How do I get my former service rhythm back?

user92626 said:
That's nice.

If you could change your serve form, what would you change?
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Functionally pretty happy with my serve. To be very honest, stylistically I would still like to drop my racket on edge and finish with the elbow pointing up and bent like Sampras. Btw I can do both but not naturally and the resultant serve is worse.
 
Btw I think it’s a good idea to practice together but I’d rather hit serves or return only, instead of alternating. That’s just my preference.
 
user92626 said:
Sorry I virtually don't do advices, but I do compliments. :)

Your serve is nice. Bet you get lot of free points. (y)
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Appreciate the comment. Didn't sit well with me when you commented on @Curious serve but not mine.

Actually discovered something new recently or rather revisited something hence the power you see. Have put off serve development for years because switching from a 1hb to a 2hb took all my brain resources of late but that is done now. Now just about the serve.
 
Not crazy about the right foot step over. Nothing good comes from it.
Can’t find the Monfils serve slow mo, but watch it. Look where the strings that hit the ball are facing just after contact. Your ISR is lacking a bit. You are leaving a few mph and rpm in the table.
 
You can try it yourself. ISR with fully straight arm vs bent. See how much more your hand turns with bent.
 
Curious said:
All straight arm finishers look like that including Monfils and Federer.
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Didn’t know that. Yes, it would be hard to believe that if the racquet was heading to the ball “edge on” that they would be forcing it not to continue to where the other edge leads. Probably just what happens naturally.
Maybe it’s just the Greats of the Game that get that much ISR.

https://imgur.com/a/ydPMy8l
 
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ballmachineguy said:
Didn’t know that. Yes, it would be hard to believe that if the racquet was heading to the ball “edge on” that they would be forcing it not to continue to where the other edge leads. Probably just what happens naturally.
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If you do shadow ISR you’ll notice a straight arm results in a brake at the shoulder.
 
zill said:
Straight arm, bent arm reflect the different arm structure as stated above. All are full ISR.
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What’s interesting is they all have a straight arm at contact. So the arm bending or staying straight happens only in the follow through. I’m not quite sure about its significance right now. I just want to understand why Sampras ends with bent and Federer with straight arm. What exactly causes this? I’m just curious.
 
Curious said:
What’s interesting is they all have a straight arm at contact. So the arm bending or staying straight happens only in the follow through. I’m not quite sure about its significance right now. I just want to understand why Sampras ends with bent and Federer with straight arm. What exactly causes this? I’m just curious.
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zill said:
Confirms exactly my point of different arm structure. Hence the different racquet face direction at the end.
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zill said:
Straight arm, bent arm reflect the different arm structure as stated above. All are full ISR.
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That doesn’t explain it. We already know and are talking about the difference in arm structure at the finish. We’re trying to understand what causes that difference.
 
Curious said:
That doesn’t explain it. We already know and are talking about the difference in arm structure at the finish. We’re trying to understand what causes that difference.
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When I say different arm structure I mean internally. The difference in the arm structure explains why some finish like Sampras and some like Kyrgios and myself. I'm sure there is a technical term out there but am not concerned about that. All I know is they are all fully pronating in their serves.
 
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Curious said:
That doesn’t explain it. We already know and are talking about the difference in arm structure at the finish. We’re trying to understand what causes that difference.
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An analogy is why do some drop with their racquet on edge like Sampras and why some drop their racquet open like Federer in the serve?

Also why do some invert their racquet in the fh takeback like Sinner, some pat the dog like Fed and some racquet face open like Del Potro.

Different arm structures again for both. And they are something that one is born with although they can change as one grows up through the juniors to seniors. As their entire body is developing. But its what they are left when they reach adulthood that counts. Hence the term 'born with'.
 
zill said:
An analogy is why do some drop with their racquet on edge like Sampras and why some drop their racquet open like Federer in the serve?

Also why do some invert their racquet in the fh takeback like Sinner, some pat the dog like Fed and some racquet face open like Del Potro.

Different arm structures again for both. And they are something that one is born with although they can change as one grows up through the juniors to seniors. As their entire body is developing. But its what they are left when they reach adulthood that counts. Hence the term 'born with'.
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No, they have the same anatomy unless one has an unusual variation. It’s about what exactly they do, not what they have.
 
Curious said:
No, they have the same anatomy unless one has an unusual variation. It’s about what exactly they do, not what they have.
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Same anatomy but subtler structural differences that may only be apparent when they swing a racquet.

They are all doing the same thing. Difference in physical structures cause the different way they seem to swing and hit. You can force something different like you can force yourself to drop on edge in the serve but won’t be your preferred style. Nor style you get max power.
 
zill said:
Same anatomy but subtler structural differences that may only be apparent when they swing a racquet.

They are all doing the same thing. Difference in physical structures cause the different way they seem to swing and hit. You can force something different like you can force yourself to drop on edge in the serve but won’t be your preferred style. Nor style you get max power.
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People have different styles due to having different ‘inner structures’? Maybe. I don’t know.
 
Curious said:
People have different styles due to having different ‘inner structures’? Maybe. I don’t know.
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Correct. And I don't think this is significant enough to do a formal study on. So the technical terms may not be identified nor coined yet. But it's real.

You would know as you have obsessed over on edge drop but cannot do it naturally. I have been obsessed with my fh and truth be told hate my racquet inversion but cannot get rid of it. There are very good players with fh racquet inversion like Edmund and also Sinner but I would trade it for an open takeback any day of the week. I have other issues with my fh as well which has led to people like @StringSnapper labelling it as weird which I am totally fine with as I admit it is. And it's not something I can correct. The way I hit it now is the best I can do.
 

Practicing my serves in my 2.7m basement. Motion have to be pretty spot on to do it I recon. Have to really know what you're doing to do this.
 
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zill said:

Practicing my serves in my 2.5m basement, almost double my height. Motion have to be pretty spot on to do it I recon. Have to really know what you're doing to do this.
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Minimal drop but big acceleration. Amazing!
 
I don’t think drop is everything. I suspect Kyrgios can hit fast serves even with a shallow drop. What’s the point of having a deep drop if you can’t swing fast from there?
 
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