Quiz the Coach - I Can't Serve!

The Kidzworld Coach

So ya dig sports but need some help with your game? Don't understand some of the rules of football, basketball or hockey? Got a gripe about P.E. class, skateboarders, cheerleading, coaches, or anything? Why not Quiz the Coach?

Hey Coach,
I love, love, love tennis! I'm pretty good, but I can't seem to get my serve right. My serve seems to go everywhere but over the net. Maybe I'm trying to hit the ball too hard, I don't know. What should I do?
Hollamolly215

Hollamolly215,
No doubt about it, the serve is one of the most important parts of the game. If you are going to be the next Maria Sharapova, you are going to have to improve your serve. The good news is, you can definitely improve it. But to do that takes a lot of practice.

It sounds to me like you are trying to hit 100 mph serves. If the result of those hard-hitting serves do not result in aces, then slow it down! Control is everything in a serve, and the more control you have, the more consistent you will be. A wild serve will just lead to a lot of double faults, which leads to a lot of lost points. Once you have the consistency down, then you can focus on placement of the ball and spin. After you have all these elements down, you can add a little power to the serve.

So remember, slow down and practice hard to get a consistent serve. Anybody can hit a ball hard, but it takes a good tennis player to be able to hit hard and stay in control. Work on all these things, and your opponents will fear you when it's your turn to the net! Good Luck!

Do you need tips or advice on sports, fitness or health? Send it to the Kidzworld Coach. Keep in mind peeps, the Kidzworld Coach isn't a doctor or a professional athlete or anything like that. He's just a dude who digs sports, plays 'em and knows a lot about 'em. You should always talk to your 'rents, a doctor or your school gym teacher before starting a new sport or a new exercise.