Grip

• Continental: The "V" of your hand (formed by the index and thumb) is positioned on the side number 1 of the grip (or hold the racquet as you could "hammer" a nail with the edge). Keep a loose grip at all times!

Stance

• Feet are shoulder width apart; front foot pointed at about 45 degrees angled to and behind the baseline, back foot parallel to the net.
• Shoulders are positioned sideways to the net.

Toss

• Start with the weight on the front foot, racquet and ball together (aproximately above the front foot).
• The ball is held in your fingers (not in your palm).
• As you begin the tossing motion, transfer your weight on the back foot and lift the racquet to the side and back.
• The tossing arm stays relaxed and extended; the release of the ball is made above the eye level. Open your hand at the "let go of the ball" to avoid pulling the ball behind you or flicking your wrist!
• Try to toss the ball at a height about a few inches above the maximum reach of your arm and racquet extended to the sky.  Note: I pay a particular attention to the toss because a perfect execution of it depends most of the time the outcome of the serve!
  - As the ball travels through the air upwards, the racquet is taken back and up, the dominant elbow and knees bend.
• By the time the ball reaches its maximum peak, the weight is distributed evenly on both feet, tossing arm is extended, dominant arm is in a 90° elbow bent with racquet pointed up. This pose is called by some the "Trophy" or "L".

How to learn the "Toss Phase"?

• Start by standing sideways with feet shoulders width apart; weight evenly distributed on both feet; racquet and ball together just above the front foot.
• Lift the ball up keeping the arm extended and release the ball above the eye level; extend your fingers when you release the ball to avoid pushing the ball above the head.
  Make sure you don't bend and push from your legs when tossing; the body stays relaxed and the ball is lifted only from the shoulder. Avoid jerking the shoulder; make the lifting smooth and relaxed!
• Now practice lifting the ball and bringing the racquet back and up in the same time. I call it "Jumping Jack without moving your feet". The racquet points up at the end of this motion and the racquet elbow is bent at about 90° angle. Some coaches call this the "L" position.
• Next step, you add the knees bending to the previous steps:
  As you lift the ball and racquet up, the knees bend and you get in the classic "Trophy" pose.

Swing and Contact

• Once you get in the "Trophy" pose (tossing arm extended up and palm pointed to the ball; racquet arm in the "L" position with racquet up; knees bend and head up) the next step is to push into the ground with your feet to meet the ball and generate the swing power.
• At this point the body weight is evenly distributed on both feet.
• As you push up to meet the ball, the hips and shoulders begin to uncoil and the racquet drops behind the back with the bottom pointed up to the sky.
• Tossing hand is pulled down and tucked by your belly.
• The racquet travels up to the ball on edge (the racquet side up) and just before the contact with the ball the forearm pronates to facilitate a square (flat) racquet face at contact.
• A lot of power on your serve can be generated from pronating your wrist as you contact the ball, and from your legs (pushing up)!
  Definition: Pronation = the inward rotation of your forearm

How to learn the "Pronation"?

• The pronation is what you do when you give someone a "High Five"!
  Face a partner, have your dominant palm above your dominant shoulder and facing your ear. From here, reach up and give a "High Five". You will notice that even though you start your swing with the edge up your palm turns and faces forward at the contact.
• For the next exercise go to a fence and stand about one foot away from it. Position yourself in the "Serve Ready" position, your racquet held with Continental grip above the shoulder and the edge pointed up. Swing up on edge and turn your wrist (pronate) just before the racquet contacts the fence. It's like giving a "High Five" with your racquet to the fence. Repeat this action about ten times.
• Next, grab a ball and position yourself at Baseline in the "Serve Ready" position with racquet just above the shoulder, edge up, elbow at shoulder high. Lift the ball up (toss) and reach with the edge of your racquet then turn your wrist just before you make contact with the ball. Give the ball a "High Five"! Repeat this action about ten times with no follow-through.

Follow-Through

• On the last part of the Serve motion, the follow-through is the continuation of the Contact Point.
• Right after contact, the racquet is lowered as a result of the forearm pronationg, elbow follows... In slow motion videos you can notice the elbow being kept higher than the wrist on the follow-through.
• The "Landing" is made on the front foot (left for right handers), back foot kicks back for mentaining ballance.
• Both hands end on the left side, by the hip.
• The final step would be the "Split Step" in anticipation of the server return.