Fresh Takes: The infamous underhand serve

Nick Kyrgios may not be the best player of his generation, but he’s the patron saint of its novel ideas. The underhand serve is his most famous innovation, and the one that’s safest for recreational players to imitate. In the past, some have construed this play as gamesmanship; in reality, hitting an underhand serve is no different from using a drop shot during a rally. There’s no reason for you to shy away from it, or for your opponent to hold it against you.

“It makes more sense these days, because many players move so far back to return,” Malmqvist says. “The biggest thing is the surprise factor.” Another key is practice. This serve may look simple, but it requires a loose arm and good timing. “Get as much sidespin as you can, so it bounces short and moves into the doubles alley,” Mayotte says. “This will put your opponents in an uncomfortable position.” They’ll also be forced to get low, and follow the ball to net. Even worse, from your opponents’ perspective, is how much they won’t want to lose the point. The thought of the embarrassment may make them tense up and try to do too much.