Second Serve

Marcin Bieniek explains how to approach and play the second serve.

Many players have a problem with the second serve, especially when faced with pressure. Their reaction to the pressure is often defensive, with the focus on not making an error with the second serve and "just getting it in." Unfortunately, many second serves are not in because of this focus.

We play to improve ourselves by working on and achieving our tactical goals. But what tactics do we have when thinking only about "just get it in"?

If we want to make our goals attainable, we must know where to put our second serve, which must be aggressive.

I decided to change something, and I focused on "going for it" on the second serve. This does not mean I started blasting the second serve with 100% risk, but I put all my energy and speed into developing spin and kick from the serve.

Players think that the "slower you serve, the more control you have, " but not the case. Spin makes you an excellent second server and the more spin you get, the better the serve you have.

Remember, when you serve slowly, you think about "getting it in", so there is a lot of pressure. You think about fewer pressure tactics when you serve an aggressive kick second-serve.

All players should practice the second serve because it is a required weapon in their tennis arsenal nowadays. To practice the second serve, you need a stressful situation, so play a practice set where you are only allowed one serve—no second serve.

To sum it up

With the second serve:

Think about tactics
Be aggressive
Practice it

Page Reference

If you quote information from this page in your work, then the reference for this page is:

BIENIEK, M. (2012) Second Serve [WWW] Available from: https://www.brianmac.co.uk/articles/article104.htm [Accessed

About the Author

Marcin Bieniek is a tennis coach from Poland and a former professional player (Polish National Juniors Team). He is a certificated tennis coach by the Polish Tennis Coaching Association and the Professional Tennis Registry. Marcin has worked with many of the top 20 Polish Juniors and the top 150 players worldwide.


topics A-Z Page Index Article Library Coaching General Young Athletes Literature Reviews Coaching Conditioning Endurance Ergogenic Aids Evaluation Injury Prevention Nutrition Physiology Planning Psychology Skill Development Speed Strength Female Athletes Master Athletes Young Athletes Sports Specific Basketball Bodybuilding Boxing Cycling Golf Rowing Rugby Soccer Squash Swimming Tennis Triathlon USA Football Training Conditioning Endurance Ergogenic Aids Evaluation Injury Prevention Nutrition Physiology Planning Psychology Skill Development Speed Strength Anatomy & Physiology Articles Biomechanics Body Systems Cardiovascular Digestive Endocrine Muscular Neurological Respiratory Skeletal Body Type Energy Systems Maximum Heart Rate Movement Analysis Coaching Articles Assessment Communication Ethics Group Dynamics Methods Philosophy Process Principles Responsibilities Styles Skills & Roles Young Athletes Fitness Development Articles Agility Conditioning Core Stability Endurance Flexibility Skill Speed Strength Training Principles VO2max Fitness Testing Articles Blood Pressure Evaluation Tests Ideal Weight Nutrition Articles Basal Metabolic Rate Eating & Competing Eating Disorders Glycemic Index Healthy Eating Minerals Vitamins Planning Articles Athlete Profiling Creating a Plan LTAD Tapering Warm Up & Cool Down Programs Aqua Training Circuit Training CNS Training Complex Training Fartlek Training Heart Rate Training Hill Training Medicine Ball Training Personal Exercise Plan Plyometric Training Track & Field Training Weight Training Psychology Articles Competitive Anxiety Mental Imagery Relaxation Techniques SCAT Sports Psychology Stress Management TEOSQ Sports American Football Basketball Boxing Cross Country Cycling Fell Running Golf Rowing Rugby Soccer Squash Swimming Tennis Triathlon Ultimate Frisbee Sport Development Funding in Sport History of Sport Olympic Games Sport Structure Sports Injury Articles ACL Cramp Cryotherapy Dehydration Hot & Cold Baths Injury Prevention Muscle Imbalance Over Training Shin Soreness Stitch Sports Merchandise Books & DVD's Clothing & Shoes Training Aids Magazines Track & Field Combined Events Decathlon Heptathlon Hexathlon Octathlon Pentathlon Jumps High Jump Long Jump Pole Vault Triple Jump Running Hurdles Long Distance Middle Distance Sprints Steeplechase Throws Discus Hammer Javelin Shot Putt Track & Field Safety Training Aids Articles Ergogenic Aids Massage Sports Drinks Supplements Website Blog Website Updates Website Information Awards Disclaimer & Copyright Help - where do I find Link Exchange Policy Visitors Comments Visitor Feedback Visitor Statistics Web Master Web Links Coaches Corner Useful Links	Second Serve Marcin Bieniek explains how to approach and play the second serve. Many players have a problem with the second serve, especially when faced with pressure. Their reaction to the pressure is often defensive, with the focus on not making an error with the second serve and "just getting it in." Unfortunately, many second serves are not in because of this focus. We play to improve ourselves by working on and achieving our tactical goals. But what tactics do we have when thinking only about "just get it in"? If we want to make our goals attainable, we must know where to put our second serve, which must be aggressive. I decided to change something, and I focused on "going for it" on the second serve. This does not mean I started blasting the second serve with 100% risk, but I put all my energy and speed into developing spin and kick from the serve. Players think that the "slower you serve, the more control you have, " but not the case. Spin makes you an excellent second server and the more spin you get, the better the serve you have. Remember, when you serve slowly, you think about "getting it in", so there is a lot of pressure. You think about fewer pressure tactics when you serve an aggressive kick second-serve. All players should practice the second serve because it is a required weapon in their tennis arsenal nowadays. To practice the second serve, you need a stressful situation, so play a practice set where you are only allowed one serve—no second serve. To sum it up With the second serve: Think about tactics Be aggressive Practice it Page Reference If you quote information from this page in your work, then the reference for this page is: BIENIEK, M. (2012) Second Serve [WWW] Available from: https://www.brianmac.co.uk/articles/article104.htm [Accessed About the Author Marcin Bieniek is a tennis coach from Poland and a former professional player (Polish National Juniors Team). He is a certificated tennis coach by the Polish Tennis Coaching Association and the Professional Tennis Registry. Marcin has worked with many of the top 20 Polish Juniors and the top 150 players worldwide.