Coordination and variability in the elite female tennis serve

[julian]

Journal of Sports Sciences

Coordination and variability in the elite female tennis serve
DOI:10.1080/02640414.2014.962569
David Whiteside, Bruce Clifford Elliott, Brendan Lay & Machar Reid
Publishing models and article dates explained
Accepted: 1 Sep 2014
Published online: 30 Oct 2014
Abstract
Enhancing the understanding of coordination and variability in the tennis serve may be of interest to coaches as they work with players to improve performance.
The current study examined coordinated joint rotations and variability in the lower limbs, trunk, serving arm and ball location in the elite female tennis serve. Pre-pubescent, pubescent and adult players performed maximal effort flat serves while a 22-camera 500 Hz motion analysis system captured three-dimensional body kinematics. Coordinated joint rotations in the lower limbs and trunk appeared most consistent at the time players left the ground, suggesting that they coordinate the proximal elements of the kinematic chain to ensure that they leave the ground at a consistent time, in a consistent posture.

Variability in the two degrees of freedom at the elbow became significantly greater closer to impact in adults, possibly illustrating the mechanical adjustments (compensation) these players employed to manage the changing impact location from serve to serve. Despite the variable ball toss, the temporal composition of the serve was highly consistent and supports previous assertions that players use the location of the ball to regulate their movement. Future work should consider these associations in other populations, while coaches may use the current findings to improve female serve performance.

 

[hawk eye]

Well there you have it. Just what i always suspected..

 

[julian]

Adjusting to a bad toss

Journal of Sports Sciences

Coordination and variability in the elite female tennis serve
DOI:10.1080/02640414.2014.962569
David Whiteside, Bruce Clifford Elliott, Brendan Lay & Machar Reid
Publishing models and article dates explained
Accepted: 1 Sep 2014
Published online: 30 Oct 2014
Abstract
Enhancing the understanding of coordination and variability in the tennis serve may be of interest to coaches as they work with players to improve performance.
The current study examined coordinated joint rotations and variability in the lower limbs, trunk, serving arm and ball location in the elite female tennis serve. Pre-pubescent, pubescent and adult players performed maximal effort flat serves while a 22-camera 500 Hz motion analysis system captured three-dimensional body kinematics.

Coordinated joint rotations in the lower limbs and trunk appeared most consistent at the time players left the ground, suggesting that they coordinate the proximal elements of the kinematic chain to ensure that they leave the ground at a consistent time, in a consistent posture.

Variability in the two degrees of freedom at the elbow became significantly greater closer to impact in adults, possibly illustrating the mechanical adjustments (compensation) these players employed to manage the changing impact location from serve to serve.

Despite the variable ball toss, the temporal composition of the serve was highly consistent and supports previous assertions that players use the location of the ball to regulate their movement. Future work should consider these associations in other populations, while coaches may use the current findings to improve female serve performance.

It sounds like "adjust to a bad toss" is a skill.
How to teach this skill?
Fexibility of "spine" is one way to go

 

[julian]

Please read #3 below

Well there you have it. Just what i always suspected..

Please read post #3 below

 

[sureshs]

To see an extreme adjustment to a bad toss, just watch Ivanovic. Even when she tosses way to the right, she somehow scrambles and gets around the ball. Not only that, this motion often produces a sharp angling serve from the deuce court which wins her points.

Should we just embrace bad tosses and make the best of them?

 

[boramiNYC]

It sounds like "adjust to a bad toss" is a skill.
How to teach this skill?
Fexibility of "spine" is one way to go

Adjusting to different toss locations (contact locations) is a skill as you say. Bascially, in today's serving technique where a server usually jumps, the precise jumping direction and forward push (horizontal) component of the COG will control the variation. For different tosses the left foot landing will vary depending on the toss/contact location.

More consistent toss will allow you to have less variance in service motion but equally important to a more consistent toss is more resilience in service motion for different tosses.

 

[RajS]

Hey, this sounds like my problem!

@julian: You definitely got it right about the spine. When my back was flexible, it did not matter to me when the toss moved around somewhat.

However, with my tosses being much more consistent, my serves are better (with admittedly a long way to go), and it is much easier on the back. So I don't think kids should be taught how to hit off a bad toss because it will only get worse and worse if they start going after bad tosses. Just tell them to catch the damn ball and do it again. Or tell them if they have too many bad tosses they will go to jail, which should also do the trick. :twisted: