3 Serve Fixes That Instantly Add Pop

A faster, more reliable serve almost never comes down to swinging harder. In lessons I focus on three fundamentals first, and most players see a noticeable improvement within a single session.

1. Toss Placement

Your toss should land slightly in front of you and to the racquet side, about where your fully extended arm and racquet would meet. Too far behind your head and you will be forced to arch your back and hit a flat, low-percentage serve.

2. Contact Point

Reach all the way up at contact instead of catching the ball on the way down. A full extension gives you a steeper angle into the box, which means more margin for error and more pace without added risk.

3. Follow-Through

Let the racquet finish across your body and down by the opposite hip. A short, chopped-off follow-through is almost always a sign the racquet decelerated before contact, which costs you both spin and power.

• Toss out in front, not behind your head
• Extend fully at contact - do not wait for the ball to drop
• Finish the swing all the way through - do not stop short

Try filming your serve from the side for one practice session. Most players are surprised how much these three checkpoints change the shape, and the speed, of their serve.