LolCan rhythm change suddenly with no reason?
I suspect it’s the 20kg weight gain. That’s significant enough to slow things down.
Which one(s) of the main parameters do you think you’ve lost? Pace, spin, placement.Lol
Am working hard to get that off FYI. First or second priority now, after the serve which I hope is a quick fix.
Which one(s) of the main parameters do you think you’ve lost? Pace, spin, placement.
Can you shadow-swing it without a ball the way you like it?
I like how Ian of Essential Tennis makes people shadow swing, than toss the ball and shadow swing without hitting it. That’s a way how you can first adjust the rhythm and swing (well if you know what you are doing or are supervised), and then bring your toss into that swing and rhythm smoothly.I think I have figured out something. Couldn't before but now it feels better. Will try again when on court. But good suggestion.
I like how Ian of Essential Tennis makes people shadow swing, than toss the ball and shadow swing without hitting it. That’s a way how you can first adjust the rhythm and swing (well if you know what you are doing or are supervised), and then bring your toss into that swing and rhythm smoothly.
Maybe on beginner level, or rebuilding really problematic issues. Better have live ball for anyone advanced.Do you think it works for groundstrokes as well?
Lots of slicing going on.Mainly Pace. And unsurprisingly lack of drop here is the issue again below. But unlike my 1bh I know I can drop in the serve, not perfectly but much better than below. See vid in OP.
you have outstanding salesmanship skills!I know the fix. But you probably won't listen to me.
Now if I give a suggestion, I'm a salesman. If I don't, I will be called mini ball machine guy. Damned do or don't.you have outstanding salesmanship skills!
Double reverse psychology is a thing.you have outstanding salesmanship skills!
I know the fix. But you probably won't listen to me.
You used to load much better. In the old pic you kept left arm up longer and exploded more. This kept you from opening too early which (the opening up early) is now exacerbated by the new foot placement.
In short, you are now just kinda rolling through your serve motion instead of setting up to crack it.
Two rhythm related things to try. Reduce the time lag in hitting hand. Have the right hand start to go towards trophy position earlier to allow more gradual acceleration. Tune the toss height to allow quicker unloading of the legs, and hopefully slightly deeper knee bend. The longer you stay in max knee bent, the less likely you'll be able to bend deeper. Coming out of the knee bend quickly is most important.
Two rhythm related things to try. Reduce the time lag in hitting hand. Have the right hand start to go towards trophy position earlier to allow more gradual acceleration. Tune the toss height to allow quicker unloading of the legs, and hopefully slightly deeper knee bend. The longer you stay in max knee bent, the less likely you'll be able to bend deeper. Coming out of the knee bend quickly is most important.
It can be harder to fix than you think. Likely need to take the full progression of shadow swing, toss/swing without striking the ball, serve from service line, then back to baseline. If you can't acheive enough racquet drop in shadow swing, then it's mechanics but not a problem of coordination. The racquet drop problem seems like because you rushed to chase pace without getting the basic motion correct in the early days.
Overall it looks to me you're hard muscling the arm to squeeze out as much racquet head speed as possible, but aging of the body is making it harder and harder. The rhythm related things are easier to implement with relatively smaller benefit. The racquet drop can be harder to fix with greater benefit.
My guess is you'll agree with less than 10% of all these.
To increase the racquet drop, you need to forget about pace for a couple of months.
I guess my advice was no good?
Have you tried a half serve motion (see Jeff Salzenstein) to see if you can find your rhythm / timing? It looks like you employ a semi-pendulum -- somewhere between a full pendulum and a simpler abbreviated motion.
Perhaps a simpler abbreviated motion motion might help. Jeff Salzenstein uses that for his "full" motion serve. Felix AA has a great one. Taylor Fritz and Carlos Alcaraz also come to mind.
For a simpler motion, think of getting your elbow into place sooner with a 90° bend. As it is now, your elbow stays low for a while and your elbow angle starts quite large. You don't get it to 90° til you reached your trophy phase. This might make the trophy / drop rhythm somewhat trickier. Maybe not.
Looks like you move you R foot too far to the R for your PP stance. This might make your hips open too early or too much. Instead, bring your R foot alongside your L foot (more or less).
I guess my advice was no good?
Had suggested the half-motion serve motion more as a stepping stone to the modern abbreviated motion of Felix, Carlos, Taylor F, Jeff S, etc. These serves incorporate an earlier elbow prep than your pseudo-compact motion. Your lower initial elbow position with the large elbow angle (much later than 90°) prior to the trophy could, possibly make timing / rhythm less consistent, less repeatable.It's good. I am not a fan of half motion serves because of my quick lightning bolt action which must be done in sequence (hence full motion) without breaks. And my action is already compact.
But I am taking a lot of inspiration on my overhead technique here which is like a half motion serve. Key I think is to keep the racquet close to my body eg keeping it compact.
Pretty happy with my overheads that day.
Yes.Do you think it works for groundstrokes as well?
After watching your serving video up top, the thing I spotted immediately was how you let your racquet drop below your waist when you toss the ball. That can create timing problems (even for the pros). You're leaving your racquet a long way from being ready to swing with only the hang time of your toss to get your entire swing set up and executed. If your toss gets slightly lower than usual or your windup gets delayed by even a tiny fraction of a second, that can easily force you to rush the racquet up to the ball before your windup is done. That destroys our serving tempo.
I'd say experiment with taking the racquet straight back when you start into your windup instead of letting it drop toward the ground. It will absolutely feel weird at first, but it should get your racquet to its ready position with less delay and make your swing easier to initiate without a rush to the ball. If you can't make that work at all, I'd say simply experiment with starting your windup and wait with your toss until slightly later in that progression. Toss later so that you can get more of your windup done. In either case, it should make your swing/release to contact more smooth and effortless.
Imo all good serves require a sequence, and everyone can and should learn to hit a half serve. It could even be argued that with the fast motion, starting the racquet in the power position makes it easier to coordinate all the other body parts without rushing the arm. Also, do you know how much your ball toss drops into contact? Anyway .....I am not a fan of half motion serves because of my quick lightning bolt action which must be done in sequence (hence full motion) without breaks.
+1. Zill is a big fan of the lightning bolt serve and I believe that is how this issue has developed.You're leaving your racquet a long way from being ready to swing with only the hang time of your toss to get your entire swing set up and executed.
+1. Zill is a big fan of the lightning bolt serve and I believe that is how this issue has developed.
Zill, sInce you don't like half serves,
if you wont do them please try @fuzz nation's advice of cutting out part of the backswing, which will also hopefully get the racquet closer to your head when leg drive is ready.
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In the new serve your "trophy" position is the first frame (back foot has landed and is about to push) is much more like Kyrgios, and is far away from your head. The racquet needs to play a lot of catchup to make that extreme position work. You bring your hand up closer to your head but it never goes back, and it never enters a position slightly behind the head like your old serve, which is what allowed for a decent drop. It looks like you have tried to keep the swing entirely on your right side and that has resulted in the bypassing of a crucial part of the motion, possibly so you can get to the ball in time. That last part is conjecture! This is the position you don't get to (hand slightly behind the head and also below the ear).
Really? Did zill really put on 20kg ? That's too much for any knees.Can rhythm change suddenly with no reason?
I suspect it’s the 20kg weight gain. That’s significant enough to slow things down.
Trophy position is usually associated with the moment of lowest load — you can see by when your head starts moving up. First frame has lower head than second one, so can conclude the uncoil already begun.I think my trophy position is actually the second frame from the left. Like Kyrgios and other lightning bolt servers I get in and out of trophy very quickly. In the first frame I am pausing briefly to allow the rest of my body to catch up before getting in and out of trophy in a continuous motion.
Something is off then as that first pic definitely should not be trophy.Trophy position is usually associated with the moment of lowest load — you can see by when your head starts moving up. First frame has lower head than second one, so can conclude the uncoil already begun.
He doesn’t have a big take back. Do you think it’s the toss being too low maybe?Trophy position is usually associated with the moment of lowest load — you can see by when your head starts moving up. First frame has lower head than second one, so can conclude the uncoil already begun.
He doesn’t have a big take back. Do you think it’s the toss being too low maybe?
I personally made myself get the elbow all the way back stretching my pec as a “point of transition” from coiling to uncoiling. Like Rublev or maybe Roddick and many others. You kind of accentuate that “elbow the enemy”, then with it almost bouncing back you go for your swing (and altogether with leg drive, no separation). It helps me, and I immediately feel if my toss is too low/off.Something is off then as that first pic definitely should not be trophy.
Maybe, I really believe the idea of shadow swinging near to the tossed ball. It makes it all so obvious, and you can work your way towards perfect toss height and timing.He doesn’t have a big take back. Do you think it’s the toss being too low maybe?
i'd go further, and not even focus on hitting the ball in the box... at least that's what helped me switch lagging my hitting hand...Maybe forget about maximum pace for a few months but if the drop is right then pace should come easily. If pace is not there then most likely drop is not there either.
Or just bang it against the wall.i'd go further, and not even focus on hitting the ball in the box... at least that's what helped me switch lagging my hitting hand...
(had to avoid matches for a few weeks/months, and transition back to match play was with weaker that usual folks and/or with understanding partners that were patient with my doubles)
hmm... i'd prefer to do it on the court... cuz once i got it right (lots of tweaks to my serve), suddenly i was albe to get way more spin... so i want to do see the curve through the air, bounce direction, and lastly to see if "one bouncing" it to the back fence, and how high...Or just bang it against the wall.