Serving in the Sun
The sun is so strong “down under” in Australia that when the tennis players arrive to start the season at the Australian Open, many are playing outside again after a month or two having practiced indoors. Therefore, players need to adjust again to serving when they
have to look directly into the sun. As all tennis players know, hacker or pro, there is always about a half hour to an hour when the sun is directly in the server’s eyes on one side of the court. Serving in the sun is a challenge at all outdoor tennis tournaments, but the strong sun in Australia exacerbates the situation for players.
What’s the best way to handle this situation in order to still serve successfully? There are really two approaches. One suggests that a player should move his/her toss slightly to the left/right in order to avoid looking directly into the sun. The problem with being temporarily blinded by a sun spot is that it affects not only the serve itself, but also frequently the first shot directly after the serve, especially if it comes back very quickly. The second approach is not to shift the toss and to just “squint and bear it” sun spots and all. Although the first approach may seem the obvious choice, it is a bad strategy if moving the toss around will adversely affect the service rhythm or placement. As you watch the pros playing at the next outdoor tournament, notice which ones throw up a practice toss when they move to the sunny side and others to just serve exactly the same way regardless of where the sun is shining.
What’s the best way to handle this situation in order to still serve successfully? There are really two approaches. One suggests that a player should move his/her toss slightly to the left/right in order to avoid looking directly into the sun. The problem with being temporarily blinded by a sun spot is that it affects not only the serve itself, but also frequently the first shot directly after the serve, especially if it comes back very quickly. The second approach is not to shift the toss and to just “squint and bear it” sun spots and all. Although the first approach may seem the obvious choice, it is a bad strategy if moving the toss around will adversely affect the service rhythm or placement. As you watch the pros playing at the next outdoor tournament, notice which ones throw up a practice toss when they move to the sunny side and others to just serve exactly the same way regardless of where the sun is shining.
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