Recycle Sunday - Service Drills

A blast from the past...

I have started a series called Recycle Sunday in which I repeat some old articles. This article was originally published December 26, 2015.

Drills to work on serving are very straightforward and can be done with 2 people or even alone if sufficient balls are available. All a player must do is set up the target, go to the other side of the net, and hit balls toward the target. Then gather them up and do it all again, moving to the next drill once the first is mastered. The drills can can be fun with the addition of competition. Most drills should have 10-20 serves per turn to be worthwhile.

Drill 1 Serves - Players line up to practice 3-5 serves from the right side; then 3-5 from the left side with a couple of players, if available, catching the balls.

Drill 2 Deep Serves - Place a rope or sidewalk chalk line about 3 feet inside the opposite baseline. Players line up to serve from both the right and left sides and aim for the area between the rope/chalk and baseline. 

Competition: Players count the number of deep serves that land between the rope and baseline. The player with the most successful serves is the winner.

Drill 3 Serves to the Backhand - Players line up to practice 3-5 serves to the backhand side from the right side; then 3-5 serves to the backhand from the left side. 

Drill 4 Serves to the Backhand - Place a hula hoop or chalk line box at a location representing the opposing receiver’s backhand. Players serve from both the right and left sides aiming for the hula hoop / box. 

Competition: Players count the number of serves that land inside the hula hoop / box. The player with the most successful serves is the winner.

Drill 5 High Soft Serves - Place a rope or sidewalk chalk line about 3 feet inside the opposite baseline. Players line up to serve from both the right and left sides. Serve with a high slow arc so the ball lands deep in the court. This serve keeps the receiver back and forces the receiver has to create their own power and speed to return the ball. 

Competition: Players count the number of deep serves that land between the rope and baseline. The player with the most successful serves is the winner.

Drill 6 Low Hard Serves - Stretch a rope about 36 inches above the net. Players line up to serve from both the right and left sides. Serve with a low hard arc that stays below the rope, above the net, and within the boundaries of the service court.

Competition: Players count the number of serves that meet the drill criteria. The player with the most successful serves is the winner.

Drill 7 Soft Angle Serves - Players line up to serve from both the right and left sides. Serve to the opponents' backhand using a soft serve that drops just beyond the kitchen line. This is a good serve if the opposing players are side stacking, i.e., the non-receiving player is standing on the sideline of the receivers' side of the court. A good soft angle serve will open the middle of the court for a return hit down the middle.