5 Tips To Improve Your Second Serve

The second serve is the most important stroke for a junior to develop. Here’s how to do it

- Rick Macci

You’ve probably heard the saying, “You’re only as good as your second serve.” With the way players return the ball these days, it’s truer than ever. If you don’t have a reliable and strong second delivery, you’re not going to win many matches.

A good second serve requires courage. No one wants to double fault, but if you don’t start going for second serves at an early age, you’ll only succeed in training your muscles—and your mind—for failure. You need to hit the ball, not pat it over the net.

Bravery comes with having sound technique. If you practice hard enough and do it the right way, you’ll trust your second serve when you find yourself in a tense match. Just follow these five steps.

1 USE THE PROPER GRIP