serve video - comments and tips please :)

[Verbal_Kint]

Hi all, topic title says it all really...

http://www.rnix.nl/service.htm

I have got other views (front and rear), but don't have enough space to put all online simultaneously.

Thanks, Marnix

[Bungalo Bill]

I saw a couple of things worth noting:

1. Your toss: It seems your toss is much to high. It really comes down fast by the time it is in yoru hitting zone. This leaves no room for error in your timing and toss placement.

2. Pause at top of swing: The very slight breif pause is killing your momentum on the swing. I suspect this is a habit that hasbeen developed from a toss that is too high. Your swing should be one continuous motion or very close to it.

3. Backfoot tossing: Tossing off your back foot will lead to an inconsistent serve. What happens is you toss the ball up, then your head moves forward. when this happens sometimes your head is a little bit forward and sometimes to close underneath the ball for a 1st serve. Try learning to toss with the wieght on your front foot, that way the ball will be in front of you all the time.

4. Lazy feet: Your are not using your feet to push from they are just sort of in the shot. By bringing your back foot up more you can really push with a good hip stretch (based on item 3, tossing from your front foot) and develop more power in your serve.

[Verbal_Kint]

Originally Posted by Bungalo Bill

I saw a couple of things worth noting:

1. Your toss: It seems your toss is much to high. It really comes down fast by the time it is in yoru hitting zone. This leaves no room for error in your timing and toss placement.

If I change my toss to a lower one, won't I have to speed up the rest of my serve? If anything, I think my takeback is too quick already. By the way, the ball doesn't drop more than 1 to 2 feet. This is not visible in this video, but it is in my rear view one.

2. Pause at top of swing: The very slight breif pause is killing your momentum on the swing. I suspect this is a habit that hasbeen developed from a toss that is too high. Your swing should be one continuous motion or very close to it.

I suppose you mean at the top of my backswing? will have a look at that one.

3. Backfoot tossing: Tossing off your back foot will lead to an inconsistent serve. What happens is you toss the ball up, then your head moves forward. when this happens sometimes your head is a little bit forward and sometimes to close underneath the ball for a 1st serve. Try learning to toss with the wieght on your front foot, that way the ball will be in front of you all the time.

How can you toss of your front foot? How can you combine tossing from the front foot with weight-shift? Because the ball needs time to get up and I don't think I can/want to keep hip-stretching for a prolonged period, how could you combine this way of tossing with weight-shifting? The only time when my weight is not moving during my serve is when I'm on my back foot. This seems the most stable base to toss from to me.

I've had a look at serves from Sampras, Rusedski, Rafter and Phillippoussis, and all of them toss while shifting their weight from back to front foot.

4. Lazy feet: Your are not using your feet to push from they are just sort of in the shot. By bringing your back foot up more you can really push with a good hip stretch (based on item 3, tossing from your front foot) and develop more power in your serve.

I agree I should be more agressive with my legs, and could take the ball a little higher.

Things I saw myself were the following:
*I can and should be more agressive during the serve.
*Take the ball a little higher.
*I should experiment with opening up just a little later.
*The hip stretch could be just a little further (although I think I get a pretty good one, hip is well into the court).

Thanks for your comments!

Marnix

[predrag]

Originally Posted by Verbal_Kint

Hi all, topic title says it all really...

http://www.rnix.nl/service.htm

I have got other views (front and rear), but don't have enough space to put all online simultaneously.

Thanks, Marnix

I do not like how you take your racquet into the loop.
You have a mild version of what I call "Waiter's wrist"

My son had that and I told him that racquet head, before droping into the loop should pass above his head.

Try to point the racquet head to the sky, not to your left and behind your head.

On the other hand, Federer has similar motion, so who am I to complain

Regards, Predrag

[Bungalo Bill]

Originally Posted by Verbal_Kint

Things I saw myself were the following:
*I can and should be more agressive during the serve.
*Take the ball a little higher.
*I should experiment with opening up just a little later.
*The hip stretch could be just a little further (although I think I get a pretty good one, hip is well into the court).

Thanks for your comments!

Marnix

Until I see the next video, I will stand by my observation that your toss is too high. I replayed it and replayed, even took a ruler to the video and drew lines on the screen for measurement and the bottom-line is (in my opinion) it is too high.

I dont really know if it is a hip stretch your doing more then a "caving" in of your front knee that is allowing your hip to go out into the court. I can tell this by seeng that your head is not rising with your body to the ball, it is simply going forward and down. All I did for this was put a ruler on the screen that was at your head level. Then I toggled the video forward and backward to see if your head come up above of the ruler signifying an upward thrust to the ball. It simply does not happen.

Tossing from your front foot will really help stretch the hip and position your body to go up to the ball. You will feel more of your legs helping in the shot. It takes some getting used to.

It could very well be your toss is right - if your momentum was going upward. But with your momentum going more forward and down, it is too high.

Tossing the ball lower will force you to maintain a continuous motion and speed it up! You wont have time for that pause or you will be late. Helps work out some bad habits.

You do have a mild waiters wrist vs. a lasso/looping swing for the serve. Make that serving tool I have talked about it helps cure that. Compare which direction your racquet face is compared to the link below, put them side by side and look at the difference. The pro model is making a halo or lasso around the top of his head, what is your racquet doing and which way is it facing?

One more thing, I couldnt tell for sure but I think your head came looked down and forward too soon, instead of leaving it looking up after your arm wiz's by.

Anyway, I admire your character for putting your video up to the world so we can disect it! Maybe if I am in your neck of the woods someday we can go and have a beer and talk about it!

Are you sure about Sampras? Sampras may rock but his toss is more off his front foot then his back foot. Take a look again, at this site that will help you put more wieght on the front leg vs. the back on the toss.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sportacademy/h...00/2061554.stm

Have you see the Bollettieri Sonic Serve video? That vidoe really boosted my game. The secret is getting most important key points..... Check the video out.

[Verbal_Kint]

Thanks for the tips, will put a new video up shortly (have to find another server, am going through my data usage limit now...).

Marnix

[Bungalo Bill]

I will look forward to it!