Is it a Bigger Problem to Hit Serves in the Net than Long?
by: Dave Winship @ On The Line

Irrespective of which shot we're discussing, I always maintain that hitting the ball in the net is the worst kind of error in tennis.

I recommend you insure against a netted serve even before you start your action. You can do this by making it the focus of your pre-serve visualization. Put the emphasis on the flight of the ball over the net during this visualization and you should find it easier to come up with the mechanics required to achieve it. So take up your position behind the baseline, check your opponent is ready and - STOP! Take a good look at the net and get a clear awareness of how far away it is and how high it is. Then visualize clearing it with your serve.

It can be difficult to know where to start if you're trying to remedy an erratic serve. At least if you're consistently clearing the net, you've made things much simpler - you've halved the symptoms! And it's a relatively straightforward adjustment to correct a serve that's flying long - just keep a relaxed wrist and use more of a brushing action to impart some spin.

You know, it helps to be a bit of a pragmatist when you play tennis and there's a really good reason why serving long is better than serving in the net - sometimes long serves don't get called out!

Regards.

Dave Winship