feet during serve...

[UW_Husky88]

Hi,

today during our practice someone and I were helping out people with their serves (we're no pros, but just teammate to teammate advice). One guy said that on your serve, you HAVE to slide your feet up to the line and then explode. I told him that its not his feet that are the problem (the guy being helped keeps his feet planted and doesn't move them up to the line) because pros like I think Aagassi, Sampras, and maybe federer don't drag, but he insisted that was the problem. I thought that it was more that he wasn't moving his momentum forward (and after he fixed this, he had much more power, so I think I'm right, but not positive), so I was wondering who was right? Was I right in saying it doesn't matter, or was he right that you have to move them forward?

 

[Tikiman53]

I used to use a pinpoint stance, which is when you slide your back foot forward, but my serves weren't as consistent as I had hoped. So, my private teacher, noticing this, told me to just keep it as simple as I can, and use the platform stance. Also, he told me to keep my feet very close together. I did this, and now I hit serves much more consistently. Doing so got rid of one variable, making my serve simpler. And when I'm a better player, I guess I can go back to the pinpoint stance.

I don't know if it'll work with you, but it worked for me, so I guess it's worth a shot, right?

 

[Ross K]

Your friend is utterly incorrect in his view. You don't 'have' to do anything, and least of all adopt a pinpoint, drag the back foot forwards serve. I'm with Tikiman53. Keep it simple as possible. Remove the variables (such as sliding back foot up.) Go platform stance 100%. And I would also add, at least consider the abbreviated or semi-abbreviated serve motion (as popularized by A-Rod, Nadal, Gasquet, Monfils, Henin and countless others), where the takeback is much more straight to shoulder than the more traditional motion.

 

[brandx]

I only go to a more aggressive forward motion and moving into the court when my serve is getting returned too easily. You are generally on the right track, as getting the motion moving forward is key. I will bring the trailing foot in and jump up and into the court when forced, but I may not get as many first serves in. Plus it is more energy output. I keep it simple as long as my basic serve is effective.