HELP, does the stretch in my left oblique muscles make or break a powerful serve?

[phoenicks]

Hi, I used to have a relatively powerful serve but have been losing it recently I am beginning to think that oblique muscles have something to do with it.

I remember when I nail a powerful serve, I generally can feel a stretch, a tightness in my left oblique muscles ( I am a Righty ) before i drop my racquet down & swing forward, more specifically in my trophy stance. But recently I can't feel the stretch in my left oblique just as my serve have gone downhill.

Is my observation correct??? If so, what can I do to involve this part of the muscle more in my serve??? I've tried leaning the hip forward intentionally and making it more pronounced but it didn't really, I've watch some pro's serving sideway in slow-mo, but they didn't seem to make hip leaning forward motion pronounce during serve...

I hope the guru's here can chip in on this as an important tournament is coming up very soon, i need to make some slight modification in my serve motion to get more juice on my serve !!!

[papa]

Well, you might be dropping/folding your non racket arm too soon. Worked with a couple of guys today who were doing this. If this arm comes down too quickly the shoulders start to open which really takes away from the pace. Give it a try and see if that might be the problem.