Image: tennis.about.com
George Manos has spent more than a decade as president of Thor Executive, a New York City security services organization. A tennis player in high school and college, George Manos continues to enjoy playing the game outside of work.
The serve is often described as one of the most important shots in the game of tennis. Players can alter the pace and placement of their serves in a number of ways, although there are three basic kinds: the flat serve, the slice serve, and the kick serve.
The flat serve is often used as an offensive shot that relies on sheer pace to overwhelm opponents. A flat serve is hit with little to no spin and a trajectory that passes just a few inches over the net. While flat serves are an important component of attacking in tennis, players must appreciate the risk of faulting with such a low clearance above the net.
To offset the dangers of repeatedly using flat serves, players should master the slice serve. Right-handed players brush the ball up the right side, which puts a curve on the ball, allowing servers to either drag their opponent off court with a wide serve or surprise them with an ace up the center line. The drawback of the slice serve is its predictability. Once the slice loses its surprise, the pace provides returners the opportunity to be aggressive with the ball.
Finally, the kick serve, or top-spin serve, allows players to hit with a fair amount of pace while maintaining a margin for error. Kick serves are hit with “top spin,” a high degree of forward revolution, which makes it easier to keep the ball in play. After landing in a player’s service box, a kick serve will immediately jump up high and shoot forward, disrupting the returner’s timing. Kick serves are especially effective when hit into an opponent’s body, a tactic known as the body serve.
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