Ive changed from pinpoint to platform.

[TomT]

Originally Posted by LeeD

Yes, just watched vids of your serve again.
It's better than I first remembered, so I'll gladly give you 85 mph max on flat serves. You did hit some flats, and some slices.
I'd give GK an edge of at least 20 mph, his serves being top/sliced, no flats.
Remember those vids of my serves? They were with DunlopHDHardcourt balls, air temps at 9PM around 63, on slick cement courts. Twas March, in the SanFrancisco area, and 63 would be the hottest day from Jan thru June...at 9PM.
I'd think both you guys served in much warmer temps, and used Penns or Wilsons, which bounce much higher.

Yeah, I'll agree that a current GK flat serve would hit the back fence on one bounce pretty hard (and I don't remember seeing any completely flat serves in his vids). So that would put his flat serve at around 100mph with seemingly good potential for 10 to 15 mph faster.

Re mph of my hardest flat serves. In order to hit the back fence hard on one bounce, a completely flat serve from my point of racquet contact has to be traveling at an average speed (between point of racquet contact and point of court contact) of around 75 mph. This means that in the current way of talking about serve speeds (ie., instantaneous ball speed just after racquet contact), then my low trajectory flat serves that hit the back fence hard are around 90 mph. Or something like that. (Corrections are welcomed)

I remember watching your serving vid. It didn't look like you were trying to hit hard at all. Just coming over the ball, and imparting good spin. Nice motion.

San Fran. Was out there in '67 and '68. Liked it a lot, but south Florida is much nicer.

[Graphiteking]

Hey guys. I've been with the kids all week with basketball and haven't had time to practices serve. Plus yesterday was a tragic day in America. The shooting in Connecticut has put REAL things in perspective. That video was my first time changing to platform. I haven't practice on any flat serves yet. I'm a slice serve guy but I'm gonna try flats. Don't know about my mph but I'm working on placement.

[TomT]

Hi Graphiteking. For some reason I was thinking you were going from platform to a sort of semi-pinpoint. I was thinking that the second vid was the change. Ok, now I have it straight. You're experimenting with platform, not pinpoint. Duh.

So, how does it feel? Apparently you like it better.

What I've been experimenting with is going from platform to some sort of pinpoint. As in this vid from today:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RIhNeSM8eE

Not much of a pinpoint, eh? Oh well, maybe I'll just stick with the platform, and try to learn from this and other threads and from you as you progress. The hesitation in the trophy position is, among other things, hard for me. It just doesn't feel right. But you seem to get a lot of power from the potential energy that that produces.

Oh, and yeah, that's another pair of board, not tennis, shorts.

One other thing while I'm here. If your slice serve is effective, then why bother with a flat serve? Developing an effective slice with about the same mph as my hardest flat serve (as your slice seems to have) is one of my future goals. Then again, if you could add another 10 to 15 mph to your serve by hitting flat, and place it consistently, it does add a dimension to your game.

[Graphiteking]

Nice vid TomT!! I pray that I can still go out and play at your age. Yes I like the change. I'm more consistent with the platform. I'm just gonna experiment with the flat serve, nothing set in stone. As far as the shorts, looks like they work for you, plus your opponent will be throwed off by them!!

[TomT]

Originally Posted by Graphiteking

Nice vid TomT!! I pray that I can still go out and play at your age. Yes I like the change. I'm more consistent with the platform.

I think I might as well stick with platform also. (Not least of which because one poster pointed out that it's easier on his back.) While trying to get a bit more power and better net clearance via higher toss, knee bend, rotation, and jumping into the ball (assuming that's even possible for me to ever be able to do).

Your serve looks good now, and it looks like you have lots of potential to improve it further.

Originally Posted by Graphiteking

I'm just gonna experiment with the flat serve, nothing set in stone.

Ok. I'll be looking for future vids on that. As well as any developments in your slice as that's what I need to develop.

Originally Posted by Graphiteking

As far as the shorts, looks like they work for you, plus your opponent will be throwed off by them!!

Haha. Whatever works, eh? (Within the bounds of good taste and fair competition of course. ) Although so far they don't seem to be throwing most of my opponents off enough to actually enable me to win matches . Maybe something more gaudy ... like bright polka dot shorts with one of those t-shirts with flickering led lights. Ok, I'm getting a bit off topic. Just that I never really thought of the boardshorts as being a distraction, but only as a fashion statement.