Tennis Technique: Weight Transfer in the Serve

Tennis Technique - Weight Transfer in the Serve

I often get questioned about tennis technique, specifically the importance of weight transfer as it relates to the serve. To illustrate the technique, I tend to relate the weight transfer in a serve to a pitcher in baseball.

The baseball pitcher uses momentum by winding up and then stepping towards home plate; as it relates to tennis technique, the server also uses momentum but the transfer is done in a rocking motion. At the end of the serve your body should be in front of where you started, thus transferring the weight forward towards the net. Here are three easy steps to remember:

  1. Weight forward with the ball and racquet together.
  2. Weight transferred back still with the hands together.
  3. Weight shifting forward and hands separating for the toss…load and HIT!

To conclude, momentum plays a vital role in creating power in your serve so make sure you follow the three steps (weight forward, weight back, weight forward again) to get the most power out of your serve!

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By Dustin Blackburn, Certified Tennis Professional at Elite Sports Club-West Brookfield

1 Comment

  • There are 4 style modes. Teachers need to stop with the one size fits all routine. if a teacher asks a student to alter or change the grip, he or she better understand which stlye mode that student uses.