watch WMV video (145 KB)
watch RM video (144 KB)
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 and to your left.
- Wind-up: Use your usual wind-up.
- Swing: The distinctive feature of the twist serve's swing is its left-to-right direction. You'll bend your knees and use your legs to begin the strong upward thrust that generates the topspin, but you must also arch your back in preparation for swinging left to right. Turn your shoulders so that your back is almost facing the net. Swing mostly upward, but also toward the right sideline and slightly forward. The twist serve generally uses less forward weight transfer than the topspin-slice serve.
- Point of contact: Meet the ball 6-12 inches below the full upward extension of your reach, 6-12 inches to your left, and 3-6 inches behind yourself, as measured by where your head is at the time of contact. Where you toss the ball will be influenced by how much you arch backward and how much you jump upward before swinging.
- Striking the ball: Strike the ball with your racquet moving upward from left to right -- from what would be 7:00 toward 1:00 on the face of the ball if it were a clock.
- Follow-through: Just after contact, your racquet will be moving to your right, and some players finish on their right, but most end up following through to the left side of the body. Most players step into the court less on a twist serve than on a topspin-slice.
