G’day from New York, đź—˝
How hard should your 2nd serve be relative to your 1st serve? How much speed do the best players in the world take off their 1st serve to create an ideal 2nd serve speed?
We have answers for that…
Let’s take a look at the four men in the semis today.
- Jannik Sinner vs. Jack Draper
- Frances Tiafoe vs. Taylor Fritz
We will break down three key analytics between the first and second serve.
- The difference between the fastest 1st serve and average 1st serve speed.
- The difference between the fastest 2nd serve and average 2nd serve speed.
- The difference between average 1st serve speed and 2nd serve speed.
It’s important to note that faster is not always better. Sure, bombing a big first serve and overwhelming your opponent with heat works well. But you need to take some speed off when slicing out wide so the slice can really do its magic. Throwing in a heavy kick second serve also works well to get the ball up on the returner. Also, throwing in a slower serve and letting the returner get out in front of it is a genuine serve strategy.
But in general, these guys are going way more primary (speed) than off-speed secondary (slower = surprise).
1: Difference Between Fastest 1st Serve & Average 1st Serve Speed.
The average difference between the fastest 1st serve and the average is 89% for the four US Open semi-finalists.
It’s interesting to note that the first-serve difference between the fastest and average is just three percentage points, from 87% to 90%.
Fritz has cracked the hardest first serve for the tournament so far of the semi-finalists at 135 mph. The fastest first serve struck at the 2024 US Open to the semis is 143 mph (230 kph) by Ben Shelton.
Sinner, Fritz, and Tiafoe all average 118 mph as their first serve speed. Draper is slower at 115 mph. The probable reason for that is that, as a lefty, he wants to bend the ball so much to pull opponents off the court with heavy slice.
FOR YOU – Generally, you want to hit your average serve speed at about 90% of your hardest serve. Some will be 90%+. Some will be below 90%, depending on what you are trying to achieve. But 90% should be our average.
FIVE WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR SERVE
Webinar 1: Patterns & Percentages Of Winning Singes Strategy
Webinar 3: Serve Strategy & Patterns
Webinar 21: Serve & Volley / Return & VolleyÂ
Webinar 32: The 8 Serve Locations
2: Difference Between Fastest 2nd Serve & Average 2nd Serve Speed.
There is an 11-mph difference between Taylor Fritz’s fastest second serve (116 mph) and Jack Draper’s (105 mph).
This is where all four players can add a little extra to their game.
At some stage to the semi-finals, it would have been a smart idea for all four of these players to hit a second serve as hard as a first. I am not talking about doing it all the time, but in specific moments when the scoreboard is not pressuring them, or when an opponent starts doing better against your 2nd serve.
Nothing wrong with elevating your fastest 2nd serve to the average of your first serve. For example, Sinner’s fastest 2nd serve is 107 mph. His average 1st serve speed is 118 mph. Why not bang at least a handful of second serves in the 118 mph range. It adds another layer of unpredictability for opponents. Surely, all four players are scouting each other and looking at serve speeds. This will certainly create more uncertainty if there are a few 2nd serves hit as hard as first serves. Nick Kyrgios used to do it a lot and Novak Djokovic nominated Kygios as the best serve he has faced. The unpredictability of second serve speed was a main reason.
FOR YOU – These players are hitting their average 2nd serve speed around 80% of their fastest 2nd serve speed. It should be lower because you have mixed some 2nd serves in at a 1st serve speed.
3: Difference Between Average 1st Serve Speed & 2nd Serve Speed.
On average, there is a 27 mph difference between 1st and 2nd serve speed.
I find this fascinating. Let’s start by rounding 77% to 75% = three quarters.
These four players are hitting their 2nd serve at three-quarters of the pace of their 1st serves. Â This also gives you a solid guide to use at the amateur level. On the surface, this makes perfect sense and is something that you knew was probably the case. But that’s different than actually knowing and having a specific number to go off.
FOR YOU – You want to feel that your average 2nd serve is 3/4 of your average 2nd serve speed. Too often, amateur players are not living in this range. They either hit it much slower to make sure they make it or harder, thinking more power is better. Got to find the sweet spot.
SUMMARY
There is so much to learn about our game. This small analysis sheds light on serve speeds and what is optimal for players at all levels of the game.
Hitting your average 1st serve speed at around 90% of your hardest works well.
Mixing in some 2nd serves that are as hard as a 1st serve can be a good strategy a couple of times a match. Keep the opponent guessing.
Hitting your average 2nd serve about three-quarters as hard as your average first serve is right on the money.
Keep an eye on serve speeds when you watch both semi-finals later today. There is a story to be told there.
Best,
Craig