Served with Andy Roddick Why Isn’t Andy Roddick’s Serve Copied More? + Slam Pressure & Ball Selection Secrets | Q&Andy
Feb 26, 2026
A deep dive into serve timing and how players use tempo to disrupt returners. Discussion of how return positions like Djokovic and Federer shape serve placement. Ball selection tactics and why newer, smaller balls matter. A compare-and-contrast of platform versus foot-up stances and why some serves are hard to copy. A take on the underarm serve and a rundown of top female servers.
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Serving Pace Is A Weapon
- Server controls pace to disrupt returner rhythm with faster between-serve timing.
- Andy pushed his serves inside the 24s limit, firing 10–12 seconds to keep returners unsettled when he was in rhythm.
Adjust First Serve Based On Returner Position
- Let the returner’s position dictate your serve choice rather than a fixed plan.
- Andy explains stepping up with a plan but instantly adjusting if a player like Nadal moves way back or Novak stands in, changing target and body-or-backhand decisions.
Choose The Smallest Balls For Big Serves
- Pick the smallest, least-fluffed balls for faster, darts-like serves.
- Andy would take three balls and keep the tiniest ones; discard fluffed or wet balls (e.g., balls rolled through wet tarps) because they slow and weigh down the serve.