Ask the Serve Doctor:
Common Serve Technique Questions

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Frequently asked question on the serve

Over the years, many parents started calling me "Doctor Lewit" or "The Serve Doctor" because of my ability to transform the serve technique of my players. The nickname stuck. This section answers common serve technique questions.

The platform stance and pinpoint stances can both be used to win pretty. The stance that a player uses is a personal decision. I teach both stances to my students and allow them to experiment with each stance to see which one feels best. I do not recommend forcing players to use one stance over another.

The best method is to try both stances and see what feels the best. Players who like the platform stance typically report that they feel more stable and like not having to make an extra foot movement. Pinpoint-stance devotees often report that they like the dynamic feel of that stance, and they feel more powerful in their leg drive with a step up to pinpoint maneuver.

Chris Lewit is a leading high-performance coach, author, and educator. He is the author of the best-selling book Secrets of Spanish Tennis 2.0, which is now available, and a new technique book, Winning Pretty, which will be published by New Chapter Press in paperback in 2026. He is also a contributing editor for Tennisplayer.net magazine and a long-time member of the RSPA and PTR. As an educator, he has presented at several large conferences, including the PTR International Tennis Symposium. Chris studied religion and literature at Cornell, Harvard, and Columbia, and is currently pursuing a PhD in kinesiology and biomechanics.

As a player, Chris Lewit played No. 1 for Cornell University and competed on the USTA and ITF pro circuits. As a coach, he has recently worked with several No. 1 junior players in the US and has trained hundreds of nationally ranked juniors. He directs a boutique full-time academy for homeschool/online players and a high-performance summer camp program, as well as high-performance training for all ages and levels, all at his club in the beautiful green mountains of Manchester, Vermont.

Chris Lewit has a popular YouTube channel, Youtube.com/ChrisLewit, and you can follow his writing portfolio at https://medium.com/@ChrisLewit.

Chris Lewit Tennis
World-Class Technical Training
Expert in Spanish and European Training Methods
New York, New York and Londonderry, Vermont
914-462-2912

Contact Chris directly by phone/WhatsApp at 914-462-2912 or chris@chrislewit.com.

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