I would say that I have decent low serve. When I serve to him most the time I put on his right corner but then he can stretch out really good and answers it with cross court drop shots. That makes me and my partner out of position. Maybe I need to change tactics and serve it to the T. One more thing, I'm a right handed player, do I have to slightly put my right foot forward on serving or is it recommended to have my feet tip-toe parallel to each other? Changing my foot stance probably would help me on my next position after serving. Thanks in advance.
The generally accepted practice is to put your racquet foot forward. And by "generally" I mean "if you have no idea where to start" because this is a highly debated topic on this forum. There is even a poll on this subject and some of the replies and explanations are very interesting - there are strong arguments for different approaches. I would personally say that racquet foot forward is the "easiest" way to start because it allows for easier freedom of movement when doing a flick if you don't have a lot of wrist strength, and it also allows for a very natural intro into the proper footwork as you "walk-into" the serve to follow it at the net. That being said, you can find international level players that low serve pretty much in every way except standing on their hair. So, assuming that you can land a serve in all four corners, 2" from the lines, have a consistent short serve that has a downward trajectory right after it crosses 1" over the net, and a flick that can clear their racquet, I really would not mind having you as a partner, racquet foot forward or not... I found this video on YouTube that is rather interesting, you might want to check it out - it is always good to go back to the basics: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idXN3aMZj5s Regards, T.
Playmaker: do you mean you are serving to HIS right side? Towards the tramlines? If so, then I would definitely recommend serving near the T Serving out wide usually only gives negative results IF it is used too often. In general, it should be used as a "surprise" serve, to keep your opponent guessing. Serving to the T will make it much harder for your opponent to get the shuttle past you! No more cross court drops or straight flat drives to put your partner in trouble Serving near the T is tactically, in my opinion, the most advantageous serve, in terms of trying to gain the attack. When you serve, you can have whatever foot you want forwards! It is a question of balance and personal preference. You could even put your left foot forwards if you wanted. the quality of your serve will not be hindered by your foot position. Once the rally starts though, i would recommend having the racket foot (for you, your right foot) slightly forwards. Hope that answers your questions. Matt
@ Matt: Yes, I meant serving to his right side, towards the tramlines. Before, he can't really reach it, I guess I was using it too often. I will take your piece of advise and serve it near the T. I can't wait to play and see the results. Thank you.
I tend to agree with Matt that the default short serve in doubles should be to the T. A wide serve to the tram lines is a risky proposition because (a) it gets a lot of air time and (b) there is a lot less distance to cover on your side than on the other side, which makes it almost impossible to make that serve and have it go downward immediately after passing the net. If you serve consistently within 1-2" of the T, your opponent will most likely let a couple fall thinking they are short. After a while, he will start to creep up and hit them indiscriminately, you can then either serve him a little short to force a weak lift for an easy kill, or serve him wide to the tram lines - but don't forget to follow your serve if you do that because if he leaves it at the net on the sides, it could make for a long run if you are just standing in the middle. Regards, T.
Don't forget to add in some flick serves. Keep him guessing between whether to serve at the T or tram lines or make him try to jumpbackwards to get the shuttle.
