For those wondering what separates a 5 UTR from a 6 UTR.

The answer to this question can be summarized in one word: Serve.

It has been a couple years since my son was at this level. He is now close to 8 UTR, but occasionally, in early rounds of a tournament, he plays against juniors who are still in the 5 and 6 UTR zones. Since I have watched almost all of his matches, I pay close attention to his competitors to see if any patterns emerge. And every time I see him play an opponent at this UTR level, the serve always stands out. Specifically … 

1. The serve is inconsistent. Lots of double faults. I estimate at least 10 double faults per 2 set matches. Given that each set can be won with 4 points, giving up 10 free points from serve inconsistency means you are giving away 2 and a half games on errors alone. It’s extremely hard to win when a player starts in a hole like this that they need to dig out of.
   
2. First serve is a rocket and second serve is a softball. The other pattern I see often is the player who goes all out on the first serve, but then dinks in the second serve just to ensure it goes in. These players might have fewer double faults, but when the second serve is that weak, a good opponent will attack. It might not get recorded as an unforced error like a double fault, but the impact is the same. In some ways, losing a point this way might actually be worst than double faulting because to get winner’d off a serve can be extremely demoralizing and rattle confidence. Which brings me to my next point … 
   
3. Serve fails at most important moments. When the serve is unstable during standard points, it will break down considerably when the pressure ramps up. Serving at game point or during tie breaks will make points 1 and 2 above even more of a factor. The nerves tighten the muscles, and so the toss usually falls short, the arm swings faster to compensate, and it’s not hard to see the ball going into the net at warp speed during these moments. 

The reason the serve stands out is because, to reach this level, most of the other mechanical facets of the game need to be solid. The player needs to be able to move well and hit groundstrokes consistently and with spin. When I see a player at this level hit in a rally, they look like they could easily be a 7 or 8 UTR if you believe in the “eye test.” But once the match starts, it quickly becomes lopsided, and a big reason is due to serve issues. So, if one of the main goals is to reach a higher UTR, a good place to focus is the serve. No one needs to become Taylor Fritz overnight, but addressing a key weakness is an important way to improve the match outcomes.

To be clear, I view the serve as one of the hardest things to do in all of sports. It is even harder for juniors who are still growing and need to spin the ball into play with perfect timing. Even pros still struggle, after decades of practice, superior coaching, and the highest levels of fitness. Add to that, the pressure the player feels in the big moments, and it’s not hard to see why the serve becomes a big factor between a low level UTR and a higher one.

With all that said, here are the suggestions I have for players in the 5 UTR level seeking to reach a higher rating. 

• Work on the second serve more than the first serve. This might seem odd to some people, but when you consider that – at the professional level – the first serve only goes in about two thirds of the time, it means there are a LOT of second serves being hit every match. And if you follow pattern 2 above, you might be hitting more second serves than first serves. In my experience, the second serve is practiced much less often because it’s not a way to “win” points, but it opens the door to losing matches far more significantly than a strong first serve, as double faults and attacked serves are from the second serve, not the first one.
  
• Practice serve with high frequency but low intensity. One of the reasons the tennis serve is so hard to master (IMO) is because it is not easy to practice. The motion itself is not natural, forcing the body to contort in unnatural ways. There is no way to avoid serious shoulder or back injury with this motion being repeated over and over again at high torque. For this reason, I have always restricted the number of serves he practices in any given session. I limit him to no more than 50 or so serves in any given practice, but the key is to do it as often as possible. We never skip a practice session without time dedicated to serve. It’s this slow build-up that has prevented injury and allowed him to play over a long period of years.
  
• Use serve weakness as a weapon in the match. Remember that if you are in the 5 UTR zone and trying to improve your serve to increase your rating, so too are all the other 5 UTRs you are playing. Take advantage of this by attacking second serves as much as you can in the match. This can be an effective way to score points in matches, but it also provides a psychological edge because more pressure is now on the player to get their first serve in.

The importance of the tennis serve is something almost everyone who plays knows and respects. In fact, I could probably write an entire book just on serve technique and strategy! But if you are trapped in the 5 UTR “zone” and looking for ways to break through to a higher UTR, hopefully some of this is helpful advice on where to focus.