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Key points: Aspects of the toss and windup that are the same as for the topspin-slice serve are covered in more detail in that video lesson.
- Stance: Stand with your right foot parallel to the baseline and your left foot pointing roughly toward the right net post.
- Grip: Use the grip closest to the Eastern backhand (moving from Continental) that still allows you to make clean contact with the ball. Moving toward Eastern backhand gives you stronger spin, toward Continental easier contact.
- Toss: Toss the ball slightly behind yourself so that, if you didn't hit it, it would more or less graze the back of your head on its way down.
- Wind-up: Use your normal wind-up.
- Swing: Topspin is created by the racquet brushing up the back of the ball, so the essence of the topspin serve swing is upward energy. Push straight upward with your legs, then swing almost straight upward with your racquet. You'll get enough forward motion in the swing without having to think about it.
- Point of contact: Meet the ball slightly below the full upward extension of your reach so that the racquet can still be moving upward as it brushes against the ball. The ball should be just about directly overhead at the time of contact. Where you toss the ball will be influenced by how much you lean forward and how much you jump upward before swinging.
- Striking the ball: Try to brush straight up the back of the ball from what would be 6:00 on its face if it were a clock to 12:00. You would have to let the ball drop more than it's worth to hit an absolutely pure topspin, but the inevitable, slight left-to-right slant at higher points of contact won't inadvertently produce a twist bounce.
- Follow-through: Follow through to the left side of your body (for right-handers). Because most of your energy is directed upward instead of forward, you usually won't step into the court as much as you would on a topspin-slice serve.
