How much should you bend your knees on a tennis serve?

Step 1: Get Up on Your Toes

As you begin your service motion, allow your weight to move onto the balls of your feet. Think of it as getting ready to explode upward rather than sinking into the court like you're waiting for a bus.

Being on your toes helps you stay athletic and prepares your body to transfer energy efficiently into the serve.

Step 2: Bend Your Knees

Now add a comfortable knee bend. Notice the word comfortable.

You do not need to squat so low that your quads start negotiating a peace treaty with the rest of your body. Professional players bend their knees based on their flexibility and strength, not because they're trying to touch the court.

The knee bend simply helps load the body for the next phase of the serve.

Step 3: Point Your Chest to the Sky

This is where the magic happens.

As you prepare to swing, lift your chest upward toward the ball. Imagine your chest is trying to look at the clouds. This creates the famous "C-Shape" position and stores energy throughout the body.

If someone took a picture of you at this moment, you should look loaded and ready to explode upward—not folded over like you're searching for a lost contact lens.

Let the Body Do the Work

Once you've established the C-Shape, aggressively uncoil your torso.

This is the key. Don't think about jumping. Think about uncoiling.

When your hips, torso, and shoulders unwind together, your body will naturally move upward and forward into the court. The jump becomes a result of good mechanics rather than something you're forcing.

The best serves are often the most effortless-looking serves. The pros aren't jumping because they're trying to jump. They're jumping because their bodies have generated so much upward force that they can't help it.

So the next time you serve, forget about launching yourself into orbit. Build the C-Shape, uncoil aggressively, and let physics do the rest.