Serve: why turn your wrist in slightly from the start

[directionals]

What is the significance of turning your wrist in slightly at the beginning of the serve. See Federer right wrist in the pic below:

(ok, figured out how to add a picture)


I read the quote from CoachingMastery on tennisone.com. CoachingMastery, if you see this, can you explain? Thanks.

[sureshs]

Some keep it neutral, some start with slightly closed, some slightly open. Various theories exist about how the closed or open faces facilitate more spin by forcing a certain path of the swing. In general, the open faced starting posture seems to produce more spin and much less pace.

[directionals]

See Federer's right wrist. This is listed as one of the fundamentals. Fed has it. Henin has it.

[TomT]

Originally Posted by directionals

What is the significance of turning your wrist in slightly at the beginning of the serve. See Federer right wrist in the pic below:

(ok, figured out how to add a picture)


I read the quote from CoachingMastery on tennisone.com. CoachingMastery, if you see this, can you explain? Thanks.

If you use a more or less continental (relaxed) grip and put your arm more or less straight down at your side, then that's more or less what it looks like.

[moopie]

Federer's wrist turn is pretty mild. Take a look at Raonic, the hitting side of his racket face is turned towards the sky.

[boramiNYC]

it's kinda like a priming tension inside of the forearm readying for a much stronger tension needed during pronation and contact. A good server usually does it without thinking from subconscious coordination.

[LeeD]

It could be priming tension, but I think it allows a relaxed wrist to go thru it's full range of motion to whip into the ball.
Kinda like the Roddick motion, which is more wrist applied than something like the DJ/Hewitt motion.