Lets take a look at how to hit a slice serve with proper technique. As the ball approaches and you rotate your shoulders to your left, bring your racquet back above your left shoulder. The flat serve uses a minimal amount of spin which allows the ball to travel faster and bounce lower. While some players and coaches might suggest that you can use an eastern grip for your slice serve, Id recommend against it for two main reasons. How To Hit The Perfect Tennis Forehand Slice In 5 Simple StepsThe forehand slice in tennis can be a real weapon if you master the technique and use it at the. This is basically a drop shot played at the start of a rally, so the same arguments set out in the previous paragraph apply. Many leading players will use the block-slice return and forehand squash-shot described above. Required fields are marked *. 3. Since many modern tennis players rely on their topspin forehand to dictate the pace of the match, the slice is most commonly seen as a defensive shot that can be used as a last-ditch effort. If you havent had the chance, Id highly recommend you check out our post on the serve trophy pose, which will show you how to get the most out of your serve while incorporating your legs to help you generate power. Learn with comprehensive resources to help you improve your game. Thats where variety is king and why learning the three different types of serves is crucial.
\nHigh bouncing balls are ideal for hitting slice shots, but you can play balls at any height with a slice by bending more at the knees and/or adjusting the height of your back and forward swings. Oh, and I had lunch with Brad Gilbert once. Tennis is not recommended for individuals who. Disadvantages: Less consistent Worse aim Two hands Advantages: More consistent Better aim Disadvantages: Less power More effort required Quora User PTR Teaching Pro, Racquet technician Author has 468 answers and 678.1K answer views 7 y The one handed backhand really only has two obvious weaknesses in the hands of a top player. Your email address will not be published. Its strength lies in its speed and difficulty to return. Copyright 2017-2023 Rookie Road Inc. All rights reserved. There are many variations of the topspin forehand where players will choose a desired Western or Eastern grip depending on their style of play. When comparing table tennis to tennis, golf, ice hockey, football, or nearly anything, you will find that it is rather cheap. Let us know about your experiences via the comments. Like all slice shots, the forehand version is hit high-to-low, with the strings brushing under the ball. As for the angle of your racquet head, youll want the edge to be roughly parallel with the baseline. If something isnt clear or you have questions, please feel free to submit a comment below wed love to hear from you! ), your position on the court and the direction you want to hit. You may want to be slightly lower for a push as usually we play this shot against lower, backspin balls. Many pros, including the legendary Australian champion Ken Rosewall, used the slice backhand stroke as their only backhand. Lets take a look at some of the details that will help ensure you can hit a great flat serve. In contrast, a sliced groundstroke will appear to be rotating anti-clockwise. Knees should be slightly bent and the body should be leaning forward. A topspin shot, on the other hand, rotates forward toward the opponent as it travels through the air. Once again, when hitting a kick serve, you should rely on your continental service grip, which is ideally suited for this serve. Swing forward with a high-to-low motion.
\nRelease the racquet with your left hand as you do this. My slice backhand is more dangerous than my topspin backhand to some of my opponents. Another instance when you are using a slice is if you want to surprise your opponent with a drop shot. As a result, when the flat serve hits the court, it tends to bounce low and continue straight forward from where it lands in the court. There are basically three major types of court surfaces: Hard Courts, Grass Courts, and Clay Courts. Once again, Ive provided a view of this serve in slow motion so you can easily see the nuances of the different pieces. The truth is, a continental serve grip is highly effective for all types of tennis serves. Slice shots that are hit from lack of confidence or in a desperate attempt to just get the ball back tend to float, and they travel through the air slowly. Slice shots that are hit from lack of confidence or in a desperate attempt to just get the ball back tend to float, and they travel through the air slowly. The underarm serve is most widely employed by players with big serves and a good touch, such as Nick Kyrgios and Alexander Bublik. Slice shots don't bounce as high, either. In a press conference at the French Open, Dominic Thiem commented on his switch from two-handed to one-handed backhand. If your opponent has a very fast or heavily spun serve, and you are having difficulty controlling it with a flat or topspun return, a block return with a little slice can be effective. Table tennis forehand smash. Slice will make the ball stop short after it hits the court, so it is the obvious choice if you want to hit a short ball to surprise your opponent. The racquet head instead should be pointing at the back fence, at about a 45-degree angle.
\nWhen your backswing is complete, your right shoulder is close to your chin, and your right elbow points in the same direction as your right foot.
\n2. On the other hand, if youre down 15-40, a big flat serve can be a considerable risk. When the racket and the ball make contact, the racket should be continuously moving in a direction close to perpendicular to the ball. Basically, you hit the slice backhand just as you would hit your standard backhand (both one-handed and two-handed backhands), changing only the following things about your stroke: 1. About a 90-110 degree bend at the elbow. At the start, youre content with just hitting the ball flat but as your skill level progresses you need to add variation to your game. One of the best ways to increase your racquet head speed is to incorporate a wrist snap as you extend your arm to make contact with the tennis ball. Regardless of the type of serve you hit, relaxing through your service motion is essential. Your ability to hit more than one type of serve will allow you to be more competitive against different players and on various court surfaces. Slice always imparts control. Heres a photo that showcases the contact point and racquet angle when hitting a kick serve. Tennis toe. A low margin of error: Easily, the biggest downside of the hard flat serve is that its challenging to keep it in, let alone place it well in the service box.
\nIf you hit this shot from a comfortable, set position (at about the center of the baseline), your racquet should be pointing toward the right netpost.
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Michael Kernicki is currently the Head Professional at the Indian Creek Country Club in Miami Beach.
","authors":[{"authorId":10669,"name":"Michael Patrick Shiels","slug":"michael-patrick-shiels","description":" Michael Patrick Shiels writes frequently for golf magazines and is the official golf writer of the PGA of America's Michigan section. This photo was snapped at the height of the toss so you can get a sense of accurate placement. If you are under pressure in a rally and are forced to stretch very wide to retrieve a ball on your forehand side, it is unlikely that you will be able to play a topspin shot. When executing a tennis slice, the player will swing downward in a slicing motion, angling the racket anywhere between fully flat and entirely diagonal.When the racket and the ball make contact, the racket should be continuously moving in a direction close to perpendicular to the ball. Think of your racquet face as an elevator that you need to move to the right "story" or height to pick up the passenger, a bright yellow tennis ball! 2. Advantages of Clay . When hitting a flat serve, youll want your toss to be roughly 12-18 inches in front of you and approximately 6 inches to the right of your tossing arms shoulder at the peak of the toss. Backhand gets the ball back neutral so that . Rafael Nadal for example knows that with his extreme spin on the forehand he can make it difficult for a player like Roger Federer with his one-handed backhand to generate power. Turn the racquet face as you bring it back so that the hitting surface ends up facing upward, as shown in Figure 1.\nThis position makes it easy and natural to brush your strings under the lower portion of the ball, producing backspin. Topspin has changed how tennis is played due to the fact that you can generate much more power behind your shot with a proper topspin forehand. On slice shots, the racquet doesn't come around and up, making an arc. The essence of a slice is that it is the opposite of a topspin. When youre scrambling to retrieve a good, angled shot by your opponent you can swipe the ball back with a slice and buy yourself a little time to get back into position. He enjoys competing in county tennis leagues and ITF Seniors events. After watching some players in action, you could be forgiven for thinking that the answer to this question was no, but of course this is far from the truth. First and foremost, its important to make sure youre using the correct grip for the flat serve. However, the shot is not always . Think of your racquet face as an elevator that you need to move to the right \"story\" or height to pick up the passenger, a bright yellow tennis ball!
\n4. The slice can be used effectively in several matchplay situations. After that, I somehow ended up with a flat slice (something similar to Rosewall's backhand), probably in my attempt to firm up the face on contact. But don't use it as a substitute for your flat or topspin forehand. Reference: tennis slice vs topspin. Dummies has always stood for taking on complex concepts and making them easy to understand. You can see it coming, as it is obvious where the server is hitting the ball to impart the sidespin. The kick serve gets its name from how the ball jumps or kicks up off the ground as a result of heavy topspin applied to the ball. It's a defensive shot that you should use on only three occasions:
\nIf you have trouble effectively hitting the flat backhand, you can use a slightly different stroke that carries many players far in the game the pure slice backhand. If youre playing on a clay court, you may love your kick serve, where you benefit from the higher bounces that make this serve even more challenging to return. Of all the serves, the kick serve is arguably the most valuable and highly sought after for players to learn. Only a few top players will use a forehand slice routinely for a rally ball, but on a low-bouncing surface like grass the shot can be effective in preventing an opponent from attacking and keeping them on the move. It moves forward and down, coming around to your right side only at the tail end of your stroke, long after the ball is gone.
\nMake contact with the ball, with the racquet \"slicing\" under it, when it's at a point about even with your right shoulder. Im extremely passionate about the mental and technical part of the game. For the taller opponent, who might not move as well as a shorter player, you might hit a slice serve at their body because theyll struggle to reposition themselves quickly when returning. And, an athlete like Mima Ito, proves beyond a doubt that the banana flip can be even more effective . The drawback of a slice serve is that it is easy to read. For example, if youre up 40-15 when serving, you might throw a big flat serve in to try and close out the game. Slicing can also be used as a means to aid in the return of difficult or powerful shots.By slicing the ball, this will counter the effects of a powerful shot or one that has a lot of spin, thus making the return much more feasible than with a standard attempt to return. A "tennis topspin" is when the ball is hit with a lot of power, speed, and spin on it. The slice can be a useful weapon, but it does have some disadvantages. Home > Instruction > Serve > 3 Types of Tennis Serves, Improve your game alongside our community of tennis players. Lastly, it can be difficult to hit a winner with a slice. Its subtle, but hopefully, compared with the flat serve, you can tell the racquet is coming toward the ball at an angle with a bit of upward motion. It is said to be the fastest shot in tennis. With the kick serve, youll want to contact the ball from bottom to the top of the ball so that youre hitting or brushing up on the ball. A "tennis slice" is when the ball hits the ground and bounces back into play. If you miss, then youll have to rely on your second serve to keep you in the game with your opponent, who is ready to take a chance themselves and close out the game. . What is the difference between tennis slices and tennis tops? The middle of the net is its lowest point, so its easier to execute a flat serve at that point of the net on either side. This motion gives the ball the spin or slice that youre looking for while also making sure theres just enough topspin to bring the ball back down into the court. A tennis slice is a means of hitting or returning the ball that puts a particular spin on the ball. A player can add slice or topspin to shots by hitting the ball in different places. A flat groundstroke is usually more challenging to hit while keeping the shot within boundaries of the tennis court since there isn't much topspin. When a slice shot bounces, the ball stays low, forcing your opponent to really stretch to get to the ball. Read our weekly recap of the 5 most interesting things we dig up in tennis. As a result, it can be beneficial to avoid overusing a big flat serve and to use other types of serves that have a higher margin of error while focusing on quality placement to put the pressure on your opponent. Friction and surface area explain why slower surfaces are less effective. Even at pro level, doing damage is still all about the forehand. With the topspin, he forces Federer and other opponents to either be pushed too far backward or to take a risk and hit the ball extremely early. They are something you should work on and get better at but in the end, are extremely fun to use. Many pros, including the legendary Australian champion Ken Rosewall, used the slice backhand stroke as their only backhand. Many top players, including male and female Grand Slam champions use the sliced forehand. As a result, when the ball hits the court, it stays low, which forces a player to have to bend and get low or return out of their strike zone. Ive had the chance to play against great names of the new generation, like Christian Garin, Cameron Norrie, and Kyle Edmund. Rookie Road may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. However, it makes it challenging to get under the ball and apply maximum topspin for the kick serve. As a result, the overuse of a hard flat serve can lead to giving away too many free points or forcing you to rely heavily on your second serve. The racquet head instead should be pointing at the back fence, at about a 45-degree angle. In-depth Resources 02. of 02. Your stance resembles the stance you take when you step up to the plate and get ready to swing a baseball bat in both cases, your hands are up around your left shoulder. The most common variations are the slice and the topspin. To be successful with this tactic, you will need to stay low and develop plenty of racket-head speed, to allow you to control the trajectory of the ball. Hitting up is counterintuitive to many players at first because theyre afraid the ball will sail long. Using this technique, you can make it very difficult for your opponent to return your shot with topspin, making the slice a great defensive shot. Defensive Lob. A slice serve is a fantastic weapon on any court surface. Kevin Leck is a Sport Psychology Consultant and Writer from Loughborough in the UK. Many players will want to take the initiative from the slicer by hitting an aggressive topspin. A slice is often used when you return a serve and then come straight to the net (known as Chip and Charge) because it gives you time to do so. The forehand slice is a shot which is rarely taught or discussed in modern tennis. Frequently, players who are just learning to serve want to hit with power, so they try hard and attempt to muscle the serve over the net. Drop Shots. Follow through until your racquet arm is fully extended, with the head pointing toward the ground at a moderate angle. The latter has been a key element of Roger Federers defensive game for a number of years.
\nHigh bouncing balls are ideal for hitting slice shots, but you can play balls at any height with a slice by bending more at the knees and/or adjusting the height of your back and forward swings. Tennis is at the top. The amount of torsion the arm suffers increases as the court gets more worn, because bounces become more unpredictable, leading to more off-center hits. Hitting a very high lob with some slice, by cutting under the ball with a flattish swing, can give you time to get back into a rally. The slice backhand suited their approach to the game, which was based on control rather than power.
\nThe slice backhand offers the following practical and tactical advantages:
\nSlice always imparts control. Turn the racquet face as you bring it back so that the hitting surface ends up facing upward, as shown in Figure 1.
\nThis position makes it easy and natural to brush your strings under the lower portion of the ball, producing backspin. Think of your racquet face as an elevator that you need to move to the right \"story\" or height to pick up the passenger, a bright yellow tennis ball!
\n4. But knowing how to use the topspin to your game (strategy) has its advantages: Slice shots that are hit from lack of confidence or in a desperate attempt to just get the ball back tend to float, and they travel through the air slowly. Low bounce: as the name suggests, flat serves have minimal spin. This leaves it tough for the opponent to hit it back with much pace. Former US Open champion Bianca Andreescu is one player particularly renowned for her sliced forehand drop shot, which she likes to play with a continental grip. Sometimes, especially on a low-bouncing court like grass, your opponent may hit a low, short ball. Your opponent can do almost anything he wants with them, especially from a position up at the net. Heres a video that brings together all the different pieces of a slice serve and once again includes a pause so you can see the toss placement, contact point, and racquet angle as part of the entire service motion. Slice shots can be good for making an opponent really stretch for a ball, but it is difficult to hit them with much pace. But don't use it as a substitute for your flat or topspin forehand. Both arms should be out in front of you. When you are playing tennis its all about getting the ball over the net and trying to hit a shot your opponent cant return. We are compensated for referring traffic and business to Tennis Warehouse, Amazon, and other companies linked to on this site. Topspin shots are also used to come towards the net as previously mentioned it pushes the opponent back, which gives you time to advance to the net. On Friday at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, the Grand Slam champions earned themselves a nomination for point of the year. Dummies helps everyone be more knowledgeable and confident in applying what they know. During a slice shot, the racket travels in a downward motion, before slicing underneath the tennis ball. As the ball approaches and you rotate your shoulders to your left, bring your racquet back above your left shoulder.
\nYour stance resembles the stance you take when you step up to the plate and get ready to swing a baseball bat in both cases, your hands are up around your left shoulder. Babolat have been producing tennis equipment since 1875, and today they manufacture a range of rackets that offers something for everyone. Its consistent, provides players with a significant level of control, and can be used to attack a returners weaknesses with precision. Wrist strains. I had to work extra harder. Reaction time: The same speed that makes it difficult for your opponent to return a hard flat serve can make it challenging for you to field a well-executed return off of a flat serve because youll have less time to react. You can find his 2020 book: ', Seniortennisclub.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to. When executing a tennis slice, the player will swing downward in a "slicing" motion, angling the racket anywhere between fully flat and entirely diagonal. The best choice is, using a continental or Eastern grip, to cut sharply under the ball with a high-to-low action, following through either straight up the court or cutting across the line to impart additional side-spin. Speed: The faster a serve is hit, the less time your opponent will have to react, which can cause players to make contact with the ball late or mistime their shot. As you work to practice your serve, do so with confidence, and allow yourself the freedom to mess up while you establish the basic feel and rhythm to develop your serve. Slow pace and the flat trajectory give your opponent two big advantages: more time and an ideal height, at about a foot above the net, to smash away a winner. Some coaches will tell you that the short game can be more difficult in terms of short chops and banana flips. While you should strive to maintain an identical toss for your flat and slice serves, the kick serve falls into a category of its own, with a different toss that allows you to generate the necessary topspin.
\nIf you hit this shot from a comfortable, set position (at about the center of the baseline), your racquet should be pointing toward the right netpost.
","description":"Slice, or backspin, causes the tennis ball to spin back toward the source of impact (you).