to his backhand more. a shot hit from the racket-arm side of the body game Venus won the match by two sets to one, and she won both sets by six games to four. in scoring, a game is won by winning points, a set is won by winning games, and a match is won by winning sets game point When the score gets to game point, players often get nervous and make simple mistakes.

a point that will end the game if it is won by the leading player Grand Slam A career Grand Slam means a player has won each Grand Slam tournament at least once in their career. the four major tournaments; Wimbledon and the French, U.S. and Australian Opens groundstroke Nadal is strong and he uses powerful groundstokes to keep his opponents on the run. a shot hit from the back court after the ball has bounced; the standard shot in tennis let The umpire heard the serve clip the net as it went over, so she called a let. a shot that must be replayed, such as a serve that touches the net line judge The line judge said the ball was in, but the umpire overruled him and called it out. an official who judges whether or not shots land in the court lob Her lob flew high into the air and dropped into the back of the court, just inside the baseline. a shot that is hit in a high arc, usually over the opponent's head love After starting his service game with a double fault, the score is love-fifteen. zero (this meaning is used in tennis only) match point Ana had her first three match points saved, but she won the fourth.

a point that will end the match if it is won by the leading player mixed doubles Is there a competition for mixed doubles in Tennis in the Olympic Games? doubles format in which each team is made up of one female and one male player net At the end of the match, the players jogged to the net and shook hands. the woven barrier dividing a court into halves, over which the ball must be hit racket / racquet Rackets used to be made of wood, but now they're made of materials like carbon fibre and titanium. a stringed 'bat' that players hold and use to hit the ball rally The longest rally in the match went on for 22 shots before a winner was hit. a long series of shots receiver Most receivers stand behind the baseline when they're waiting for a serve. the player receiving serves Rafael's serve was good, but Roger's return was even better and he won the point. to hit a shot back to the opponent serve Andy Roddick wins many points with his powerful serve. the shot that begins each point, in which the server hits the ball after tossing it into the air set Elena won the first set, but Maria took the next two sets to win the match.

in scoring, a player must win at least six games to win a set set point Even top players get tense or 'tight' on set points. a point that, if won by the leading player, will win him or her the game and the set tiebreaker In a tiebreaker, the winner is the first player with at least seven points, and a two-point lead. a game format used to quickly finish a set that's tied at six games each umpire The umpire sits in a tall chair at the side of the court, near the net. the official who is in overall charge of a match volley Volleys can be hard to control if there's a lot of spin on the ball. a shot on which the ball is hit before it bounces Tennis Glossary DoItTennis Tennis Glossary Tennis Glossary Ace - A serve that the opponent cannot return; as a verb, to serve an ace. Ad - Short for advantage; see entries beginning with that word, below. Advantage - The player who scores the first point after deuce is said to have the advantage, since winning the next point will also win the game. Advantage court - The left service court, where the receiver takes service when either player has the advantage.

Advantage in - Indicates that the server has the advantage; also "ad in" Advantage out - Indicates that the receiver has the advantage; also "ad out" All - Used in scoring to indicate a tie, as in "40-all." Alley - One of the areas outside the singles court that come into play in doubles. The alleys are 4 feet wide. Back court - The area of the court from the baseline to the service line. Backhand - A stoke made with the hitting arm or arms and racquet across the body. Can be hit with one or two hands. Backspin - Backward rotation on the ball, caused by drawing the racket strings down during the stroke, that results in a low bounce. On some surfaces, the ball may even bounce back toward the net. Also known as underspin. See also chip; chop. Band - The strip of canvas at the top of the net. Baseline - A line at the end of the court, parallel to the net, that marks the lengthwise boundary of the playing area. Baseline player - A player who employs a baseline game; aka a grinder. Block - To return the ball by holding the racket stationary rather than swinging it.

Break - To win a game as receiver; as a noun, a synonym for service break. Break point - A point which will result in a service break if it's won by the receiver. Closed grip - A grip in which the racket face is tilted downward, toward the court. Closed racket - A racket held with a closed grip. Court - The tennis court is 78 feet long and 27 feet wide for singles, 36 feet wide for doubles. It is divided across the middle by the net. Service lines are marked 21 feet from each side of the net and parallel to it. The area bounded by the singles sidelines and the service line is divided into two equal parts, the service courts, by the center service line, which is halfway between the sidelines and parallel to them. Visit our tennis court dimensions page for more information (diagram included). Cross-court - Descriptive of a shot that is hit from one side of the court to the other, as well as over the net. For example, the player hits from the right-hand side of the back court to the right-hand side of the opponent's back court.

Deuce - When players are tied at 40 (three points each), the score is called "deuce". At deuce, a player must win two points in a row to win the game. If the players split the following two points, the score reverts to deuce. Double fault - The server is given two attempts at a valid serve. If both attempts fail, it is a double fault and the receiver wins the point. Also used as a verb. Doubles - A match between two teams of two players each. Doubles court - The playing area for a doubles match, which includes the two alleys as well as the singles court. The area is 78 feet long by 36 feet wide. See also: court. Down the line - Descriptive of a shot that is hit straight from near the sideline, as opposed to a cross-court shot. Drop Shot - A soft shot that drops just over the net; usually hit with backspin to minimize its bounce. It's most commonly used against an opponent who is playing deep, as contrasted with the chip shot. This shot is most effective on a clay court surface.

Error - A shot that fails to cross the net or lands out of the court, resulting in loss of the point. See forced error; unforced error . Face - The flat area of the racket formed by the strings and bounded by the frame. Fault - An invalid service attempt. It is a fault if the serve fails to land in the receiver's service court; if the server swings and misses the ball entirely; or if the serve is made from beyond the baseline or from the wrong side of the center mark. See also: double fault; foot fault; serve. Fifteen - The first point of a game for either player or side. Follow through - The motion of the arm and racket after the ball has been struck. Foot fault - Usually a fault caused by the server's foot entering the court before the racket contacts the ball. It is also a foot fault if any part of the server's foot is on the wrong side of the center mark, or the server is walking or running while delivering the serve. See also serve. Forehand - A shot hit from the racket side of the player's body; the right side for a right-hander. Forty - The third point of a game for either player or side.

If both reach forty, it is called deuce. Frame - The oval portion of the racket that contains the strings; an unstrung racket. Game point - A point that will end the game if it is won by the leading player or side. See also set point; match point. Game-set - Part of an announcement that a player has won the decisive game in a set, as in, "Game-set to Miss Jones." Game-set-match - Part of an announcement that a player has won the decisive game in a match, as in, "Game-set-match to Miss Jones." Grand Slam - There are four tournaments in the "Grand Slam" of tennis: The Australian, French, U. S. Open and England's Wimbledon. The phrase came from contract bridge by way of golf. Groundstroke - A shot hit from the back court or behind the baseline after the ball has bounced; the standard shot in tennis. Head - The part of the racket comprising the frame and strings. Hopper - A container that holds large quantities of tennis balls. In - Descriptive of a good shot that lands in the opponent's court. Let - A stroke that doesn't count and must be replayed.

This most commonly happens when a serve touches the net before entering the proper service court. It's also a let if the serve is delivered before the receiver is ready, if play is interrupted by some unusual occurrence (such as an animal running onto the court), or if a linesman's decision that resulted in stoppage of play is reversed by the umpire. Lob - A shot that is hit in a high arc, usually over the opponent's head. See defensive lob; offensive lob. Long - Descriptive of a shot that is out because it hits the court beyond the opponent's baseline. Love - Zero; no points. For example, a score of 40-love means that the server has scored three points and the receiver hasn't scored any. In a set score, it means that the player hasn't won any games. Probably derived from the old French word for egg, l'ove, because a zero is egg-shaped. Match - A tennis contest made up of sets, as a set is made up of games. In major competition, a men's match is made up of five sets and the winner is the player who first wins three sets. Women usually play best-of-three matches.

Match point - A point that will end the match if it is won by the leading player or side. See also set point; game point. Mixed doubles - Doubles competition in which each team is made up of one female and one male player. Net - The barrier that divides a tennis court into lengthwise halves. It's a web, usually made of braided synthetic material, suspended from a steel cable that's strung between two 3-foot metal posts located 3 feet outside the sidelines. The cable is covered by a band of canvas or synthetic material, 2 to 2 1/2 inches wide. A 2-inch wide center strap, also made of canvas or synthetic material, holds the net taut at the center. As a verb, "to net" means to hit the ball into the net. Visit our tennis nets page for more information. No-man's land - The area between the baseline and the service line, so called because a player who is caught there finds it difficult to hit ground strokes and isn't close enough to the net to hit slams. Open grip - A grip in which the racket face is tilted upward, away from the court. Open racket - A racket held with an open grip.

Out - Descriptive of a shot that lands outside the playing area, wide and/or long. Poach - In doubles, to hit a ball, usually with a volley, that would ordinarily have been played by the partner. Racket - The instrument that's used to hit the ball. It has a long, straight handle and an oval frame strung with natural gut or a synthetic material. Up until the late 1960s, rackets were made of wood, but then steel and aluminum frames were introduced, followed by frames of graphite, fiberglass, titanium, and carbon. Maximum dimensions are 29 inches in overall length, 12 inches in overall width. The hitting surface can be no more than 15 inches long and 11 inches wide. Also spelled racquet . Rally - An extended exchange of shots between players or sides. Ready position - The position adopted by the receiver in anticipation of the serve. Receiver - The player who receives service throughout a game. Return - To hit an opponent's shot back over the net and in play. After service, every successful shot is a return. Round robin - A tournament in which each player meets every other player and final standings are determined by the won-lost records.

Such a tournament is sometimes a preliminary round to determine seedings and order of play. Seed - Before a tournament, certain players are ranked, based on their ability and recent performances. The process is called seeding, the rankings are called seeds, and the top-ranked player is called the top seed. Matches are then arranged so that the top-seeded players will not meet until the later rounds of the tournament. Serve - The shot that begin each point. Standing behind the baseline, the player must toss the ball into the air and hit it into the diagonally opposite service court. The server is given two chances to make a valid serve. A failure is called a fault and a double fault results in loss of the point. On the first point, the server must be to the right of the center line, and then alternates sides with each point. In singles, the players alternate service throughout a match. In doubles, service alternates between the sides, and all four players serve in turn. Serve and volley - A style of play in which the server takes the net after each successful serve in order to volley the opponent's return. Server - The player whose turn it is to serve. Service - See serve.

Set - A set is a group of games that is won by the player or side that first wins at least six games with a two-game margin, unless a tie-breaker is employed. In major tournaments, there are usually five sets in a men's match and three in a women's match. See scoring system; tie-breaker. Set point - A point that, if won by the leader, will result in winning the set. See also game point; match point. Shot - The act of hitting the ball with the racket. Sideline - The line that marks the side boundary of the court. The sidelines are 27 feet apart for singles and 36 feet apart for doubles. Slice - A shot hit with both backspin and sidespin; as a verb, to hit such a shot. Smash - An overhead shot that is hit very hard and down into the opponent's side of the net. Strings - The hitting surface of the racket, made up of interlaced strings of gut or synthetic material. Visit our tennis strings page for more information. Stroke - A swing at the ball; a shot. Sudden death - A tie-breaker of predetermined length.

The most commonly used are the 9-point tie-breaker, in which the first player to score 5 points is the winner, and the 13-point tie-breaker, which is won by the first player to score 7 points. Sweet spot - The optimum hitting area, around the middle of the racket face. T - The midcourt area, where the service lines meet the center service line. Tennis elbow - Tendinitis of the elbow, often caused by the strains placed on the joint by playing tennis, though it may have other causes. Visit our sports medicine page for therapy wraps, splints and braces for this kind of injury. Thirty - The second point scored by a player or side in a game. See point; scoring system. Topspin - Forward spin, around the ball's horizontal axis, that's applied by drawing the racket strings up and over the ball at the moment of impact. A shot hit with topspin is more likely to stay in play, because it drops sharply after reaching its highest point, and it takes a high bounce. Two-handed backhand - A backhand shot on which the player has both hands on the racket handle.

Unforced error - Loss of a point caused by a poorly hit shot that goes into the net or out of the court. Compare forced error. Volley - A shot on which the ball is hit before it bounces. As a verb, to hit such a shot. Wide - Descriptive of a shot that lands beyond the sideline, or beyond the service sideline in the case of a serve. See also long. Wood shot - A shot on which the frame of the racket strikes the ball. Tennis Second Serve: The Foundation Of Serving in Tennis Search Tennis Second Serve: The Foundation Of Serving in Tennis The second serve in tennis is one of the fundamentals of the game of tennis that separates the champions from the club player. A player that wishes to improve the tennis serve must work on the second serve in tennis. The tennis second serve is often less glamorous and made to be less important by many tennis players. On TV, pro players are admired for their first serve. But few players and coaches recognize the importance of having a solid second serve in tennis. Typically, the tennis second serve is hit when a player misses the first serve, leaving them one chance to hit a serve before a double fault is given.

Few players work on the second serve in tennis, because it is often seen as less important than the first serve. Also, the tennis second serve requires a greater amount of topspin, which can present a level of difficulty for club players. This article will discuss the basic fundamentals of improving the second serve in tennis. Learning the Tennis Second Serve From Pete Sampras Who has the best serve in the history of tennis? Many people will say that it is Pete Sampras. The 7-time Wimbledon champion and 6-time year-end world number one had one of the fastest and most accurate serves. Few people could effectively return against him because he kept them guessing with variations in speed and placement. He seemed to hit a ton of aces in every match he played. This was certainly true about his first serve. But what people need to appreciate just as much is that Sampras also had the best second serve ever. It’s true that tennis players are only as good as their second serves. Even if you don’t serve like Pete, it is important to learn how to hit a good second serve if you want to be competitive. Unlike the first serve, it is inherently a stroke that is under immediate pressure.

If you miss it, the point is lost, and your opponent didn’t even have to do anything. It is essentially a gift that you give away. At the professional level, there have been players who had great talents but were handicapped by their second serves. Former teen prodigy and glamor queen Anna Kournikova retired without winning any singles title mainly because of her weak second serve. To an extent, Venus Williams, great player as she is, has not won as many titles as her sister Serena in part because in comparing the two, Venus’ second serve is more vulnerable. Using Topspin in the Second Serve in Tennis A good second serve is almost always a spin serve. Sure, you can go for a big flat second serve just as you would go for a first serve, but only if the score is 40-0 and you are up by a break or two. Basically, the most effective second serves are all hit with a good amount of spin. It is even recommended that players hit spin serves for their first serves as well. It just gives you that much many more options and keeps your opponent guessing – the same way Sampras kept his opponents guessing!

The Tennis Kick Serve – One of the Spin Variations There are two kinds of spin serves – the slice serve and the kick serve. Most coaches recommend the kick serve as the main second serve for any player. There are variations of the kick serve as well. A kick serve is essentially a topspin serve. Like all topspin shots, it bounces up high and pitches forward. It can force the returner to try to hit the ball from an awkward height. A heavy kick serve is very difficult unless the returner is well inside the baseline and taking the ball early. But the spin can make the timing required for this kind of return very difficult. Using a Twist Serve on the Second Serve A variation of the kick serve is the so-called twist serve. It is a topspin serve that also has sidespin. If you imagine the ball is spinning on an axis, a pure topspinning ball and a sliced ball are rotating upon a horizontal axis. But a twist serve is rotating on a diagonal axis. Therefore, when it bounces, it goes up high and to the left or the right, depending on the way it was hit. For right handers, the ball almost always bounces to the opponent’s left side.

Only a few players can hit a variation of this twist serve that bounces high to the opponent’s right side. A slice serve, by contrast, has backspin. The difference is that all slice serves have sidespin as well. For a right hander, this shot bounces low and bends to the right side of the opponent. When hit with force, it can bend so much that it really drags the opponent off the court. The slice serve travels a bit lower over the net than the kick and twist serve, but it still has more margin for error than a purely flat serve. Nevertheless, it is a useful serve to learn if only for the variation, even when used as a first serve. Tennis Second Serve: The Different Spins There are many different situations where you would hit different kinds of serves. The most obvious way is to get to the opponent’s weakness. As mentioned above, the topspin serve bounces high, so if you are playing against a short player or someone who struggles with high bounces, then this is the most sensible option. Additionally, if you put sidespin to produce a twist serve, then you can hit to your opponent’s weaker side. Let’s assume that both server and returner are right handed.

The server’s twist serve will bounce high over the returner’s backhand, the side that is traditionally seen as the weaker wing for most players. Tennis Second Serve: Choosing the Type of Serve Conversely, if the returner’s forehand is the weaker side, then the slice serve should be more often employed. It is not uncommon anymore for modern players to have forehands that are somewhat weaker than their backhands, especially since a lot of players nowadays are quite powerful with their double handed backhands. Sometimes, for these players, the forehand is the side that breaks down more easily, especially if they use western grips and have elaborate, long swings. Now imagine a left handed server. A slice serve from a lefty will bend out wide to a right hander’s backhand. Even if it is a strong two hander, the returner will have to stretch out so wide that he or she may be forced to hit with one hand or be so far off the court that the server’s next shot will almost automatically be a winner. John McEnroe and Martina Navratilova made careers out of this kind of serve. The surface also dictates a little as to what kind of second serve to use.

On surfaces where the ball bounces high, topspin serves should be used more often. On low-bouncing surfaces like grass, the slice is more effective. Clay is unique because it accentuates the way a ball bounces. So both the slice and kick serves are useful because slices bounce really low and topspins really kick. Tennis Second Serve: The Kick Serve Having established the importance of learning how to hit a good second serve and the tactics that can be used with it, we now go on with the technical aspects of hitting this shot. All strokes in tennis begin with the proper grip. For most serves, and definitely for second serves, the continental and eastern backhand grips are recommended. For flat first serves, players can actually use an eastern forehand grip. But this grip usually doesn’t allow a player to put the desired amount of spin that makes a good second serve. Kick serves are more commonly hit using backhand grips, but continental grips can work too. The toss is extremely important. When learning this shot, the toss should go up over and behind the head. The racket is taken back just as with any other serve, but since the toss is going behind, the player’s back has a much more pronounced arch.

The height of the toss varies from player to player, but there is sense in not tossing too high because it would be strenuous for the back to be in that arched position for a prolonged amount of time. Tennis Second Serve: The Technique of Hitting The Serve As you get ready to hit, you are aiming for the bottom of the ball. Basically, what you should try to do is to hit up and away from your body. It makes sense, because your racket starts its contact with the bottom of the ball; then you hit up to impart the topspin; then you hit away to give the power and direction of the serve. After the ball leaves your racket, the wrist pronates. The pronation is more severe than on other kinds of serves. The racket head finishes on the same side of the body, not across. The way the wrist snaps dictates whether the serve will have sidespin as well. The one problem here is that, because you are tossing differently, you sort of give away a clue to your opponent what kind of serve you are attempting. But even at the pro level, players toss slightly differently for different serves.

Sampras and Roger Federer are about the only players who can hit all kinds of serves from the same toss – and that is why they are the owners of the most grand slam singles titles in tennis history. Tennis Serve Toss For The Second Serve The slice serve also has a different toss. It is forward and slightly more to the right for right handers and to the left for left handers. In a sense, there is less of a difference between the toss for a slice serve and a flat serve, so it is possible for ordinary players to learn to hit this serve from almost the same toss as the flat serve, giving it a little more disguise than the kicker. The stance through contact is sideways as you are also hitting the ball sideways along the back of it. As with the twist serve, the wrist snap facilitates this action. The racket then finishes across the body, same as for the flat serve. The serve is the cornerstone of a player’s game, because it is the shot that relies solely on that player alone. It can be severely affected by issues like confidence, focus and physical factors – all internal factors for any player.

Second Serve: A Foundation For Your Game In a sense, the second serve is the most crucial shot because if any of these factors are affecting the player (like when confidence is low) double faults will follow. You wouldn’t want to give any gifts to your opponent. You have to at least make him or her earn the points. So be sure to practice your second serve. Give it even more priority in your practice sessions than your first serve. After all, if you have a good second serve, you automatically will have a reliable serve to hold all your service games – and that’s half the battle already. Improve Your Tennis Technique Now! If you want to play like the PROS, then you need to have the game. Check out our Tennis Ebooks and be on the way to improving all of your tennis strokes without the trial and error. Click Here to Improve Your Tennis Miscellaneous Rules | USTA Miscellaneous Rules Q. How much time, after the official match time, should you allow your opponent before a default is declared? A. In a tournament, when the Referee “starts the clock,” the player(s) has fifteen minutes to arrive and be ready to play. If not, then the Referee may declare a default.

To be clear, it is not fifteen minutes after the scheduled start time, but fifteen minutes after the players’ names were officially called for the match. If one (or more) of the players is not available, then the Referee can/will use the official clock to determine when fifteen minutes expires. Q. At the beginning of our Super Senior League, the league coordinator told my captain of a rule change allowing the server to hold only one ball in his hand when serving. I've played the game since 1953 and have observed many players over the years hold two balls when serving. In researching the latest Friend at Court, I can find nothing mentioned on this. What is your take on this? I always enjoy reading your columns with the clarifications of the rules. Thanks. A. I have never, ever heard of such a rule. However, I am certain that the league coordinator created this rule for safety reasons. If a player serves with two balls in his/her hand and then tosses the other one aside after the point begins... and a Super-Senior steps on this stray ball, bad things would happen. I watched old footage of Chris Evert when she played her first few US Opens.

She used to serve with two balls in her hand (as did virtually every player from that era) and then toss the second ball away in order to hit her two-handed backhand. This never occurs today, as players use their pockets (or ballpersons) for the “second” ball. Q. I understand that you lose the point if a ball hits you while you are on the court before it bounces, but what is the ruling when the ball hits you off the court when you are backing up? I was told by my opponents that it was their point even though the ball was clearly out. A. Your opponents are correct. If the ball hits you, your racquet or any part of your clothing before it lands – even if it WOULD HAVE gone out – then it is your opponent’s point. Q. I have tried to see a pattern in who shakes the umpires hand first after a big match, the winner or the loser. Is there a protocol here? A. There is no exact protocol for shaking an umpire’s hand after a match is completed. The best rule of thumb is for whoever gets to the umpire’s chair first to offer a polite “thank you” to the umpire.

In the professional game, it is usually the losing player who arrives first because the winner is typically acknowledging the crowd and basking in the glow of victory. In local/sectional/national tournaments, players should always thank the umpire or roving lineperson before leaving the court. Too often, this is not done. Q. I was just wondering how a player's nationality is decided. Especially with players like Maria Sharapova, who are citizens of the U.S. and speak English fluently, but she's still considered a Russian when playing in tournaments. Is there some sort of rule regarding what nationality one plays under? Or, is it just the player’s decision? A. It is the player’s decision. Usually the decision is based on opportunity. If one federation can provide a player with competitive advantages or considerable compensation (for competing in international team events, such as Davis Cup, Fed Cup or the Olympics), then the decision to choose one over another becomes easier. Your point is a good one, though. Maria Sharapova, who you reference, moved to America as a young girl and has lived in Florida and California for considerably longer than she lived in Russia. However, she was born in Russia and has maintained her citizenship as a Russian.

Frankly, I believe that our sport is so international that the ONLY times nationality enters into the mix is during the aforementioned team competitions. If Sharapova was born in San Diego or Fort Lauderdale, would she be viewed any differently? Q. I just lost a final in a L1B in Auburn, NY and was playing in B12s. My opponent won the first set 6-3 and the second set ended in a tiebreaker. I lost a point at 6-6 in the tiebreaker, and I hit the ball over because it was my opponent's serve. I hit it with force but under control, but I had an angry look on my face. So, the referee called it a point penalty for ball abuse. This point gave my opponent the match. This referee had been hovering over three courts and had given me a warning before for hitting the net with my racquet. We have never seen a point penalty called on match point in a tiebreaker before. What is your opinion about this ruling? A. Well, this is tricky. First of all, a rule is a rule is a rule. A violation should be called regardless of when it occurs. However, the scenario that you describe sounds more like a judgment call.

If the roving linesperson were more experienced, then he/she might have exercised better discretion. The players, not officials, should decide the match. However, I am presuming that the situation occurred EXACTLY as you described. If you were given repeated warnings or if the “ball abuse” was more violent than you described, then the official did the right thing. Sometimes, good officiating means choosing to NOT enforce a rule to the exact extent of the law. Sometimes, it means enforcing the rule, EVEN when it is on a match point at the US Open. Regardless, I am sure that this loss was particularly painful for you. I hope that it will inspire you to maintain better control of your emotions- especially at the most crucial junctures of a match- in the future. Q. If a player on Team A hits the ball over the net and the ball hits the body of a player on Team B before the ball bounces, who gets the point? A. Team A receives the point. As a matter of etiquette, Team B should always receive a cursory “Sorry” from the opponent who hit him/her. Q.

On the second point of the French Open Women's final, Justine Henin-Hardenne complained to the umpire that the ball was defective. Upon review of the ball, the umpire agreed and ordered the point replayed. I thought that all points played in good faith stand. Since both women hit the ball several times so both were at the same disadvantage, why was the point replayed? A. If the ball “pops” during a point (and thus loses compression), the rule is that the point should be re-played. It seemed that Svetlana Kuznetsova, after winning the point, was the one who brought it to the attention of the chair umpire. She was none too happy when told that they were to play a “let.” A rule is a rule though. Q. If you were going to institute a major rule change in tennis, what would it be and why? A. I would enforce the “play shall be continuous” rule. There is way too much dawdling on-court, which slows down the pace of play and, thus, the enjoyment of our great game.

In the professional ranks, the rule change that I would most like to see is the installation of a shot clock in the corner of the court. After the completion of a point, players would have fifteen seconds to begin the next point. If not, they would be warned. After a warning, they would be penalized a point for each ensuing violation. Of course, applause from the fans in the gallery would have a subtle affect. If there is a particularly exciting point, the inevitable cheering would create a natural pause in the action. That would be fine. A long delay after a routine, abrupt point is NOT appealing though. Q. I saw my partner hit the ball after two bounces but she claims she got to it before the second bounce. Opponents questioned the double hit and I said it bounced twice and gave them the point. My partner said it was her call. What should I have done? A. If you and your doubles partner have a disagreement over a judgment or a specific line call, then you ought to always give the benefit of doubt to your opponents. Q. Some of the USTA league and tournament players consume alcohol (not much though... one beer or a little wine) BEFORE their matches.

They claimed that it helped them to overcome their nervousness. Is this allowed/legal? A. What league are you playing in up there in Connecticut!?!? Well, I have certainly been wrong before about rules (like two weeks ago, in fact), but I cannot imagine that this is not allowed. USTA Leagues SHOULD BE fun and social. A beer or a small glass of wine is… fun and social. An old pal of mine, Troy McCamish from Tennessee, was playing a tournament on the Adriatic coast of the former Yugoslavia. He had been on a losing streak on the terribly slow red clay of Europe. We had lunch together before his match and, to my surprise, he ordered a beer with his pasta. “What have I got to lose?” he said. He went out about an hour later and beat a seeded player convincingly. It took the edge off for him and he played loose and relaxed. I would not advocate this on a regular basis though! Q. I attempted to hit a deep lob but it went short. I called to my partner, "It's short!" The opponent went to smash the shot lob, but her shot landed in the net.

She immediately said, "You can't do that!" When I asked her "What?" she said I cannot talk when the ball is leaving my racket. I can only communicate with my partner when the ball is coming towards us as in "yours,” or “mine.” I would appreciate your advice on this matter. A. Your opponent is incorrect. In fact, if you send up a short, lame lob that puts your partner in peril, you SHOULD communicate. And quickly! However, if your hollering affects your opponent’s preparation (or concentration) for the shot, then they can reasonably ask to play a let. In this case, frankly, it sounds like your opponent doffed an easy shot and was looking for an excuse. That’s just tough luck in my book. Q. On the coin toss at the beginning of a match, what are the choices for the winner of the coin toss? A. After the coin toss or, more commonly, the spin of the racquet, prior to the beginning of a match you have three choices: 1. Serve or receive first. 2. Choice of side to begin the match. 3. Decision to defer the choice to opponent. Q.

I am a Varsity Tennis Player at Devine High School and was wondering if someone unintentionally double hits a ball, does that person lose the point? I am talking about a double hit when there is just one continuous motion and 2 hits on the racquet. A. This rule was changed about twenty years ago. It used to be that no “double-hits” were allowed, and the interpretation was always controversial. Now, as long as it occurs in one continuous motion, “double-hits” are allowed. This does not happen frequently. Q. The announcers have mentioned forced errors so often during the Australian Open. I think I understand unforced errors, but what is a forced error? A. A forced error is when your opponent hits a penetrating or difficult shot that causes you to miss. An example would be when your opponent gets you out of position or off balance and then nails the next ball into a corner. While you may be quick enough to get to the ball, you are not able to successfully execute the shot and thus you miss. That is a forced error. An unforced error is when you miss a shot that you would and should typically make. Q.

I returned an opponent’s ball with a slice and the ball went over the net (barely), landed on her side of the court and bounced back on my side. My opponent was of course unable to return. I say it was my point. She argues. What say you? A. It is your point. It is a rare, and great, shot. Enjoy it, because this happens so infrequently. On another note, this would be the only instance when your opponent would be permitted to lean over the net and make contact with the ball on your side of the court, without physically touching the net of course. Q. At every tournament I have played in, there has always been a dad or mom with a clipboard. My parents took a quick look at the clipboard and saw him marking off unforced errors, double faults, and many more things that my opponent and myself did wrong. Is this legal, and if it is why would he be doing this? A. The information gathered from charting matches can be an effective learning tool for both students and teachers. It demonstrates, objectively, which shots are effective and which shots are breaking down. Certain charting patterns can be misleading, so it should be done with a discerning eye.

When watching players, I personally prefer to just keep notes. A lot of winners are circumstantial, so sometimes the “facts” can be a little misleading. For example, if a player hit a series of excellent forehands and gets his opponent out of position and then moves forward for an easy volley winner, it is recorded as “volley winner.” This certainly does not tell the tale of what occurred during that point. A few statistics that I like to see are percentage of points won on first serves and second serves. That, to me, is more significant than the number of aces and double faults. Likewise, I look for the percentage of points won against first and second serves while returning. That is more interesting to me than, say, percentage of break points converted. So, yes this is legal. You might have a parent or coach help you by trying this during an upcoming match. Realize that some of the data might be a little tilted, and that’s where an informed observer is useful. Q. Upon returning a short shot, on the follow through, is the racquet allowed to make contact with net? A.

If your racquet, or any part of your body (including hair, clothes, shoes, etc.), touches the net during a point, then you automatically lose the point. If you are playing without an umpire, it is your responsibility to call this infraction on yourself. In fact, even with an umpire, you should be on your honor to admit if you’ve touched the net, as this is an easy call to miss for an umpire. If a wind blown shot, or a ball with a lot of back spin, bounces on your side of the net and then back over toward your opponent’s half of the court, you may reach over to play the shot but must avoid touching the net. This situation happens pretty rarely and always seems to cause confusion when it does occur. The aforementioned is the only situation where you are permitted to reach across the plain of the net to play a shot. Again, without an umpire, you are on your honor to make this call against yourself. Q. I am a left-handed tennis player. During play, I have found that I can hit the tennis ball almost as well with my right hand as I do with my left. Do USTA rules forbid players to switch hands during play? A. No.

You can play with either hand. In fact, three-time USTA national champion Marty Devlin of Trenton, NJ has employed this “two forehands” style since he started playing tennis. The old joke when people were preparing to play Marty was to hit to his backhand. But, alas, he has no backhand. Good luck as you experiment with this style. If it works, use it. Perhaps you’ll enjoy the same level of success as ol’ Marty Devlin. Q. In a recent doubles match, my partner and I were down 4-5 and I was serving at 30-40 in the third set. I hit a good first serve and the other player returned a floater at the net to my partner. He hit a sharp volley to the baseline. Both of the other players looked at each other and one person called it in and the other couldn't make a call, so the point was ours. My partner, who hit the ball, over-ruled them and said "no it was out".....game/set/match. It was a very close shot, and we obviously didn't have as good a look at it as they did. 1. Can I over-rule my partner? 2.

Does my partner even get a say in it? A. This is a case where your partner's sportsmanship showed up at a crucial time. He most likely had the clearest view of the shot and in good conscious enlisted himself in aiding the call. The code states that a player can call his own shots out (with the exception of the first serve). A player should call against himself any ball the player clearly sees out regardless of whether requested to do so by the opponent. The prime objective in making calls is accuracy. All players should cooperate to attain this objective. Q. Once I was playing singles at a tournament and the girl I was playing would only keep one ball to serve with. If she faulted her first serve then she would take her time and walk over and get another ball. Isn't she supposed to always have a second ball with her? A. In the official rules handbook it states a server must strike the second serve without delay. Of note is a 20 second provision between points, however this does not apply between first and second serves. A player should come to the baseline with two balls. One suggestion would be a ball clip to hold the second or pockets or panties with ball pockets. Q.

Is there ever an occasion when you switch sides on even game count? For example, if a first set ends with a score of 6-3, you would switch sides because the set ended in an odd game score? If so, when do you switch again? Would it be the first game of the second set, so that all side switching always occurs with an odd game score in the set being played, or would you play two games and continue switching every two games within the entire match, so that you would be switching, in this case, on even games? A. Seems odd, but what’s odd is odd…just don’t take a nod when odds are consecutive…E.g. you don’t get the 90 seconds break…just like after the very first game of the match. In a nutshell, always change on the odd games. Whit's Tennis Tips doesn't work without your questions, so please send those tennis related questions you've always been trying to get answered to AskWhit . Knowledge Areas:

Question: Which word is given to a winning tennis serve that the opponent can’t return?
Answer: Ace