How does Diego Schwartzman hit his first serves?

[ReturnAndVolley]

I often hear that if you are below 5'8, you should spin your first serves for the high percentage. But I watched some of his serves and it seemed to me he just hit squarely behind the ball.
I am wondering about the angles here, he isn't very tall and he has a decent first serve. Does he hit squarely behind the ball or does he brush it up to put a bit of spin?

 

[Gemini]

I often hear that if you are below 6'8, you should spin your first serves for the high percentage. But I watched some of his serves and it seemed to me he just hit squarely behind the ball.
I am wondering about the angles here, he isn't very tall and he has a decent first serve. Does he hit squarely behind the ball or does he brush it up to put a bit of spin?

Did you mean 5'8 instead of 6'8? If you really meant 6'8, then 95% percent of the ATP tour should be spinning their serves in according to that logic. Not just Diego Schwartzman.

 

[ReturnAndVolley]

Did you mean 5'8 instead of 6'8? If you really meant 6'8, then 95% percent of the ATP tour should be spinning their serves in according to that logic. Not just Diego Schwartzman.

My bad, corrected.

 

[TennisCJC]

I don't have any data but I would swag that the Diego's 1st serve averages over 2,000 rpm.

Simple physics. If you are 5' 8" tall and your serve is hit so fast and flat that it travels in a straight line, your serve will land precisely on the service line. This means you basically have no margin of error and your serve must just barely clear the net to land on the line. This means that the serve must have spin if you want to clear the net with some margin of safety. If you want to clear the net by 12" or less, than you pretty much have to bend your serve 12" as it flies to the box.

I watch 6' 10" Ivo Karlovic live a couple of weeks ago. He does hit a few fairly flat serves but even he had a bit of spin on his first serves - ranging from just a little to quite a tight rotation.

 

[1990's Graphite]

XL length racquet helps him

 

[ReturnAndVolley]

I don't have any data but I would swag that the Diego's 1st serve averages over 2,000 rpm.

Simple physics. If you are 5' 8" tall and your serve is hit so fast and flat that it travels in a straight line, your serve will land precisely on the service line. This means you basically have no margin of error and your serve must just barely clear the net to land on the line. This means that the serve must have spin if you want to clear the net with some margin of safety. If you want to clear the net by 12" or less, than you pretty much have to bend your serve 12" as it flies to the box.

I watch 6' 10" Ivo Karlovic live a couple of weeks ago. He does hit a few fairly flat serves but even he had a bit of spin on his first serves - ranging from just a little to quite a tight rotation.

I could be wrong but in this video, it looked to me like he was hitting it squarely from behind or does the racquet speed make it seem so?

 

[TennisCJC]

tough to see at that angle and also, those are warm up serves and not match serves. I still will stick by my guns and say he averages more than 2,000 rpm on his 1st serve.

Only rec players think they can hit a dead flat no spinner with accuracy and consistency. Pros know better because they are trying to make a living at the game.

 

[NuBas]

WTA got players like 5'1" and still can hit great serve. Don't think you need to be 6'+ to hit good serves, all technique.

 

[johnwah]

Diego Schwartzman islike 5'1" and still can hit great serve. Don't think you need to be 6'+ to hit good serves, all technique.

fixed!

 

[MasturB]

WTA got players like 5'1" and still can hit great serve. Don't think you need to be 6'+ to hit good serves, all technique.

No wonder why WTA players hold at such an effective rate to ATP players...

 

[haqq777]

Except Diego isn't 5'8". Even closer to the ground than that. Makes him and everything he does on the court more endearing to me, actually.

 

[BeatlesFan]

I often hear that if you are below 5'8, you should spin your first serves for the high percentage?

What about the vast majority of female tennis players who are 5'8 or under?

 

[ReturnAndVolley]

What about the vast majority of female tennis players who are 5'8 or under?

they have to be putting some kind of spin on it too then? How else could they keep it in?

 

[MichaelNadal]

Baego is so cute

 

[SpinToWin]

Except Diego isn't 5'8". Even closer to the ground than that. Makes him and everything he does on the court more endearing to me, actually.

He's my spirit animal (5'7" myself)

 

[heninfan99]

jump a foot off the ground like him

 

[haqq777]

He's my spirit animal (5'7" myself)

Interesting tidbit: my friend, an ex marine and a legit 5'5 according to his medical records, has a picture with Diego at Cinci. Both were wearing flip flops. Diego had just finished practice and had a small towel around his neck. Dead even. Both had great posture for the pic. I will probably give an inch or so more with shoes. Friendliest guy we met that entire tournament too.

 

[chain55]

I'm 5'8 myself and was curious to see how Schwartzman hit his serve. I was just at Rogers Cup and saw him up close. Took a slow mo video.

 

[Dae18]

So how does 5’10 3/4 Agassi hit his simple yet sometime effective serve? Ball toss?

 

[Tennisisfascinating]

So how does 5’10 3/4 Agassi hit his simple yet sometime effective serve? Ball toss?

Agassi was much taller than Schwartzmann.

 

[ReturnAndVolley]

I'm 5'8 myself and was curious to see how Schwartzman hit his serve. I was just at Rogers Cup and saw him up close. Took a slow mo video.

This is cool, thanks

 

[Red Rick]

You can hit as flat as you want, but the ball is never travelling in a straight line and there's still a decent amount of drop on it.

 

[ewiewp]

good pronation(or Internal Shoulder Rotation), and ESR(External Shoulder Rotation, for a preparation stage), and almost straight-line shoulder to arm direction.

These are advanced technique to maximize your swing speed.
For last 15 years or so, actually top players do not use this enough, seemingly stressing more on the control side.
This is era of accuracy/control serves, IMHO.
Diego uses these much more to max his potential.