The focus of improvement for the 2008 season will be SERVING! This is such a key aspect of the game that everyone on the team needs to improve. Effective serving can lead to easier service games and put greater pressure on your opponent. Your opponent can easily gain the upper hand in a point if they can step into an easy serve.
The first point of emphasis on the serve is to have the proper grip. Many players have a grip that limits the types of serve they can hit. This also dramatically limits the pace or speed that the serve can be hit. The old "handshake" grip is the best to use for serving. (This is known as the continental grip.)A player can hit many different types of service with this grip. You can hit a flat serve with lots of pace. You can carve a slice serve with just a little twist of the wrist. You can hit a top spin serve by getting over the top of the ball. Most of these are very difficult or impossible to do with the western or semi-western grip or as I call it, the "paddle" grip.
Hopefully many of you have adjusted your grips and practiced these serves during the offseason. In order for our team to move up the ranks in Western Maine Class B, we need to be better servers. Against the better teams, players know they can take advantage of slow, flat second serves. They know to step up and return the ball where it is difficult for you to get. Your service game should be dictated by your service weapons and lead to a big advantage.
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