Make contact with the ball, with the racquet \"slicing\" under it, when it's at a point about even with your right shoulder. 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. If your opponent has a very fast or heavily spun serve, and you are having difficulty controlling it with a flat or topspun return, a block return with a little slice can be effective. 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. 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 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. Its consistent, provides players with a significant level of control, and can be used to attack a returners weaknesses with precision. It is also the most commonly used shot when you are in a defensive position. One of the best ways to increase your racquet head speed is to incorporate a wrist snap as you extend your arm to make contact with the tennis ball. An out-to-in movement can be incorporated to add side-spin. Disadvantages Of Slice In Tennis Slashes are disliked by many lower-level recreational players. 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!
\n4. There are many variations of the topspin forehand where players will choose a desired Western or Eastern grip depending on their style of play. This position makes it easy and natural to brush your strings under the lower portion of the ball, producing backspin. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when hitting a kick serve. For that reason, its vital to add different types of shots to your repertoire. By entering your email address and clicking the Submit button, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy & to receive electronic communications from Dummies.com, which may include marketing promotions, news and updates. The Best Babolat Tennis Rackets (for Every Type of Player). We both feel like tennis has given us opportunities that we would have never had otherwise, so we started myTennisHQ with the intent of helping more and more people become familiar with the sport. Again, this is in favor of the two-handed backhand. Required fields are marked *. Most of the more adaptable players will also use the forehand slice for approach shots when necessary, although some are better at it than others. Like all slice shots, the forehand version is hit high-to-low, with the strings brushing under the ball. Your opponent can do almost anything he wants with them, especially from a position up at the net. Discussion Boards Follow through until your racquet arm is fully extended, with the head pointing toward the ground at a moderate angle. However, flat shots with little topspin won't bounce high - they'll almost skid across the court. Up a set and a break, Medvedev served into the deuce court to . You can see it coming, as it is obvious where the server is hitting the ball to impart the sidespin. However, on grass, that same kick serve wont jump nearly as high, so you might rely on your slice serve, which stays low, making it challenging to return when playing on grass. Many of tennis greats, such as Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, have relied on their vicious topspin forehand to win world championships and countless titles. Many players assume behind means you need to toss the ball toward the back fence, i.e., behind the baseline. The one handed backhand is definitely a weakness and - Talk Tennis 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. An Overview of The Different Types of Tennis Shots - TennisCompanion That's just plain easier.
\n- Slice slows the ball down. A ball hit with any kind of spin travels slower than a flat one. When a slice shot bounces, the ball stays low, forcing your opponent ","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"
Slice, or backspin, causes the tennis ball to spin back toward the source of impact (you). 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. This is basically a drop shot played at the start of a rally, so the same arguments set out in the previous paragraph apply. When the racket and the ball make contact, the racket should be continuously moving in a direction close to perpendicular to the ball. To hit a slice, you need to strike the ball with a high-to-low movement, thus imparting backspin. As a result, when the flat serve hits the court, it tends to bounce low and continue straight forward from where it lands in the court. Another essential element to the kick serve is racquet head speed. Slice shots don't bounce as high, either. Hopefully, youve enjoyed this post on the three different types of serves. The slice can be a useful weapon, but it does have some disadvantages. The result can be a very low-bouncing serve that is hard to return. 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. Learn with comprehensive resources to help you improve your game. Heres a photo to show you what your contact point should look like for a slice serve. 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. A slice ground stroke causes the ball to rotate backwards towards the person who hit the ball. Using this technique, you can make it very difficult for your opponent to return your shot with topspin, making the slice a great defensive shot. Create a free account and explore my latest videos below. Disadvantages of Tennis Potential for serious injuries Tennis equipment can be costly Not a team sport Tennis cannot be played alone Lack of tennis courts Tennis takes some time to learn Motivation might be a problem Tennis may be time-consuming Need for a trainer to get to the next level Pressure can be high May conflict with your corporate career A "tennis slice" is when the ball hits the ground and bounces back into play. The result will help you generate even more topspin. To be successful with this tactic, you will need to stay low and develop plenty of racket-head speed, to allow you to control the trajectory of the ball. 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 . Approach shots. Within tennis, the serve is a bigger weapon for men than for women, in part . Backhand gets the ball back neutral so that . Speed: The faster a serve is hit, the less time your opponent will have to react, which can cause players to make contact with the ball late or mistime their shot. 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. The forehand slice is a shot which is rarely taught or discussed in modern tennis. 5. When a slice is done correctly, the racket adds a backspin to the ball when it is struck. Dummies helps everyone be more knowledgeable and confident in applying what they know. 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. This is known as a squash shot and a good one will fly low and fast over the net. Underarm (Underhand in the US) Serve. The truth is, a continental serve grip is highly effective for all types of tennis serves. Thats because racquet head speed is required to create topspin. At MyTennisHQ, we have all played junior, college, and professional tennis. Here too, it is necessary to make a distinction. The Pros and Cons of Grass Tennis Courts - LiveAbout Sources: rio2016.com, itftennis.com. Topspin shots are used by most tennis players as their general groundstroke because it forces opponents to go backward. Tennis may not be right for you if you suffer from heart disease or have high or low blood pressure, rheumatoid arthritis or osteoporosis. Slice shots can be good for making an opponent really stretch for a ball, but it is difficult to hit them with much pace. Tennis toe. Modern tennis is dominated by the use of topspin shots. 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. Turn the racquet face as you bring it back so that the hitting surface ends up facing upward, as shown in Figure 1. 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. To slice in tennis, a player must angle their racquet and swing downward in a slicing motion.The manner in which the player angles their racquet while slicing downward can be anywhere between fully flat and entirely diagonal. Slice always imparts control. 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. 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. 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. The three primary types of tennis serves include the flat, slice, and kick serve. What Is A Slice Serve In A Tennis Match? - Rookieroad And, an athlete like Mima Ito, proves beyond a doubt that the banana flip can be even more effective . The slice forehand is easy to master, and a fair number of hackers resort to it. 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. However, with practice and the proper technique, you shouldnt need to swing considerably harder to create more spin. On the other hand, if you were to try that same serve against a 65 opponent, then you may find it lands much closer to their strike zone, allowing them to hit an easy return. When you want to surprise your opponent with a drop shot. 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. A tennis slice is a means of hitting or returning the ball that puts a particular spin on the ball. At the start, youre content with just hitting the ball flat but as your skill level progresses you need to add variation to your game. Since a big flat serve has a lower margin for error, its worth being thoughtful when you choose to use it. Many players will want to take the initiative from the slicer by hitting an aggressive topspin. Grass is tough on the arm, though, because the ball hits the racquet with more speed, and more speed generally means more shock and torsion. The ball will follow a low, flattish path through the air and then bounce up (but not far forward) on a grippy court surface like acrylic. If well placed, the flat serve can be extremely challenging to . Make contact with the ball, with the racquet "slicing" under it, when it's at a point about even with your right shoulder. If players like to attack the net and volley, they slice a lot.
\nThe slice can be a useful weapon, but it does have some disadvantages. 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. 19 Advantages and Disadvantages of Table Tennis The first thing you need to do is grip the racket properly. For a slice, you will need to grip the racket with an eastern or semi-western grip. Related Tags. If you are defending desperately, you are unlikely to be able to execute a topspin lob. 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. Heres a video that showcases the kick serve, including the toss, contact point, and racquet angle necessary to generate topspin. 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. Ive included brief stops to help you get a sense for toss placement, contact, point, and racquet angle. 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. How To Bounce A Slice Ball And Drive Your Opponents Crazy This can put the person slicing very much on the defensive and makes the game extremely hard work. As the ball approaches and you rotate your shoulders to your left, bring your racquet back above your left shoulder.
\nYour stance resembles the stance you take when you step up to the plate and get ready to swing a baseball bat in both cases, your hands are up around your left shoulder. The same goes for court surfaces. It is possible to play every single forehand shot as a slice, but this is unlikely to be the most effective way to play. Advantages of a Tennis Slice Heres a photo that showcases the contact point and racquet angle when hitting a kick serve. Knees should be slightly bent and the body should be leaning forward. Slicing can also be used as a means to aid in the return of difficult or powerful shots.By slicing the ball, this will counter the effects of a powerful shot or one that has a lot of spin, thus making the return much more feasible than with a standard attempt to return. For most players, the kick serve has become the default second serve. 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. Backhand Slice is The Easiest Shot in Tennis - YouTube On slice shots, the racquet doesn't come around and up, making an arc. The middle of the net is its lowest point, so its easier to execute a flat serve at that point of the net on either side. Like all slice shots, the forehand version is hit high-to-low, with the strings brushing under the ball. If you havent had the chance, Id highly recommend you check out our post on the serve trophy pose, which will show you how to get the most out of your serve while incorporating your legs to help you generate power. We're Gui and Karue. But don't use it as a substitute for your flat or topspin forehand. Helpful Tip: Babolat have been producing tennis equipment since 1875, and today they manufacture a range of rackets that offers something for everyone. Join the conversation with other members of the community. Swing forward with a high-to-low motion. 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.
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Figure 1: Hold your racquet at a 45-degree angle to the fence when you slice your backhand.\t
3. Those two qualities can catch your opponent off guard and screw up her timing.
- Slice shots travel in a flat trajectory. You don't have to lift the ball over the net in an arc and then get it to drop back down inside the boundaries of the court like you do with your other shots.
A word of caution: Slice backhands make poor passing shots. Disguise is key, so you will prepare as though you intend to hit an aggressive topspin, and, at the last second, cut under the ball with a high-to-low action, perhaps adding some side-spin for good measure. A player can add slice or topspin to shots by hitting the ball in different places. What Is A Flat Serve In A Tennis Match? - rookieroad.com It should go without saying that your legs are critical to your serve, but unfortunately, its not second nature to most players. You will have more time to return the ball, have a better stance, stronger strokes, more spin, and more confidence.
Michael Kernicki is currently the Head Professional at the Indian Creek Country Club in Miami Beach.
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