The underhand serve: Out of place, illegal, unethical?

Editor's note: I'll give blogging another try. First order of business is: Update this two-year initial entry.

Update: At the 2010 Rogers Cup quarterfinals on August 12, none other than Roger Federer was caught offguard by an "underarm" serve made by Michael Llodra. Federer "barely got his racket on the ball," heavily spun, and hit the return wide. Apparently Federer realizes that the rare shot is legitimate, didn't complain at all, and in fact the match (won by Federer 7-6, 6-3) was an entertaining one. Good for Llodra for using the serve, and good for Federer for not getting the least bit upset about it, nor accusing Llodra of being unethical.

No, despite the booing of Martina Hingis at the French Open in 1999 when she served underhand against Steffi Graff, fending off a match point for the ultimately successful Graf.

More than a few readers probably, and fondly, remember Michael Chang's successful use of an underhand serve against Ivan Lendl in the 1989 French Open. (Though commentator and tennis legend Fred Stolle was no fan of it.)

Look through old copies of Tennis Magazine from 1977, and you can find an instructional article, with photos, of Tennis Hall of Fame member George Lott demonstrating how to hit an underhand cut serve.

Just checking Google news, it appears that at least five college tennis players (all very good players, with winning records) used underhand serves -- due to injuries -- at some point in recent seasons: GD Jones, U of Illinois (graduated 2007); David Wu, Hardin-Simmons Univ.; Zuzana Zemenova, Baylor (Sr., 2008; NCAA runner-up for the national title); Sammie Moreton, U. of North Texas (jr, 2007-2008); and, Amber Liu of Stanford.

Whether due to shoulder or arm injury, energy conservation, exasperation with one's "regular" serves, or a desire to surprise or unnerve one's opponents, there is nothing illegal, unethical or otherwise wrong with using an underhand service. If the serve goes in the correct service box, and the return of serve (1) isn't an outright winner, (2) doesn't leave you in a severe defensive position, and (3) doesn't get your partner killed, if you're playing doubles, then: Go ahead. Serve underhand. If it's good enough for an exhausted Michael Chang to exploit at a crucial stage of a Grand Slam match, if it's good enough for a legend such as George Lott to teach it, if it's good enough for several very good players at NCAA Division 1 programs to turn to when they're battling injuries, then just maybe the underhand serve is something that mere recreational players shouldn't rule out. There's nothing illegal or unethical about it.

For many of us, tennis is a game. It's recreation. God forbid, fun. If you're a player who has fun by avoiding "cookie-cutter"/"always color within the lines" expectations, do it: Serve underhand. Don't let the convention-bound, orthodoxy-addicted buzz-kill types dampen your enjoyment of the game.