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The Serve
Undoubtedly, the most potent weapon in a tennis player’s arsenal is an effective serve. The serve can dictate the course of the
point from the very beginning and it is the only stroke that allows a player complete control of the ball, from start to finish. So
critical is the possession of a good serve, that, theoretically, a player who wins all his service games, and each tiebreaker
service point, is invincible.
Throughout the history of tennis, less than ten players have met the criteria for service greatness. Four of these are Bill
Tilden, Ellsworth Vines, Jack Kramer, and Pancho Gonzales. This article, and the second part to follow in the next issue, explores
the techniques that made them among the best servers in the history of the game.
The three essential elements of a devastating serve, in order of importance, are:
Accuracy
Disguise
Power
Accuracy includes both a high percentage of first serves in play, and the ability to place the ball close to any line
in the service box, as well as to serve into the receiver’s body. As players and spectators, we have all witnessed
countless aces resulting from well placed serves of moderate speeds
