The Keys to the Hook Serve, From Two Former National-Team Coaches
This is a brand-new, technique-focused column in Q&A form. The mystery experts answering are two former national-team players, both senior coaches, who would rather enjoy a quiet life and a good sleep than be named.
I think sharing these technical insights is genuinely valuable, and a good complement to the channel. So this “Reaching the Summit” column was born.
How are doubles tactics usually set up?
Doubles tactics generally “assume” how the opponent will return your serve, and you plan from there. The principle: stop the opponent from returning with quality, so your partner can attack actively.
If the opponents are a left-right pair, the usual return lines are the two wide angles. If they are two righties or two lefties, you tend to return to the same spot, crowding them together. The hand signal before serving tells your partner what you will serve and how the opponent might return, so your partner is ready for the next ball.
For instance, between pros, one serves a half-long ball the opponent must attack but cannot do with quality; the partner readies a counter-loop or counter-drive. If your partner cannot counter-attack, then you can only serve a short side-backspin to limit the opponent. It depends on the opponent — but against a first-time opponent you can only let your partner play to their strengths, returning to familiar patterns. You should know which serve sets your partner up to attack.
How do you train against players well below your level?
Spot drills — you practice defense and let them attack. Practicing defense really does call for a slightly weaker opponent, because only then can you fully relax, especially the arm, and feel how to use your body’s weight. Once you can defend entirely with your center of gravity, you will start being able to defend against stronger players too: just fix your center and pull the arm in a little faster.
Against a much weaker opponent, you can also work your fingers — block softly, let the fingers clearly feel the transferred power and spin. Gradually you gain a deeper sense of finger control, power and spin.
On the hook serve, do you hold the bat loose like Waldner with three fingers off, gripping only with index and thumb; or grip normally with all five on the handle?
Grip normally. Waldner’s style serves more spin because the wrist turns more freely, but it lacks deception. The essence of the hook serve is to deceive — you do not need the wrist for that.
It is not about maximum spin. Keep the hand action small and the body action large — at the moment of contact, the body must move fast enough. If only the hand moves fast, the opponent can read your spin more easily.