Alright, let’s talk about figuring out the tennis serve. It looks easy when the pros do it, right? Just whack the ball over the net. Well, let me tell you, getting it right took me a good bit of sweat and frankly, a lot of chasing balls that went everywhere but in the service box.

Starting from Scratch
So, I decided I really wanted to get a decent serve. First thing I did? Just went out and tried to hit the ball. Didn’t really think about how I was holding the racket or standing. Most balls went straight into the net or flew miles out. It was pretty messy. I watched some other folks playing, trying to copy what they did, but it just felt awkward.
Breaking It Down – The Nitty Gritty
I realized just swinging wildly wasn’t cutting it. I had to break it down piece by piece. This is what I focused on, one thing at a time:
- Holding the Racket: Someone told me to hold it like I was shaking hands with it, or like holding a hammer. Felt weird at first, I wanted to grip it like a frying pan, you know? But I stuck with that “hammer” grip, even though it felt unnatural initially.
- Standing Right: Then, where to stand? I learned to stand sideways to the net, feet about shoulder-width apart. Pointing my front shoulder towards where I wanted the ball to go. Simple stuff, but easy to forget when you’re thinking about hitting the ball.
- The Ball Toss – Oh Boy: This was the killer for me. Tossing the ball consistently. Sounds easy, right? Just throw it up. Nope. Sometimes too high, sometimes too low, sometimes behind me, sometimes way too far in front. I spent ages, literally just standing there, tossing the ball up and letting it drop, trying to get it in the same spot every time. Slightly in front of me and high enough to hit at the peak. It took SO much practice just for the toss.
- The Swing Motion: Okay, toss getting better. Now the swing. I tried to think of it like this:
- Bring the racket back and up, kind of like scratching your back with it.
- Bend the knees a bit as you toss.
- Reach UP, like really stretch up to hit the ball at the highest point you comfortably can.
- Swing through the ball, letting the racket come across my body naturally. Someone said “throw the racket at the ball,” which kind of helped visualise the motion.
Putting It All Together (or Trying To)
This was the hard part. Coordinating the toss, the stance, the swing… timing it all right. For a long time, it was chaos. I’d toss great, then mess up the swing. Or swing nicely, but the toss was off. Lots of air shots, balls dribbling off the frame, hitting the net. It was frustrating. I’d hit maybe one good serve out of ten, if I was lucky.
Practice, Practice, and More Practice
There was no magic trick. I just had to keep doing it. I got a basket of old balls and went to the courts whenever I could. I didn’t even play games sometimes, just stood there serving bucket after bucket. Slowly, very slowly, it started to feel a bit more natural. The timing got better. More balls started landing in the box. Not always powerful, not always perfect, but in.
What I found was:

- Don’t try to kill the ball at first. Just focus on the motion and getting it in.
- Consistency with the toss is everything. If the toss is bad, forget the rest.
- Film yourself if you can. It’s amazing what you think you’re doing versus what you’re actually doing.
- Just keep hitting balls. Muscle memory is real, but it takes time to build.
So yeah, that was my journey learning the serve. It wasn’t quick, it wasn’t always fun, but getting that feeling when the toss, swing, and hit all come together and the ball flies right where you want it? Pretty darn satisfying. Still working on it, always something to improve, but at least now I can actually start a point most of the time!