Developing the Jump Serve

[WildVolley]

I've been inspired by Brian Battistone's crazy volleyball-style jump serve. Jumping forward into the shot gives you a superior contact point to bring angles or rush the net. While I don't have my old hops, I found I can still hit much further inside the baseline by taking a step and jumping off it like Battistone.

The big differences in my technique are that 1) I'm not switching hands with the racket (I don't have a two handled racket) 2) I want to incorporate the toss into the jumping motion instead of throwing the ball really high and timing my way into the shot. I'm finding that getting racket head speed isn't the problem - bringing up the racket with the jump is a fairly natural motion, but getting a reasonable toss and timing isn't coming quickly.

Has anyone else tried this? I think it is more of a stunt or special shot, as I don't have the fitness to take flying leaps into my serves all day, but it would be fun to freak out my opponent by jumping way into the court and smacking down a serve. :twisted:

 

[FedExpress 333]

TBH,I would suggest not rying to learn this, it is really hard without strong legs, excellent hand eye coordination, and probably a 2 handled racket. Serves I suggest you try to copy are Fed and Sampras: easy and simple, but very effective. Some vids:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kqj1F-DCskMhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcjZ5r_YHV0

 

[wickedfps]

If you don't have a monstrous serve and outstanding footwork speed, getting well inside the service line after your service motion can put you in deep trouble on deep returns.

 

[FedExpress 333]

Unless you are a S and V er, which I am 99% sure you are not.

 

[WildVolley]

Just so you know, I'm not going to make this my main serve. I already have a decent serve for my playing level (about 4.0 at the moment). The jump serve would just take too much out of me to do all the time, and I was thinking of it primarily as a first serve only, not a second serve like Battistone does.

I was just wondering if anyone else has played with it. I used to do an illegal running jump serve as a teen. Mostly it was a failure, but occasionally I could rip some incredible angles.

 

[onehandbh]

What is your standing vertical jump?

Unless you are young and athletic with a good vertical, you'll probably just
end up looking silly doing a little hop and actually lose power and spin.

 

[ssonosk]

What is your standing vertical jump?

Unless you are young and athletic with a good vertical, you'll probably just
end up looking silly doing a little hop and actually lose power and spin.

if you time it right a little hop would add power

 

[WildVolley]

What is your standing vertical jump?

Unless you are young and athletic with a good vertical, you'll probably just
end up looking silly doing a little hop and actually lose power and spin.

Not terrible, but not great either. I'd estimate my standing vertical is about 24-26" at the moment, but this serve is a jump off a single foot with a step into it. It would have been better to work on this serve when I was young and could dunk a basketball. I'm sure I'll look stupid until I can start getting solid contact on the ball.

It's not just about vertical though, a lot of Battistone's (who has very good hops) success is about getting into the court horizontally. He's definitely landing further in the court than any other server on tour.

 

[sixftlion]

TBH,I would suggest not rying to learn this, it is really hard without strong legs, excellent hand eye coordination, and probably a 2 handled racket. Serves I suggest you try to copy are Fed and Sampras: easy and simple, but very effective. Some vids:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kqj1F-DCskMhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcjZ5r_YHV0

Brian used to do the jump serve even before the 2-handled racket. And he's been practicing it A LOT. Daily practice, and his toss too, because it is sooo high, it has to be pretty precise.

 

[Jonny S&V]

Unless you are a S and V er, which I am 99% sure you are not.

The OP is a S&Ver, if memory serves, so yeah, it does help if he can get it down, but he's just doing it for fun.

No offense intended, but like you have said in previous threads, you are still basically a beginning tennis player in terms of the experience that is present on this board (although you carry yourself much better than many, MANY of the other posters). This thread is the perfect example of one that you should just read rather than post in, since it involves a long-time member that has good advice, and he's just developing it because he "...think(s) it is more of a stunt or special shot, as [he doesn't] have the fitness to take flying leaps into [his] serves all day, but it would be fun to freak out [his] opponent by jumping way into the court and smacking down a serve."

 

[LeeD]

There's also a very current thread here that pretty much states that almost EVERYONE serves flat first serves more accurately and consistently if they keep a foot PLANTED on the ground, your counter argument to your thesis.

 

[thug the bunny]

I have recently started jumping into 1st and 2nd serves, and I found that it adds both power and consistency. Not very high, and not very far into the court, I just launch up and into the ball. I dunno why it makes my serve more consistent - you would think there's more motion and timing being performed...

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

Some of the videos that I've seen of Brian's serve looks illegal. I'm really surprised that he got away with it in matches. I've seen other vids were it appeared that he modified it -- possibly because his original looked too much like a volleyball jump serve with a walk/run approach.



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