Developing a Killer Second Serve

The key to a great second serve is consistency. Between 4 and 8 points per set are lost by the average player. Therefore, between 2 and 4 total service games are wasted during a match. There are several solutions to this problem.

1. Hit your second serve twice. If you are the type of player who is prone to missing 1st and 2nd serves, it is suggested to use your second serve as your first serve until you are hitting the second serve in around 90% of the time. Hitting two second serves really means that you are hitting your second serve twice as much as usual. This will rapidly improve your second serve percentage. Once you are serving your second serve at 90%, you can go back to hitting first serves and your second serve will be far more dependable.
2. Split the court in three. Many Players tend to aim for the lines. This is a bad idea on your second serve. The three options should be: Hit to the forehand, hit into the body, or hit to the backhand. If you do not feel confident to split the court in three, then split it into two and decide from there which angles feel most comfortable to you
3. Mix it up. Don’t hit your second serve in the same location every time. The tendency to serve to the backhand should be combated with a forehand second serve every once in a while. It will keep your opponent from creeping to one side.
4. Spin, Spin, Spin. For advanced players, the key to a smart second serve is the spin. Slice and topspin serves will bring the ball down into the box.
5. Faster racquet speed = more spin. Many players make the mistake of hitting the second serve too soft. Be sure to hit the ball hard enough to get proper spin on the ball. Spin will disrupt the opponents rhythm and increase your second serve percentage.