High 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. Typically, your opponent will be in defense mode when returning your first serve because they know that you can throw anything at them.
\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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\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). Over the years, many techniques have been developed in tennis to make shots more difficult to hit. It also has a slightly lower margin for error than the kick serve, because it doesn't have as much top spin to make the ball dip into the service box. The racquet head instead should be pointing at the back fence, at about a 45-degree angle. One of these techniques is the slice, which gives a confounding backspin to a serve or return.Find more information on slice strokes in tennis below. The essence of a slice is that it is the opposite of a topspin. If 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. Slice always imparts control. I went with that for a bit then went back to try and develop topspin, at which point it was infinitely easier because I could get clean contact and not have the racket face twist back on me during . If well placed, the flat serve can be extremely challenging to . Backhand gets the ball back neutral so that . It is possible to play every single forehand shot as a slice, but this is unlikely to be the most effective way to play. Third, it can be difficult to keep the ball in the court. Regardless of the type of serve you hit, relaxing through your service motion is essential. It is easier to control and creates a less predictable bounce with no pace for my opponents to work with. 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 moves forward and down, coming around to your right side only at the tail end of your stroke, long after the ball is gone. If you look at the top players in the world they know exactly how to use topspin and slice shots to their advantages. 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. Here are some tips on how to slice a ball in tennis: 1. Now that you know the three different types of tennis serves, it pays to keep in mind that each serve can be hit in countless places in the service box, providing you with even greater variety. Related Tags. Your opponent can do almost anything he wants with them, especially from a position up at the net.
\nSlice always imparts control. . Research Design and Testing Procedure . When hitting a flat serve, here are a few tips to keep in mind: Many players enjoy hitting a big flat serve and rely almost exclusively on it as their first serve even if they only make 10% of them. Of all the serves, the kick serve is arguably the most valuable and highly sought after for players to learn.
Michael Kernicki is currently the Head Professional at the Indian Creek Country Club in Miami Beach.
Michael Patrick Shiels writes frequently for golf magazines and is the official golf writer of the PGA of America's Michigan section. 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. Sometimes, especially on a low-bouncing court like grass, your opponent may hit a low, short ball. A forehand push is a difficult defensive shot that requires the player to strike downwards on the back and underneath the ball to create backspin. 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. On slice shots, the racquet doesn't come around and up, making an arc. The same can be said about Federers use of the backhand slice. Remember, when you serve, you have a considerable advantage because you begin the point on offense and can control and dictate the point from the start. Tennis may not be right for you if you suffer from heart disease or have high or low blood pressure, rheumatoid arthritis or osteoporosis. Here are a few tips to help execute an effective slice serve: When youre learning the slice serve, it can be relatively easy to overhit as you attempt to generate side spin. However, youll also want to hit up slightly to give the ball a bit of topspin so that it drops back down into the court. 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. As the previous tip suggests, you must relax your grip and wrist to allow for the wrist to move freely. Upper Body Exercises Safe for Tennis Elbow, How to Choose a Grip Size for a Tennis Racquet, How To Handle The High Bounce To The Backhand Side In Tennis. This will allow you to hit the ball with a slicing action. Many top players, including male and female Grand Slam champions use the sliced forehand. When 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. Thats where variety is king and why learning the three different types of serves is crucial. Many players assume behind means you need to toss the ball toward the back fence, i.e., behind the baseline. Take a deep breath, bounce the ball, and consciously relax your muscles, including your grip and wrist. Heres a photo that showcases the contact point and racquet angle when hitting a kick serve. Those two qualities can catch your opponent off guard and screw up her timing.
\nA word of caution: Slice backhands make poor passing shots. Copyright 2017-2023 Rookie Road Inc. All rights reserved. Generally, when practicing a topspin forehand, players will implement a semi-Western grip, as you are able to apply a greater amount of spin to the tennis ball using far less effort. At MyTennisHQ, we have all played junior, college, and professional tennis. This photo was snapped at the height of the toss so you can get a sense of accurate placement. 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. Another essential element to the kick serve is racquet head speed. On slice shots, the racquet doesn't come around and up, making an arc. There are many variations of the topspin forehand where players will choose a desired Western or Eastern grip depending on their style of play. There are a few disadvantages of using a slice in tennis.
\n3. The Austrian said: "Very difficult because, I mean, I . Slice shots never travel with a lot of pace. Instead, the best option is to stretch wide, perhaps in an open stance, and move the racket from high to low and through the line you want the ball to travel. 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. Since youre looking to hit the ball flat or without any spin, youll want to try to strike the ball directly from behind without brushing up on the ball or hitting the side of the ball. It doesn't break your bank. Dummies helps everyone be more knowledgeable and confident in applying what they know. Read our weekly recap of the 5 most interesting things we dig up in tennis. If you look at a tennis shot side-on from the players right, a ball hit with topspin will appear to be rotating clockwise. This position makes it easy and natural to brush your strings under the lower portion of the ball, producing backspin. By common sense, it is known that in tight situations players have to use larger body parts to lessen the impact of their muscles tightening. 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. They are something you should work on and get better at but in the end, are extremely fun to use. In general, slicing can be very effective, but considerable precision is needed to use it frequently against a strong hitter. 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. Tennis Tips for Seniors and Every Tennis Lovers. In-depth Resources A sliced lob can be useful as a defensive measure, but it is generally slower and easier to attack than the topspin version. The slice serve is perfect for opening up the tennis court. 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. Serve and volley: Due to the shorter reaction time that you may have fielding your opponents return, it can be challenging to move forward and volley. Approach shots. 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. Heres a photo to show you what your contact point should look like for a slice serve. Required fields are marked *. 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. 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. First, it can be difficult to control the ball. 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. {"appState":{"pageLoadApiCallsStatus":true},"articleState":{"article":{"headers":{"creationTime":"2016-03-26T22:57:30+00:00","modifiedTime":"2016-03-26T22:57:30+00:00","timestamp":"2022-09-14T18:12:05+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Home, Auto, & Hobbies","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33809"},"slug":"home-auto-hobbies","categoryId":33809},{"name":"Sports & Recreation","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34001"},"slug":"sports-recreation","categoryId":34001},{"name":"Tennis","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34033"},"slug":"tennis","categoryId":34033}],"title":"Slicing and Dicing, Tennis Style","strippedTitle":"slicing and dicing, tennis style","slug":"slicing-and-dicing-tennis-style","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"Slice, or backspin, causes the tennis ball to spin back toward the source of impact (you). What Does Game, Set, Match Mean In Tennis? 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. 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. Slice shots never travel with a lot of pace. What Was The Battle of The Sexes In Tennis.
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. 5 Point Friday Hopefully, youve enjoyed this post on the three different types of serves. 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. The slice can be used effectively in several matchplay situations. 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. But what is the difference between these two groundstrokes? For most players, the kick serve has become the default second serve. If youre short, the flat serve is more challenging to execute because you have less clearance over the net, which reduces your margin of error. Babolat have been producing tennis equipment since 1875, and today they manufacture a range of rackets that offers something for everyone. Table tennis forehand smash. On a surface like grass which creates less friction, the ball will tend to skid and stay low. 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. Tennis is at the top. 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. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when hitting a kick serve. A topspin shot, on the other hand, rotates forward toward the opponent as it travels through the air. Like all slice shots, the forehand version is hit high-to-low, with the strings brushing under the ball. Helpful Tip Unfortunately, this approach usually lends itself to tension, which is your serves worst enemy and, over time, can lead to injury. Modern-day tennis players utilize topspin frequently, as it can appear that the ball will sail over the net and out of bounds before dropping well within the lines of play. Wrist strains. 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! We're Gui and Karue. A "tennis slice" is when the ball hits the ground and bounces back into play. The flat serve is perhaps one of the most sought-after serves in tennis because its synonymous with power and the ability to hit an ace. More consistent - means with which one you can hit more or less the same shot over and over again. Thats because racquet head speed is required to create topspin. A "tennis topspin" is when the ball is hit with a lot of power, speed, and spin on it. On the other hand, if youre down 15-40, a big flat serve can be a considerable risk. Tennis Interviews. Sliced returns need to be controlled with precision or else a volleyer can pick them off, especially in doubles. Nonetheless, the shot can be very useful in a variety of situations, and some professionals have enjoyed quite a bit of success using it as their main option on the forehand side. If you are defending desperately, you are unlikely to be able to execute a topspin lob.