Full-Swing Serve
Intermediate and advanced players can use the full-swing serve to put the ball in play. Rather than just aiming at targets, imagine yourself in game situations in which you are ahead 40-30 and poised to win a game (or set) with a strong serve, or down 30-40 and in danger of losing a match with a weak serve or double fault.
Preparation
Continental grip
Feet at 45-degree angle to net
Toss slightly higher than you could normally reach with the tip of an extended racket
Swing
Full down, back, up, and forward motion (some advanced players abbreviate the backswing)
Full extension of body, arm, and racket on contact
Forward weight shift
Wrist flop on contact
Follow-Through
Out
Slightly down
Across
Misstep
The serve lacks power.
Correction
Pronate the wrist on contact with the ball.
Misstep
The toss is too far back (not inside the plane of the baseline) and out of the swing path.
Correction
Toss the ball slightly forward in the direction in which you want to hit.
Misstep
The serve goes into the net.
Corrections
Keep your head up as you strike the ball.
Visualize the serve landing deep in the opposite service court.
Hold the racket with a Continental grip, although you may want to modify with an Eastern forehand to hit the ball flatter (without spin) or with an Eastern backhand to create a topspin effect. With the Continental grip, the wrist is directly over the top of the racket handle as you look down on it.
Tennis: Steps to Success Jim Brown,Camille Soulier