Many players assume behind means you need to toss the ball toward the back fence, i.e., behind the baseline. As for the angle of your racquet head, youll want the edge to be roughly parallel with the baseline. A sliced lob can be useful as a defensive measure, but it is generally slower and easier to attack than the topspin version. Here are some tips on how to slice a ball in tennis: 1. However, flat shots with little topspin won't bounce high - they'll almost skid across the court. If youre a righty, hitting a slice serve out wide in the deuce court will draw your opponent off the court, leaving the rest of the court open for a follow-up shot that puts you in a position to move forward and attack. Rookie Road may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. When executing a tennis slice, the player will swing downward in a "slicing" motion, angling the racket anywhere between fully flat and entirely diagonal. Those two qualities can catch your opponent off guard and screw up her timing.
\nA word of caution: Slice backhands make poor passing shots. What Was The Battle of The Sexes In Tennis. 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). Backhand gets the ball back neutral so that . If you remember, the flat and slice serve toss is about 12-18 inches in front of you and approximately 6 inches to the right of your tossing arms shoulder at the peak of the toss. Second, changing your grip can be a dead giveaway to your opponent as to what type of serve youre about to hit. The slice backhand suited their approach to the game, which was based on control rather than power.
\nThe slice backhand offers the following practical and tactical advantages:
\nThe slice forehand is easy to master, and a fair number of hackers resort to it.
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. Sliced returns need to be controlled with precision or else a volleyer can pick them off, especially in doubles. To hit a slice, you need to strike the ball with a high-to-low movement, thus imparting backspin. Unfortunately, this approach usually lends itself to tension, which is your serves worst enemy and, over time, can lead to injury. In fact, hitting a slice serve at 75% of your max swing speed can be a great tactic because the sidespin combined with the change in pace will often throw off your opponent. The problem with this mentality and a low first serve percentage is that it takes a great deal of pressure off your opponent. However, your ability to control the point is tied heavily to executing an effective serve that keeps your opponent guessing and prevents them from establishing a rhythm. Follow through until your racquet arm is fully extended, with the head pointing toward the ground at a moderate angle. 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. The racquet head instead should be pointing at the back fence, at about a 45-degree angle. The major difference is that the racquet shouldn't be pointing straight up, at a 90-degree angle, like a bat. Ultimately, the greater variety of serves you can hit, the more you can adjust your strategy to compete at a higher level against different players and on various court surfaces. The ball will naturally bounce less on grass, which plays terrifically with the slice serve, which also doesnt bounce high. It doesn't break your bank. Backhand Slice is The Easiest Shot in Tennis - YouTube A topspin shot, on the other hand, rotates forward toward the opponent as it travels through the air. When youre first getting started with tennis, your primary goal will likely be to develop a single reliable serve that allows you to begin a point and play the game. The essence of a slice is that it is the opposite of a topspin. Home > Instruction > Serve > 3 Types of Tennis Serves, Improve your game alongside our community of tennis players. Even at pro level, doing damage is still all about the forehand. However, by hitting up on the ball, you generate topspin, which can bring the ball back down into the court even though youre hitting up. As a result, the overuse of a hard flat serve can lead to giving away too many free points or forcing you to rely heavily on your second serve. Defensive Lob. Roger Federer was one of the tennis greats known for his undeniable skill of slicing.He was one of the best modern tennis players, and was renowned for his ability to control the ball with unmatched elegance and grace. This position makes it easy and natural to brush your strings under the lower portion of the ball, producing backspin. The Good, Bad, and Debatable Clay Courts - LiveAbout Many pros, including the legendary Australian champion Ken Rosewall, used the slice backhand stroke as their only backhand. Its strength lies in its speed and difficulty to return. A "slow" surface such as clay will interact with more of the ball's surface area and there will be more friction placed on the ball. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The slice can be a useful weapon, but it does have some disadvantages. Modern tennis is dominated by the use of topspin shots. The Pros and Cons of Grass Tennis Courts - LiveAbout Im extremely passionate about the mental and technical part of the game. 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. 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. When a slice shot bounces, the ball stays low, forcing your opponent to really stretch to get to the ball. Tennis Slice vs Topspin - What's The Difference? What Is A Flat Serve In A Tennis Match? - rookieroad.com For example, if youre lucky enough to have access to grass courts, keep in mind that the slice serve is a fantastic serve for this surface. A tennis slice is a means of hitting or returning the ball that puts a particular spin on the ball. Some professionals hit virtually all of their forehands with slice. When hitting a flat serve, youll want your toss to be roughly 12-18 inches in front of you and approximately 6 inches to the right of your tossing arms shoulder at the peak of the toss. As a result, the overuse of a hard flat serve can lead to giving away too many free points or forcing you to rely heavily on your second serve. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when hitting a kick serve. disadvantages of the two backhand strokes in relation to the style of play. The sports divide into a few tiers of serving advantages. 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. 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. First, it can be difficult to control the ball. Swing forward with a high-to-low motion.\nRelease the racquet with your left hand as you do this. Whether it's to pass that big test, qualify for that big promotion or even master that cooking technique; people who rely on dummies, rely on it to learn the critical skills and relevant information necessary for success. That's just plain easier.
The slice can be a useful weapon, but it does have some disadvantages. The three primary types of tennis serves include the flat, slice, and kick serve. Like all slice shots, the forehand version is hit high-to-low, with the strings brushing under the ball. Stand quite close to the table, an arms length away. 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. The slice serve is perfect for opening up the tennis court. Similar to the flat serve, youll want to place your toss about 12-18 inches in front of you and approximately 6 inches to the right of your tossing arms shoulder at the peak of the toss, allowing for natural contact with the ball. Drop Shots. I had to work extra harder. Slice Forehand & Backhand Heres a photo to show you what your contact point should look like for a slice serve. It is said to be the fastest shot in tennis. Good topspin shots will land just in front of the line and bounce towards the opponent so he has a tough time generating power and needs to have good footwork to cope with it. The slice serve is a highly effective serve that can become a huge weapon when perfected. Slice vs. Topspin | The Evolution of Tennis On slice shots, the racquet doesn't come around and up, making an arc. 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. When the racket and the ball make contact, the racket should be continuously moving in a direction close to perpendicular to the ball. The result can be a very low-bouncing serve that is hard to return. How To Hit The Perfect Tennis Forehand Slice In 5 Simple Steps 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. Of all the serves, the kick serve is arguably the most valuable and highly sought after for players to learn. This is known as a squash shot and a good one will fly low and fast over the net. Sometimes, especially on a low-bouncing court like grass, your opponent may hit a low, short ball. Rafael Nadal for example knows that with his extreme spin on the forehand he can make it difficult for a player like Roger Federer with his one-handed backhand to generate power. A slice is often used when you return a serve and then come straight to the net (known as Chip and Charge) because it gives you time to do so. Advantages of Clay . However, its often one of the most challenging serves to develop. Last but not least, another element that will help you produce a fantastic serve is going for it and hitting with confidence.