Correct sequence in a serve

[f1 tech]

Please tell me if I'm leaving something out. This is my sequence of actions in my service motion. I am not totally fluid yet. Sometimes I have to remind myself to do a certain move. I am right handed.

1. Shift my body weight to my right leg. Toss the ball to my 11 or 12 o'clock inside the court with a straight elbow and racquet back.
2. Shift body weight to left leg, knees bent. Right foot will not move closer to the left foot. I tend to drag my right toe closer to my left foot.
3. Racquet elbow pointed to the sky.
4. Watch the ball and swing towards the 1 o'clock position with a straight arm. With the swing, my body naturally throws itself towards the court and wrist pronation occurs naturally.

Is is pretty much how everyone is doing it?

 

[dannyboy7]

Sounds pretty good. Did you really mean 11 o clock in your description?

Good servers always seem to have a lovely rhythm.

Nothing looks hurried and it all appears pretty natural.

Chopper/continental grip?

Body weight going forward into court.

 

[f1 tech]

If I'm serving on the Ad side, I try to toss the ball to about 11 o'clock. That way, I can get a little more kick. I use more of a continental grip on this side.

For the other side, I toss the ball about 12 o'clock to 1 o'clock. I use a more eastern grip on this side.

 

[zapvor]

i think for something like the serve especially where its so complex, you need to just relax your body and mind and do it without a checklist like you have

 

[krz]

if you look at frame by frame pictures most pro's actually toss the ball as they are shifting there weight foward and not when they are on there back foot completely. I think The gorilla and sukuya(sorry I forgot your name) were arguing about this in some other thread.

and its ok if you like to drag your right foot to your left a lot of players do it. I prefer not to do it either because it throws off my timing but its personal preference.

 

[f1 tech]

i think for something like the serve especially where its so complex, you need to just relax your body and mind and do it without a checklist like you have

It's not really a checklist, but just a sequence of movements I make during my serve. If I mess up, I go back and thick about which part of the sequence I didn't do or didn't do right.

 

[richw76]

yeah I think ritual helps to build rhythm and consistancy. For example on each and every serve I bounce the ball twice, touch the ball to the same point on teh neck of my racket, and toss, also before I start I know if I'm hitting wide, middle, or down the t.

To the original if you can make a video of your serve that may help. But your steps sound about right. Usually, Especially when I double fault on my next serve I keep my ritual in place but really concentrate on the toss and make sure I do a full normal follow through.

 

[skiracer55]

Speaking of video...

...see what I say in this thread:



http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=131826&page=3&highlight=replay+video

 

[Mountain Ghost]

Sequence List

Take some lessons or attend some clinics. There is no way you can build a proper serve with a generic sequence list like this. Partly because you’ve got your mind fixated on too many individual things that should occur within a natural flow, but mostly because there are even more (unlisted) components of your serve that you are not capable of observing or analyzing yourself, any ONE of which can ruin the entire “sequence”.

The changing of grips and tosses between the deuce and ad sides is a sure sign that you need intelligent one-on-one help more than you need to be distracted anymore by a list.

Though it may seem logical to understand and to follow a linear sequence in building a serve, the actual progression used in developing one involves focusing on PRIMARY (and sometimes personally unique) issues that are not always addressed within a strict sequential timeline.

MG

 

[zapvor]

It's not really a checklist, but just a sequence of movements I make during my serve. If I mess up, I go back and thick about which part of the sequence I didn't do or didn't do right.

Take some lessons or attend some clinics. There is no way you can build a proper serve with a generic sequence list like this. Partly because you’ve got your mind fixated on too many individual things that should occur within a natural flow, but mostly because there are even more (unlisted) components of your serve that you are not capable of observing or analyzing yourself, any ONE of which can ruin the entire “sequence”.

The changing of grips and tosses between the deuce and ad sides is a sure sign that you need intelligent one-on-one help more than you need to be distracted anymore by a list.

Though it may seem logical to understand and to follow a linear sequence in building a serve, the actual progression used in developing one involves focusing on PRIMARY (and sometimes personally unique) issues that are not always addressed within a strict sequential timeline.

MG

thats kind of what i was trying to say.