Trying to play tennis like the pros might backfire on you for two reasons. The pros have stroke skills and physical fitness you don't have, and your opponents have weaknesses you can exploit that you don't see on TV. Where you serve the ball, more so than how hard you hit it, determines whether you will hold your serve and win more points.
High First-Serve Percentage
Even if your first and second serves are relatively the same speed, your opponents are more likely to be more defensive on first serves and more aggressive on second serves. Get a high percentage of your first serves in to keep your opponent from moving forward and attacking your serve. Hitting more second serves also puts you under more pressure and might result in more double faults.
Serve Down the Middle
Serving down the middle takes away a sharp, cross-court return and deep, down-the-line shot. In doubles, it makes your opponent hit the return inside out to keep the ball away from your net partner. Depending on the skill level of your opponent, serving down the middle might be an effective strategy.
Serve Wide
Serving wide at the professional level opens up sharp, cross-court returns and deep, down-the-line shots, forcing the server to cover two opposite ends of the court. Recreational players don't have the advance footwork and upper-body rotation to make these shots, so a wide serve is an effective weapon at this level. Use a wide serve to move your opponent off the court. Hit his return to the opposite side of the court to start him running back and forth.
Ease Off on Key Points
Whether you are leading or trailing before you serve a key point, consider taking some speed off your first serve and getting it in. When you serve a first serve, your opponents might stand farther back, be flat-footed and prepare for a defensive return. If you miss your first serve, your opponent will relax, move forward and become offensive. Even if you are leading 40-love or 40-15, put in a slower first serve. You will keep your opponent on the defensive because, by the time he realizes you've hit a softer serve, he will have started in a defensive position when the ball is on the way to him.
Slice
After beginners learn a basic flat serve, they usually progress to a slice serve because they haven't yet learned the proper grip and upper body rotation. When they move on to a more aggressive flat or topspin serve, many players stop using the slice. The slice serve is an effective serve for pulling opponents wide or jamming them, forcing them to hit close to their bodies.
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