The serve is the only shot in tennis where you are completely in control. No opponent is rushing you, no ball is coming at you — it's just you, the ball, and the racket. That's exactly why a weak first serve is so frustrating: there's no one else to blame, and there's no reason it can't be fixed.

After years of coaching tennis lessons in Regina, I've noticed the same pattern over and over: players practise their groundstrokes endlessly but treat the serve as an afterthought. These five drills will change that.

1. The Ball Toss Only Drill

Stand at the baseline and practise your ball toss without hitting at all. Toss the ball and let it drop to the ground. A good toss should land roughly 30 cm inside the baseline and slightly to your racket side. If it's landing behind you or too far left, that's the root cause of most serve problems. Do 20 tosses before every serving session until it becomes automatic.

2. Shadow Swing in Slow Motion

Without a ball, go through your entire serve motion at about 20% speed. Focus on the trophy position — racket up, elbow at shoulder height, knees slightly bent. Then pronate through contact and finish across your body. Doing this in front of a mirror or filming yourself on your phone will reveal habits you never knew you had.

3. Target Serving

Place a cone or water bottle in the corners of each service box. Aim for the T (centre) and the wide corner alternately. Keeping score — even just mentally — adds just enough pressure to simulate a real match. Try to hit 5 out of 10 to your target before moving on. Over time, push it to 7 out of 10.

4. The Short Swing Serve

Start with your racket already in the "back-scratch" position (behind your head) and serve from there. This isolates the most important part of the motion — the upward swing, pronation, and follow-through — without worrying about the full wind-up. It's a great way to build muscle memory for the contact point.

5. Pressure Serving Game

Give yourself 10 first serves. Every one that lands in counts as a point for you; every fault counts as a point for your "opponent." Try to win 7–3 or better. The moment you're keeping score, your mental approach changes — and that's exactly the point. You want to practise the feeling of serving when it matters.

How Often Should You Practise?

Three sessions a week of 20 minutes each will produce noticeable improvement within a month. That's less time than most people spend scrolling their phone in the morning. Consistency beats intensity every time.

If you're working on your serve and want real-time feedback, I offer private tennis lessons in Regina where we can video-analyse your motion and build a plan specific to your game. Book a free trial lesson and let's sort out that serve.