Critique my serve

[SuperDuy]

Recently I have been working on my first flat serve quite a bit. I still need some help with it, I notice that I have a few things I am doing wrong. 1. Not enough trophy position. I dont know what I can do to get it better. 2.Not tossing enough to my right, whenever I try it I am off balance as I hit the ball.
What I have worked on the past few days is getting my weight moving forward more; and when tossing, have my left arm parallel with the baseline(this tip helped quite a bit.) My serve speeds are up from past 2 weeks and I have worked on my placement a bit too.

Video from last week:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxpR_pGWExE


Video from today:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDnomFD5kbk


Critique appreciated, thanks!

 

[SuperDuy]

Would a higher jump help too?

 

[TennisKid1]

raise ur racket abit as you toss it to get a more proper trophy pose. This will help the racket drop faster so you can get more rackethead speed

 

[tennisnoob3]

I would say get ur toss a little bit higher, idk if I'm right but I feel like your bending your knees a little too early

 

[Recon]

Little things, you have a slight hitch because your trophy position is awkward, your racquet in the trophy position is in a weird angle, it should be straight up, since your using a platform stance (feet together) i'll use safin as my example, Great server.

See how his racquet is straight up ready to drop radically into "backscratch position" (where the racquet tip is facing all the way/almost all the way down to the pavement, then to be pronated through the ball.

So better trophy position and more legs which will naturally make you jump.
Go to 1.22 in your video and you will see your toss float to your left as it should be for a kicker, but your hitting first serves. Now watch the follow 2 serves after that, you will see your toss in front of you and you hit clean powerful effortless serves, even your camera guy commented twice "that was good" so make sure that toss is consistent is it...very, very important.

 

[saigonbond]

Greetings man.
I like your mechanics and feet. Good medium height toss, good base, no big hitches in your motion. 2nd vid definitely better, good work!

A couple quick tips:
1.) Keep your tossing arm up and extended a fraction longer will help your timing, extension, and aim.
2.) You don't look to be 6'10" like Karlovic, so remember not to hit down. On your flat serve at contact, remember your racquet face should be parallel to the net/baseline (what I call the high-five position). Your leg drive should help you load and push up and into the ball (a slight jump will be natural). Remember your swing should be up and into the ball. This way you'll stay tall, long, and create the best body extension before the "high five" position at contact. Its similar to throwing a baseball as high and far as you can up and into the air. Your arm swing and natural pronation will bring the ball down into the court after "high five."
3.) Slow your tempo a bit. Take your time, no need to rush yourself. Coming from a martial arts background, I sometimes discuss Bruce Lee's concept of "Water" with my student athletes and club students. Water can flow softly and smoothly, but also can be powerful enough to crush steel. Bruce said, "Be like water my friend."
4.) Muscle memory.
There's no shortcut for practice.

Nice work man and good luck,
CHEERS!

 

[GetBetterer]

SuperDuy:

Would a higher jump help too?

I didn't even really see a jump. I also puked from the nausea. -_-

 

[LeeD]

Bend your right elbow on trophy. A bent elbow gives you a faster swing once all the kinetics come into play.
Bent elbow, shorter leverage, quicker to get started, THEN you extend out just after loop to straighten the elbow, lengthen the leverage, and get the racket head to move fast.
Like most long throw, bent elbow gets straightened during the beginning of the forward part of the stroke.
Like forehands, bent elbow at takeback.
Like backhands, bent elbow at takeback.
Both get more straightened during the forward stroke.
NOT like golf, which proposes a straight left arm.
LIKE baseball, bent.

 

[SuperDuy]

Little things, you have a slight hitch because your trophy position is awkward, your racquet in the trophy position is in a weird angle, it should be straight up, since your using a platform stance (feet together) i'll use safin as my example, Great server.

See how his racquet is straight up ready to drop radically into "backscratch position" (where the racquet tip is facing all the way/almost all the way down to the pavement, then to be pronated through the ball.

So better trophy position and more legs which will naturally make you jump.
Go to 1.22 in your video and you will see your toss float to your left as it should be for a kicker, but your hitting first serves. Now watch the follow 2 serves after that, you will see your toss in front of you and you hit clean powerful effortless serves, even your camera guy commented twice "that was good" so make sure that toss is consistent is it...very, very important.

Thanks, I will work on my toss, and tossing infront of me and not behind my head for my flat serves. I will try to keep my racquet pointed straight up in trophy position. That picture is informative thanks!

Greetings man.
I like your mechanics and feet. Good medium height toss, good base, no big hitches in your motion. 2nd vid definitely better, good work!

A couple quick tips:
1.) Keep your tossing arm up and extended a fraction longer will help your timing, extension, and aim.
2.) You don't look to be 6'10" like Karlovic, so remember not to hit down. On your flat serve at contact, remember your racquet face should be parallel to the net/baseline (what I call the high-five position). Your leg drive should help you load and push up and into the ball (a slight jump will be natural). Remember your swing should be up and into the ball. This way you'll stay tall, long, and create the best body extension before the "high five" position at contact. Its similar to throwing a baseball as high and far as you can up and into the air. Your arm swing and natural pronation will bring the ball down into the court after "high five."
3.) Slow your tempo a bit. Take your time, no need to rush yourself. Coming from a martial arts background, I sometimes discuss Bruce Lee's concept of "Water" with my student athletes and club students. Water can flow softly and smoothly, but also can be powerful enough to crush steel. Bruce said, "Be like water my friend."
4.) Muscle memory.
There's no shortcut for practice.

Nice work man and good luck,
CHEERS!

Thanks, those steps I will try to work on quite a bit! You are right in the aspect that I am trying to hit down on the ball rather than up, like I am trying to throw something like a foot ball far and up in the air. I will try that concept when I am serving. You are correct in #4 once I have my serve with the correct mechanics they will be remembered by the muscles and will be hard to forget. #3 is what I have been working on too, slowing down and not rushing, slowing down, relaxed arm to be exact. Thanks!

Bend your right elbow on trophy. A bent elbow gives you a faster swing once all the kinetics come into play.
Bent elbow, shorter leverage, quicker to get started, THEN you extend out just after loop to straighten the elbow, lengthen the leverage, and get the racket head to move fast.
Like most long throw, bent elbow gets straightened during the beginning of the forward part of the stroke.
Like forehands, bent elbow at takeback.
Like backhands, bent elbow at takeback.
Both get more straightened during the forward stroke.
NOT like golf, which proposes a straight left arm.
LIKE baseball, bent.

Do you mean like bent arm 90 degree angle like in the picture above? Where my right arm is bent in the trophy position then when I am hitting the ball straighten in out then? Im pretty sure this is what you mean if it is, this maybe is the one reason along with racquet straight up in trophy postion. To get the CORRECT trophy position. When my arm is bent then racquet head moves faster. Now domond, when do I want to slow down my hand and let the racquet head pick up speed; is it when I am just about to hit the ball after the backscratch? Thanks!


I will try these things, thanks for other posters too for the tips, much appreciated!

 

[Kostas]

Christ, get a better camera man....was he going through heroine withdrawls or something?

Get a tripod or just set it on the ground...almost impossible to watch.

 

[GetBetterer]

Kostas:

Christ, get a better camera man....was he going through heroine withdrawls or something?

Get a tripod or just set it on the ground...almost impossible to watch.

GetBetterer:

I also puked from the nausea. -_-

 

[Zachol82]

Critique appreciated, thanks!

Looks like you're hitting the ball forward instead of downward. You need to get your racquet on top of the ball and swing down on it. A little wrist is necessary and pronate and all that good stuff.

 

[SuperDuy]

Looks like you're hitting the ball forward instead of downward. You need to get your racquet on top of the ball and swing down on it. A little wrist is necessary and pronate and all that good stuff.

Thanks, I will try that hitting down more and more wrist snap thanks.

 

[SuperDuy]

Kostas:


GetBetterer:

Welll, I have a better camera but brought a different one because other one was being used at the time. here is a video of the other camera in action, MUCH better eh. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3PrJHOd0i0 from 3 months ago

 

[saigonbond]

Looks like you're hitting the ball forward instead of downward. You need to get your racquet on top of the ball and swing down on it. A little wrist is necessary and pronate and all that good stuff.

Thanks, I will try that hitting down more and more wrist snap thanks.

Don't swing down! This is not sound advice unless you're 6'10" Karlovic or 6'9" Isner.
Geometry and trigonometry tells us that you must be able to reach over 9' to be able to hit down on a straight line and just barely clear the net (you obviously won't be consistent). As an example, Roddick is 6'2" and reaches 9'5" with his powerful leg push propelling him into the ball. Swing up and into the ball not down for consistency.

This is a much more advanced serving technique (please make sure that your basic motion is solidly down first so you don't injure your arm):
After contact (high five), if you keep your elbow up on follow thru, your arm and wrist will naturally pronate and allow you to "snap" your wrist slightly (imagine if your were wearing a watch on that arm, you would seeing the time for a split second).
Your racquet head will actually point straight down at the court during your follow thru and resemble and upside down L.
You can see here what I mean here: http://img638.imageshack.us/g/borisa.jpg/
(Boris, Cilic, DelPo, Dent, Djoker, Fed, Goran, Gulbis, Isner, Ivo, Lopez, Pete, Philippousis, Querrey, Rafa, Roddick, Rusedski, Serena, Steffi, Stosur, Venus)

CHEERS!

 

[SuperDuy]

Thanks saigon I will try that. I got a tip from someone else to not look down when hitting serves. I tried it and it helped quite a bit more accuracy. Before I was looking down after serve and dumping serves into the net. Now I tried looking up and it worked.

 

[LeeD]

Use more backhandy grip.
Slowing of elbow/forearm is just before hitting the ball.
You look strong and athletic, so plan on hitting 125's on your first serve, but your misses are sooooo far off, you need to practice.

 

[Kostas]

Welll, I have a better camera but brought a different one because other one was being used at the time. here is a video of the other camera in action, MUCH better eh. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3PrJHOd0i0 from 3 months ago

No, like get a better "camera man", not like get a better camera, man!

The shake was ridiculous.

 

[jjs891]

Huge improvement over the earlier video I've seen. More fluid, smoother motion with better pop. Good job!
As others said, keep your tossing arm up longer and point the racquet straight up at trophy position.

 

[GetBetterer]

SuperDuy:

Welll, I have a better camera but brought a different one because other one was being used at the time. here is a video of the other camera in action, MUCH better eh. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3PrJHOd0i0 from 3 months ago

It's not the Camera, but instead the CameraMan.

 

[Fugazi]

It's pretty good, but I suggest you hit the ball higher to give yourself a better angle, bend your arm a little more (right now it barely reaches 90 degrees) and make sure you have fully continental grip. (I'm a 5.0-5.5 player)

 

[SuperDuy]

Use more backhandy grip.
Slowing of elbow/forearm is just before hitting the ball.
You look strong and athletic, so plan on hitting 125's on your first serve, but your misses are sooooo far off, you need to practice.

Thanks leed I will try the tilt the racquet more to the right for the grip. I have never tried that before of slowing down the elbow/forearm but it makes sence in the fact that if slowing down then the racquet head picks up speed into the ball. My long term goal is 120s yes its possible.

It's pretty good, but I suggest you hit the ball higher to give yourself a better angle, bend your arm a little more (right now it barely reaches 90 degrees) and make sure you have fully continental grip. (I'm a 5.0-5.5 player)

Yes that is another thing I have tried to work on in the past, will try that again. I am not contacting the ball high enough and I am loosing a better angle to hit the ball at. I will fix my grip next time. thanks.