"Hitting up on the ball"

[Cross-court]

What's the idea behind this, when they tell you to "hit up on the ball" for a flat serve (or is it also for every serve?)?

I did a search here to avoid creating a thread about this because I bet it's been discussed before but the thing said that the "search term was at it's minimum" or some bs like that which doesn't make any sense.

 

[Rui]

What's the idea behind this, when they tell you to "hit up on the ball" for a flat serve (or is it also for every serve?)?

I did a search here to avoid creating a thread about this because I bet it's been discussed before but the thing said that the "search term was at it's minimum" or some bs like that which doesn't make any sense.

Hitting down only puts the ball in the net...for every serve. That window of opportunity is about six inches. To give yourself more of a window, you hit up. It also boosts power.

For spins serves, it's as if you were aiming your racket to launch it over the back fence...but, if you tilt your racket (to lead with the right edge, for righties), the lack of direct contact cause the ball to not travel as far and it imparts spin, which steers the ball into the service box. It's called a "power slice." It's about as simple as it gets.

Other serves vary the contact point behind the ball, but you're always hitting up.

 

[Cross-court]

Hitting down only puts the ball in the net...for every serve. That window of opportunity is about six inches. To give yourself more of a window, you hit up. It also boosts power.

For spins serves, it's as if you were aiming your racket to launch it over the back fence...but, if you tilt your racket (to lead with the right edge, for righties), the lack of direct contact cause the ball to not travel as far and it imparts spin, which steers the ball into the service box. It's called a "power slice." It's about as simple as it gets.

Other serves vary the contact point behind the ball, but you're always hitting up.

For spin serves I do of course know that you have to hit literally up, to increase the rpm on the ball hence more spin obviously.

I started playing again 2 weeks ago after a break of a month and a half, but I was a 4.5 when I was playing regularly before the break so I actually know how to serve, but I never thought of hitting up on a flat serve. I did a long time ago but didn't really try it for real. The thought came back when I started again right now so I gave it a try and focused on it and it does seem to work, but what I've noticed so far is that, if you don't time it very well every time, you can get a hideous serve, way off and long, I almost hit the one I was playing with yesterday without the ball even bouncing on the court.

What I've always done with the flat serve is focus on hitting it "forwards", but I don't know if involuntarily I did the same technique/motion you would do trying to hit up on it.

 

[saigonbond]

Here's a good explanation from the Serve Doctor at Bollittieri's:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlPVdppfYGs

Unless you're Karlovic or Isner, forget about serving down.

CHEERS!

 

[charliefedererer]

The key is the shoulder-over-shoulder cartwheel action that will provide a considerable amount of topspin even to a "flat" first serve. And to do that you need an agressive trophy pose assuming the bow shape with the front hip pushed out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgeYmEScfgQ
Then in the forward swing that bow is reversed, as the front shoulder is dropped well below the hitting shoulder at contact: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTRvxaBMh8s&feature=related (This motion is also good for your rotator cuff.)

Here's Robin Soderling doing it in a video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a56pvP1i6x8 But watch any of the pros from the side in slow motion and you see a similar bowing and unbowing of the upper/lower body. And all that body action is translated to a moving racquet face that imparts the topspin to bring even a first serve into the court.

 

[Cross-court]

The key is the shoulder-over-shoulder cartwheel action that will provide a considerable amount of topspin even to a "flat" first serve. And to do that you need an agressive trophy pose assuming the bow shape with the front hip pushed out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgeYmEScfgQ
Then in the forward swing that bow is reversed, as the front shoulder is dropped well below the hitting shoulder at contact: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTRvxaBMh8s&feature=related (This motion is also good for your rotator cuff.)

Here's Robin Soderling doing it in a video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a56pvP1i6x8 But watch any of the pros from the side in slow motion and you see a similar bowing and unbowing of the upper/lower body. And all that body action is translated to a moving racquet face that imparts the topspin to bring even a first serve into the court.

Good post. Now I understand it clearly.

The second video made me uneasy as to whether I do that or not (drop the leading shoulder all the way) when I hit the ball. Is this something that happens naturally, provided you go up on the ball and you "go after" the serve, like for example pronating? (I never think of pronating and I do it anyways).

And the third video, wow, that looks very extreme, he's almost in a sitting position and he really bends backwards. But I noticed that he doesn't throw the ball into the court too much, as opposed to other players, or maybe it depends on the serve. Like for example there was a federer serve video in youtube (which appears to be gone now) in his match against Sampras 2001 in which he really throws the ball into the court, nothing like this one with Soderling, and there are other Roddick videos in which he throws the ball into the court too.

 

[charliefedererer]

Good post. Now I understand it clearly.

Glad this helped. When serving, there needs to be an awareness that the path the upper body takes through space will influence the path the arm and racquet are taking, and how that will influence the amount of spin on the ball.

The second video made me uneasy as to whether I do that or not (drop the leading shoulder all the way) when I hit the ball. Is this something that happens naturally, provided you go up on the ball and you "go after" the serve, like for example pronating? (I never think of pronating and I do it anyways).

Like anything that you practice, you delelop "muscle memory" so you do it without conscious thought. But to get to that step you have to use your brain to direct the muscles what they need to do until the neuromuscular response becomes engrained.

And the third video, wow, that looks very extreme, he's almost in a sitting position and he really bends backwards. But I noticed that he doesn't throw the ball into the court too much, as opposed to other players, or maybe it depends on the serve. Like for example there was a federer serve video in youtube (which appears to be gone now) in his match against Sampras 2001 in which he really throws the ball into the court, nothing like this one with Soderling, and there are other Roddick videos in which he throws the ball into the court too.

We are not pros and won't have the flexibility, strength and coordination to exactly replicate the motion the best in the world exhibit. But Soderling, or Federer, or any of the pros have tremendous core strength. If yours needs work , consider doing situps on an inclined situp bench and Roman Chair exercises in your gym. Medicine ball and elastic tubing work also helps develop this elastic flexibiltiy/strength combination.

 

[supineAnimation]

Two of the most important elements of any serve are getting the chest pointing up at the tossed ball, which require leaning back with your legs and hips, and throwing the racquet on-edge up at the ball like you're cracking a whip or throwing an axe or whatever other metaphor works for you. Of course there are other necessary elements, but you must have these two elements in your service motion in order to get the necessary net clearance and spin to have a consistent serve.

 

[LeeD]

Hit up, hit down, hit out, don't matter.
What matters is clearing the net by a little, more on second serves, to get the ball into play.
Make the ball clear the net by 9" on first serves, 20" on seconds, and you'll win most of your service games.