Hit Up or Down on the Tennis Serve

[@IntuitiveTennis]

The swing path doesn’t lie. If you hit up the ball goes up. If you hit down the ball goes down. If you hit straight forward the ball will go straight forward before gravity pulls it down.

[@hometennispractice4276]

Hi Nikola. I am a tennis coach. I am spellbound from watching your videos. I feel I have learned both ways.

[@myfolder4561]

I think what most coaches refer to as hitting up is the arm and wrist action as opposed to the direction of the string bed at contact. The racket face is at some angle or almost perpendicular to the the arm. Only when we throw or hit up (with pronation) will the racket face be exerting a downward force at contact.

[@NStewF]

Beat video EVER explaining how the system goes DOWN while the arm swings to contact - beginning around the 430 mark! Very subtle but so important. I’ve been working on this with much better results. Thanks Coach!

[@IntuitiveTennis]

🙏

[@blaskbla]

At the first glance I didn't buy the story. After second watch, it just clicked! Finally I got idea where is my problem with a kick serve... Thank you Nikola!

[@IntuitiveTennis]

My pleasure 👍👍

[@sandys4509]

I am fascinated with all of these serve videos! Thank you!

[@amdegia]

One of your best mate. I was waiting so long for you to show us the path of the serve

[@IntuitiveTennis]

Thank you Arif

[@vivy_xo]

Awesome video Nick! Can’t wait to get back to the court!

[@IntuitiveTennis]

Soon 👍👍

[@somevino1048]

Hi Nik, agree you should not actually hit up as defined in the video. But many folks (eg me) may need to feel as if they did to hit a better serve. Swinging up will eventually, at some point, get the racket perpendicular relative to the court and then angled downwards. While timing is to be practised, if you don‘t feel like you swing up to the contact point you may reach a perpendicular/downward racket face too early and hit the net. So I think the concept of swinging/hitting up can be helpful.

[@espressodawn4000]

That’s my experience right now… I’ve been hitting the ball into the net the majority of the time, but as soon as I started serving “up”, I’m getting more balls over the net. It’s almost a night and day difference. So thinking about it as a serving “up” motion has helped me.

[@Osnosis]

@@espressodawn4000The motion is definitely “up”, but it’s better IMHO to think of it as “away” from the body. The racket head path goes away from the body even, as he calls it, ‘the system’ is going down.

[@edpine1587]

Hi Nikola thanks for the informative video I think it’s an important one due to all of the videos stating you must hit up on a kick serve which can be confusing After your explanation it makes sense to me. I will say bc our contact point for the kick is slightly lower than a flat serve perhaps the ‘hitting up’ is the small distance of the diameter of the ball when we swing from 7 to 1 PM because the ball stays on the strings longer. After we finish this carving, and we are at full arm extension then the swing path is down as you well describe. I hope you are in agreement with my logic... if not I’m sticking to it because it’s working for me now ha ha

[@dmitryprivate6558]

Hi Nikola, Thank you for the video. The demonstration of the kick serve trajectory was a surprise to me. I thought that by brushing up on the ball you subconsciously hit it up. Now I know I need to work on my kick serve. Question: what device do you use for measuring the speed of a serve? Thank you.

[@EskoTV-VIDEO]

This video explained very nicely the trajectory of the ball. I have constantly been thinking, do I have to brush up the ball to get it going up or how it go first up and then high over the net. My thinking has been wrong. Your explanation cleared this issue very much. On Monday again to practice kick serve (and slice) on court before senior tennis playing. Do you have tips for doubles play? We usually play doubles with other seniors (from 60 to 83 years of age). How to position oneself on court and when to hit volley or stopper? Are there any strategic ways of how to serve and place yourself after serve back of the baseline or go to the net.

[@IntuitiveTennis]

I will get into doubles content. Stay tuned...

[@IntuitiveTennis]

I will get into doubles content. Stay tuned...

[@sebastianmesserer6944]

Hi, are we to think of it as „hitting the ball to the target“ or „throwing the racket into the ball“? As the ball floats up on the toss, do I think „Hit!“ or „Throw! (racket towards the ball)“? Thanks a lot

[@IntuitiveTennis]

Don’t think of throwing 👉 kzbin.info/www/bejne/eHK1hnpvqNWips0

[@dhat1607]

Hi Nikola, should my arm be straight or bent at the top? I was taught to serve with a slight bend in the arm at the top and more at 1oclock. from my own experience it leads to more of a throwing action with much more power for me. I do pronate after hitting as you would when throwing a ball. The toss has to be slightly lower. Is this a good technique?

[@Mickey_McD]

Hi Coach Aracic -- my understanding from another KZbin tennis channel, is that you can swing up and out, but when you do this you need to combine it with body lean into the court. Doing this closes the racquet face so it is angled downward toward the service box on the other side of the net.

[@IntuitiveTennis]

The racquet face is not closed at contact

[@IntuitiveTennis]

The ball would not clear the net if this was the case

[@umutkara739]

Thanks.

[@ripleypipe]

Once again Nick, a fresh, illuminating tutorial. Thank you. Gordon

[@peejread2309]

Hi Nikola. I am wondering, what do you think about or whats going on in your mind during your serve so that you can hit that consistent 1st serve?

[@IntuitiveTennis]

Absolutely nothing, intention happens before and then it’s muscle memory

[@peejread2309]

So before serving, you just think of the placement of the serve then think of nothing during the serve? Because sometimes when I hit 2-3 1st serves well then I start thinking about my technique on the next coming serve then I mess it up. Kinda weird for me.

[@IntuitiveTennis]

I select location and what type of serve prior.

[@kumarsabaratnam4787]

Hitting up on contact when the arm is fully stretched is difficult & it might end up like a slice for beginner. I Just hit hard & find the best motion to get it in.

[@GavReelov]

Hey Nikola, Ive got a problem with my serve. My right foot rotates around the body instead to going back. So the whole motion looks and feels wiered. I've tried a couple drills that should help but nothing has changed so far. thanks in advance

[@IntuitiveTennis]

I can’t tell wo seeing it

[@GavReelov]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/eYCTf3-ai7-UjJI smth like that

[@IntuitiveTennis]

I have a lesson with a student that has a similar problem It’ll be up soon...

[@GavReelov]

@@IntuitiveTennis Thanks. Really appreciate

[@mymr3xutube]

Enlightening, I've for years taught my students to hit up on a serve. That ends now

[@Thiago.CristoSalva]

Wats drills???

[@joelhammrac]

I get what you are trying to do here. You say “neither” and I say, “both” 🙂. Here’s a question: how can you generate top spin on a kick serve without hitting up? Now, before you answer, I know you addressed this by talking about the non-dominant shoulder, however the means the dominant shoulder is, in fact, hinging upward. 😉

[@DracMastah]

I believe he means hitting up as making contact with strings facing towards the sky and down with strings facing towards the floor. Racket obviously travels upwards at the moment of impact on all serves, if not you'd be getting some sort of underspin serve

[@joelhammrac]

JCatrileo you are absolutely correct! Or, another way to look at it, is the misconception that you want the ball to travel upwards from contact, which is definitely not what you want. A big slow kick serve might begin with an upward trajectory at first, but you would have to limit the speed of the ball if you have any hope of it landing in the box!

[@joelhammrac]

JCatrileo when I think of hitting up on the serve, I am focusing more on my legs driving upwards into the ball on every serve I do, whether it’s a flat first, or a big kick.

[@dbish2049]

@@joelhammrac exactly what I was taught and teach. “Drive up”into the ball with your legs, not “hit up”.

[@FairwayJack]

like

[@user-sj8ng1wy4h]

I see why you call it intuitive tennis

[@Mel-nm1ve]

What about children?,what you said mean s to me,that they can't but the ball over the net's 🤷

[@toddcuster3557]

You hit backwards dummy