Role of back leg in the serve, Mirnyi and others...

Mirnyi's step up to pinpoint serve...

  • Mirnyi adequately uses the right leg in his serve

    Votes: 4 66.7%
  • Mirnyi is underutilizing his right leg in his serve

    Votes: 2 33.3%

  • Total voters
    6

yemenmocha

Professional
If you adopt a step up to pinpoint-like stance such as Mirnyi, Krajicek, and others, does the right leg still have a significant roll in upward push for the serve?

I'm sure there are better videos out there, but I've pasted a somewhat slow video of Mirnyi. If you have others please link them.

Please, this is about step up to pinpoint stance, let's not digress into pinpoint vs. platform debate.

Do you think Mirnyi uses the right leg much, enough, etc.?

http://youtu.be/LCOWIk105WE
 
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LeeD

Bionic Poster
That's a cross between platform and pinpoint, neither here nor there.
Most pinpointers push off with both feet.
Max moves the right foot forward to get his weight moving forwards, then hits like a platform serve.
Who's to say his method is right or wrong? He plays OK.
 

LeeD

Bionic Poster
Max's serve is just the way HE wants it, so who are we to tell him different?
Too much, too little, nobody knows, he likes it, he hits OK with it, so it's fine.
The other crap is pure BS hero worship.
 

BobFL

Hall of Fame
If you adopt a step up to pinpoint-like stance such as Mirnyi, Krajicek, and others, does the right leg still have a significant roll in upward push for the serve?

I'm sure there are better videos out there, but I've pasted a somewhat slow video of Mirnyi. If you have others please link them.

Please, this is about step up to pinpoint stance, let's not digress into pinpoint vs. platform debate.

Do you think Mirnyi uses the right leg much, enough, etc.?

http://youtu.be/LCOWIk105WE

Judging by this video, he does not use his legs at all. This is a great example how you should not serve. He is totally disconnected from his lower body. Just my humble opinion...
 

Jonny S&V

Hall of Fame
Judging by this video, he does not use his legs at all. This is a great example how you should not serve. He is totally disconnected from his lower body. Just my humble opinion...

He's using his legs to push him into the serve, if but slightly, but it's still there. I wouldn't suggest my students try to emulate this serve (WAY too many moving parts and variables), but the fact is that he has/had one the best serves on the circuit. He's a little more old-school in that he's more worried about getting his weight moving forward and placing it so that he'll have the easiest first-volley possible rather than getting sheer pace out of the serve.
 

LeeD

Bionic Poster
I always thought moving forwards and serving your fastest were two of the same thing, you need both to serve big.
If you don't move forward, but try to swing big, you still won't hit big serves, unless you are 6'6" tall, in which case your serve would be HUGE if you moved forwards.
Max's serve is fast enough, moving forwards or not. Isn't he like 6'4" or so?
 

Blake0

Hall of Fame
Hmmm, for me it is different and I do like Ivo's serve A LOT more. Ivo looks much more fluid whilst Max looks like Optimus Prime...

Sorry mate, i was talking about the leg part..how much they load the right leg..but they both serve up there near the top (mph wise).
 

yemenmocha

Professional
I always thought moving forwards and serving your fastest were two of the same thing, you need both to serve big.
If you don't move forward, but try to swing big, you still won't hit big serves, unless you are 6'6" tall, in which case your serve would be HUGE if you moved forwards.
Max's serve is fast enough, moving forwards or not. Isn't he like 6'4" or so?


Moving forward is best for Edberg style serves where the primary aim is forward momentum for best position for first volley. MPH is sacrificed.

Moving UP is best for the most explosive serve possible, highest contact point, and steepest ball trajectory. MPH is primary. First volley position, if a consideration at all, is inferior to the forward momentum serve.

Focusing one more than the other has benefits/cons over the other.
 

LeeD

Bionic Poster
Agree except "mph is primary".
Moving forward gives you mph, because you're already moving forwards.
Like the outfielder's strongest throw is off 3 steps.
A javelin thrower taking one step can be beat by a high schooler.
 

fuzz nation

G.O.A.T.
I see plenty of right leg in this clip. Looking at Max's head and shoulders, they look as though they remain at the "loaded" level until his right foot touches back down up near his left. Only then does he drive up and forward through the serve.

I saw him in a bananas five-setter against another serve and volley specialist at the US Open a couple of years ago - maybe Wes Moodie. While he doesn't have the generally fluid movement of someone like the Fed man, his service motion seems pretty sound and he was still thumping the ball late in that match. Marat Safin also displayed a big forward drag of his right foot to "load in" on his trophy position. For both of these guys, I think that they've got a good progression into their swing and I see that right leg as being much more than just along for the ride.
 
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