I seldom make a mistake with my slice but it is very effective at creating UE's from my opponents. Because of this added spin, the ball will bounce with significantly less height when reaching the opponent's side.The ball bouncing with less height then makes it more difficult for the opponent to return the slice, since they will have much less time to reach the ball from where they awaited the return. Rallying. 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. It should go without saying that your legs are critical to your serve, but unfortunately, its not second nature to most players. MyTennisHQ is a participant in affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to websites like TennisWarehouse.com and Amazon.com. You can see it coming, as it is obvious where the server is hitting the ball to impart the sidespin. Rookie Road may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. 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. Believe it or not, when the pros hit a kick serve, their racquet is traveling at roughly the same rate or faster than their flat or slice serve. 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. In a press conference at the French Open, Dominic Thiem commented on his switch from two-handed to one-handed backhand. When a slice is done correctly, the racket adds a backspin to the ball when it is struck. Lets take a look at how to hit a slice serve with proper technique. The truth is, a continental serve grip is highly effective for all types of tennis serves. 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. The same can be said about Federers use of the backhand slice. If you look at the top players in the world they know exactly how to use topspin and slice shots to their advantages. Once again, Ive provided a view of this serve in slow motion so you can easily see the nuances of the different pieces. disadvantages of topspin -easier to judge it's bounce pattern -requires more technique -if too much is applied it may go too low and hit net advantages of slice -low bounce -harder for opponent to read bounce pattern -doesn't require as much energy as topspin disadvantages of slice -it's a defensive shot -slower bounce -gives opponent time to think The slice can be a useful weapon, but it does have some disadvantages. Both arms should be out in front of you. To be a complete tennis player and to be competitive you need to master every shot and you need to know when to use them. Backhand gets the ball back neutral so that . In this article, well cover these topics for each type of serve: Well start by talking briefly about why you should learn the three types of tennis serves. If you are a beginner or recreational player, or a junior just considering your first full-sized racket, you will be pleased to know that Babolat offer a range aimed squarely at you. Another essential element to the kick serve is racquet head speed. Lastly, it can be difficult to hit a winner with a slice. Release the racquet with your left hand as you do this. Some people love the camaraderie and sense of interdependence that goes with being part of a larger sporting group, like in a football, soccer, or basketball team. Aerodynamically it will appear to rise and then dip, kicking forward and up off the court surface when it lands. disadvantages of the two backhand strokes in relation to the style of play. Make contact with the ball, with the racquet "slicing" under it, when it's at a point about even with your right shoulder. Many pros, including the legendary Australian champion Ken Rosewall, used the slice backhand stroke as their only backhand. 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. Topspin shots are used by most tennis players as their general groundstroke because it forces opponents to go backward. On slice shots, the racquet doesn't come around and up, making an arc. By using the proper topspin or backspin techniques during your next competitive match, you will be able to easily keep your opponent on their toes, making it much more difficult for them to adjust to your techniques throughout the entirety of your match. Many pros, including the legendary Australian champion Ken Rosewall, used the slice backhand stroke as their only backhand. Noticed one disadvantage is playing on a slower court. The Good, Bad, and Debatable Clay Courts - LiveAbout This can put the person slicing very much on the defensive and makes the game extremely hard work. 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. Second, changing your grip can be a dead giveaway to your opponent as to what type of serve youre about to hit. Dummies helps everyone be more knowledgeable and confident in applying what they know. I got a chance to play junior and professional tournaments across the world, and in 2015 I began playing as the #1 player for Pepperdine University, a great division 1 school. It tends to put you on the defensive quite often, so you must be physically and mentally prepared for that. 4. 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. He enjoys competing in county tennis leagues and ITF Seniors events. Table tennis forehand smash - Table tennis - BBC Bitesize He knows like no other how to disrupt the opponents rhythm by using the slice in almost every rally or how to completely catch them off guard with a drop shot. Disadvantages to a topspin game? | Talk Tennis The one handed backhand is definitely a weakness and - Talk Tennis An Overview of The Different Types of Tennis Shots - TennisCompanion Only people who haven't really played tennis (or have played and don't use a one hander) believe this myth (aka 90% of this forum). The Pros and Cons of Grass Tennis Courts - LiveAbout PDF A comparative study of backhand strokes in tennis among national tennis The type of tennis court surface that you play on can have a major influence on how the game is played as well as on the effects of Tennis on your body. The forehand smash is a fast, hard and powerful stroke that aims to force the opponent away from the table or to win a point outright. A topspin shot, on the other hand, rotates forward toward the opponent as it travels through the air. Tsvetana Pironkova and Monica Niculescu have both enjoyed success using this tactic, particularly on grass. The major difference is that the racquet shouldn't be pointing straight up, at a 90-degree angle, like a bat. Required fields are marked *. On a surface like grass which creates less friction, the ball will tend to skid and stay low. 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. 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. Oh, and I had lunch with Brad Gilbert once. However, if you do adjust your toss, keep in mind that a good returner might pick up on the change in your toss and give them a hint of the type of serve and where you might be inclined to hit it. This toss placement allows you to achieve the proper racquet angle for those serves.

Michael Kernicki is currently the Head Professional at the Indian Creek Country Club in Miami Beach.

","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/10669"}},{"authorId":10670,"name":"Michael Kernicki","slug":"michael-kernicki","description":" Michael Patrick Shiels writes frequently for golf magazines and is the official golf writer of the PGA of America's Michigan section. 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. While weve tried to provide a thorough examination of the three kinds of serves, we realize it can be challenging to answer every question a reader might have. The result will help you generate even more topspin. Slice shots don't bounce as high, either. With the slice serve, youll want to make contact with the outer edge of the ball to generate sidespin. 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. Some coaches will tell you that the short game can be more difficult in terms of short chops and banana flips. 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. We're Gui and Karue. Advanced Tennis Backhand Technique - Drills And Corrections To Fix The 3. Your opponent can do almost anything he wants with them, especially from a position up at the net.

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Mastering the forehand slice

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Slice always imparts control. But don't use it as a substitute for your flat or topspin forehand. Slice shots can be good for making an opponent really stretch for a ball, but it is difficult to hit them with much pace. What Is A Slice In Tennis? - Tennis Information The slice forehand has many advantages, but using it for rally balls on slow surfaces like clay and some hard courts can result in the ball bouncing slowly and steeply, seemingly asking to be attacked. Generally, the taller you are, the easier it will be to execute a hard flat serve because you have more clearance over the net and, therefore, a higher margin for error. But don't use it as a substitute for your flat or topspin forehand. In general, slicing can be very effective, but considerable precision is needed to use it frequently against a strong hitter. If youre looking to develop an effective serve thats a weapon, then its crucial to understand and learn how to execute the three different types of tennis serves. 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. The major difference is that the racquet shouldn't be pointing straight up, at a 90-degree angle, like a bat. That's just plain easier.

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