Serve Plus One: The Pattern That Wins Club Matches
Quick answer
Serve plus one means treating your serve and the next shot as one planned play. You serve to a target that opens the court, expect a weak reply, and step in to hit your forehand to the open space. Most points end within the first few shots, so planning the serve plus one is the highest-value tactic in club tennis.
What serve plus one means
Most recreational points are short. The server who has a plan for the ball after the serve wins a huge share of them. Serve plus one is simply that plan: where you serve dictates where the return comes back, and you set up to attack that reply with your stronger shot, usually the forehand.
The three core patterns
- Serve wide, then hit the forehand into the open court the wide serve created.
- Serve into the body to jam the returner, then step in on the cramped, floating reply.
- Serve down the T to take away angle, then control the middle and pick your side.
How to practice it
Do not practice serves in isolation. After every serve in practice, play out the plus one shot to a target. This trains the serve to live inside a point, the same reason it helps to fix your second serve under pressure in points rather than baskets. A reliable serve only matters if you use the reply it produces.
Serve plus one is also your antidote to grinders, because a planned first strike shortens points before a pusher can drag you into a war of attrition.
The short version
Serve to a spot that opens the court, expect the weak reply, and attack it with your forehand. Plan the serve and the next ball as one play.
Frequently asked
What is serve plus one in tennis?
It is the tactic of planning the shot right after your serve. You serve to a target that forces a predictable reply, then step in and attack that reply, usually with your forehand to the open court.
Why is serve plus one so effective?
Most points end within the first few shots, so controlling the serve and the next ball wins a large share of points. It puts you on offense early instead of just reacting.
How do I practice serve plus one?
Never practice serves alone. After each serve, play the plus one shot to a target so the serve lives inside a point. Drill the three patterns: serve wide, body, and T, each with its follow-up.
Sources and further reading
Written by
Bolor Enkhbayar
Tennis coach and founder of CoachesNote
Bolor coaches serious juniors and adult competitors. She builds every weekly plan, reviews the video and match notes, and decides the next job, in person and remotely through CoachesNote.
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