SERVING PROBLEMS

[tennisandmotocross]

THIS PAST TENNIS SEASON MY TENNIS COACH HAD ME BEGIN MY SERVE WITH MY ARM ABOVE MY HEAD AND MY RACKET AGAINST MY BACK. IT WORKED BUT GRADUALLY IVE BEEN ABLE TO BEGIN WITH MY RACKET IN FRONT OF ME, BRING IT BACK AND COMPLETE MY SERVE. HOWEVER, MY SERVICE MOTION IS NOT SMOOTH AND NOT VERY CONSISTANT. HOW CAN I MAKE A SMOOTH TRANSITION TO THIS MORE COMMON METHOD? IS IT MY FLEXIBILITY? I FEEL VERY LAME STARTING WITH MY RACKET BEHIND ME AND I FIND I CAN GENERATE MORE SPEED THE OTHER WAY. I KNOW EVERY PLAYER HAS A DIFFERENT STYLE. ITS VERY OBVIOUS AMONGST THE PROS. ANDY RODDICK DOESN'T BEGIN DOWN LOW BUT YET HE DOESNT HOLD IT AGAINST HIS BACK EITHER. HELP PLEASE.

[bigserving]

Try throwing a football without moving your feet. Stand facing your partner and make a full motion like a baseball pitcher. You will find that you have to be smooth and rotate your trunk in order to get any power on the ball. Also, to help translate the motion to tennis, keep your head up and eye on the ball as you throw it and extend your arm. The motion is very similar to a serve.

Hit tons of practice serves push-ups sit-ups, practice, practice, practice.

[tennisandmotocross]

THANKS FOR YOUR HELP.

[Kobble]

Oh my goodness, this advice is being beaten to death, but here goes. Use the ball on the string tool. You tie a tennis ball onto a string, and the whole thing should be about 27 inches long. You can add a handle to it if you like. Basically, you mock the service motion with it. If the string stays tight throughout the motion and the speed maxes out at the typical contact point you have a good fundamental motion. It will teach you how to link the positions together in one smooth motion. The motion is easy to get started if you use starting position like Safin or Dent. If you can keep the string tight from the start to the finish you have got it. If you think you are doing it correctly, have your coach watch your motion with the trainer to see what he thinks.