Tennis Serve Speed Calculator

Serve speed is one of the most important measurements in tennis, and it can change the dynamics of a match — a faster serve can win free points and push the returner off the court. 

But remember, serve speed alone is not everything: spin, placement, and timing also decide outcomes. If you are a player, coach, or fan who wants to calculate tennis serve speed, you have come to the right place.

You might also want to know how many calories you burned while playing tennis—use our Tennis Calorie Calculator to estimate it.

We bring you a Tennis Serve Speed Calculator that helps you accurately and quickly convert distance and time into speed.

Let's walk through it step-by-step so you understand how it works with an example.

What is the Tennis Serve Speed Calculator?

A Tennis Serve Speed Calculator is a tool designed to help you calculate serve speed — that is, how fast the ball was traveling based on distance and time. The result is shown in miles per hour (mph) or kilometers per hour (km/h).

Here is how it works:

1. Distance: Enter the distance the ball traveled.
2. Time: Enter the time the ball took to travel that distance.
3. Output: The calculator computes speed and shows results in mph and km/h.

How the Tennis Serve Speed is measured

There are multiple ways used to measure tennis serve speed. Commonly, electronic tracking systems are used for professional accuracy, and even you can measure with the help of smartphone apps at home or local courts.

Most accurate ways to measure tennis serve speed

• Radar Guns — It is a commonly used method for measuring serve speed. They are positioned behind the server. This device emits radio waves and uses the Doppler effect (change in frequency of the reflected signal) to estimate the ball’s speed. Some radar guns can measure with accuracy of +/- 1 km/h.
• High-speed cameras system — These high-speed camera systems are considered extremely accurate and are widely used for official data measurement in professional matches, that uses advanced algorithm such as hawk-eye, playsight etc.

DIY and Consumer-Friendly Ways to Measure Tennis Serve Speed

You might be thinking, "I play tennis at home or on local courts, but how can I measure my serve speed?" Don’t panic. For individuals, there are a couple of methods that can be used to measure serve speed, and accuracy depends on the method you use:

• Pocket radar gun — A personal pocket radar gun is often the most reliable and affordable option for individuals to measure the serve speed in tennis at home or local courts.
• Frame-Counting Method — This method can be reliable and accurate if you perform the measurement accurately, but generally it is less reliable than an instantaneous speed measurement (like a radar gun) near contact.
  • Record the serve using a high-frame-rate camera (at least 60 fps).
  • For faster serves, higher frame rates (like 120–240 fps) improve accuracy.
• Smartphone Apps — Many smartphone apps (such as SwingVision) use the camera to estimate the serve speed. It requires data such as court distance and these apps may show lower serve speeds than radar guns because they measure the ball’s average travel speed rather than peak speed at contact.

How can I calculate serve speed manually?

Are you wondering how exactly tennis serve speed is calculated? Don't worry — we'll walk you through the formula involved:

Here is the formula:

Ball Speed = Distance / Time

This shows that the speed of the tennis ball is the distance it traveled divided by the time it took to travel that distance.

Keep in mind, this calculator estimates average speed based on the measured distance. Radar/TV speeds may be higher because they often show peak speed near contact.

Unit conversions used in the Tennis Serve Speed Calculator:

• 1 foot = 0.3048 meters
• 1 millisecond = 0.001 seconds
• 1 m/s = 3.6 km/h or 2.23694 mph

Serve speed is normally measured in:

• Miles per hour (mph) is commonly used in the USA.
• Kilometers per hour (km/h) is widely used globally

A Real-world example

Let's see a real-world example that will help you understand tennis serve speed calculation.

Imagine a player hits the ball and it takes 0.25 s to travel 60 ft before the first bounce.

• Distance = 60 ft
• Time = 0.25 s

Convert distance to meters (we know the formula works in seconds and meters):

• 60 ft × 0.3048 = 18.288 m

Now apply the formula:

• Speed = 18.288 / 0.25 = 73.152 m/s

Convert to miles per hour (mph):

• 73.152 × 2.23694 = 163.64 mph

Hence, the serve speed is ≈ 163.64 mph.

Tennis serve speed from beginner to professional players

In 2012, the fastest ever recorded serve speed was 263 km/h or 163 mph by an Australian player, Sam Groth, at a Challenger event in South Korea, and this record has not been officially broken to date.

Serve speed depends on many factors, such as serving technique, physical strength, flexibility, height, angle of contact, spin, timing, and overall serving strategy.

The table below shows typical serve speed ranges based on player level: