Described for a right-handed server; the tips on reading and returning speak to the receiver.
How to read it
- The elbow is high and leads; the racket travels from the server's left to their right, away from the body.
- The ball curves to your right — toward a right-hander's forehand — and breaks further that way after the bounce.
- Open blade and a downward path add backspin; an upright blade rising through the ball adds topspin.
- It looks like a pendulum until the last moment: the wrist curling inward before contact is the giveaway.
How to return it
- The ball kicks off your racket to your left, so aim to the right of your target — toward the server's backhand side.
- Short to the forehand: step in with the right foot and flick or push with the racket angled to the right.
- Expect it wide: start your move to the forehand side as soon as you see the high elbow.
Common mistakes when serving it
- A low elbow: the wrist then has no room and the serve becomes a weak push.
- Forcing it with the shoulder — the spin comes from the forearm and the uncurling wrist.
- Turning the body so far that the ball is hidden from the receiver at contact.
More forehand serves
- Pendulum Backspin
- Pendulum Side-Backspin
- Pendulum Side-Topspin
- Pendulum No-Spin (Float)
- Tomahawk
- Reverse Tomahawk
- Hook Serve
- Shovel Serve
- High-Toss Pendulum
- Fast Long Serve
- Squat Serve
Learn to serve it
The step-by-step technique — grip, stance, toss, backswing, contact and finish — and a 3D demo you can turn and slow down are in Trainoro’s Service Drills, along with 12 ways to receive. To practise serving with a partner, see the serve and return drills.
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