How fast would a peak Roscoe Tanner's serve be measured at now?

[MAXXply]

Tanner had the second fastest lefty serve of the time, to VictorAmaya. Dibley was 5mph faster, and known to be the fastest server of the late '70's.

To those who saw the Dibley serve: was Dibley's motion a traditional/conventional motion for a player of his era or was it an unconventional motion that was the source of his power?

 

[NostalgiaTennisFan]

Tanner's low 140's back in the late '70's would have translated, with modern rackets, strings, shoes, and radar, to around low 140's today.
No difference.
I was timed at lower 120's with WilsonProStaffs. Highest 120's with YonnexOPSGreens, a really stiff aluminum racket with a super high sweetspot.
DickStockton was around low 130's, and he wouldn't go any faster with new equipement.
Same as it ever was, same as always.
Tanner, 6' and 1/2", 190lbs., all upper body, birdlegs.

Michael Stich was clocked 131 in 1993, and he was using Fisher Vacuum Pro - one of the lightest rackets on the market, in fact it was almost like a child's racket - so given the equipment of today I believe that he could serve in the 140's.

 

[NostalgiaTennisFan]

You forgot kind of a big one. Sam Groth 163 MPH.

True, but unfortunately ATP doesn't recognize challenger events - I have doubts myself for Sam has supposedly broken the record 3 times in that same match! I saw those serves and they looked like good hard 140 -145 to me, by contrast Roddick's and Raonic's 155's look every bit as fast.

 

[dominikk1985]

I believe his 150+ serve was a flawed measurement. that being said his serve was really booming. I'm pretty sure he would serve 150 now.

 

[comeback]

What i loved about Tanner's breathtaking serve was that when he hit an ace, the opponent just stood there frozen..I think it could have been Chris Evert, but in a mixed doubles match Tanner served inside out flat to her on the forehand side. Evert stood there like a deer in the headlights as the ace was over in a milosecond. No doubt she never saw any women at her time who had this serve
I also am a proponent of the more continuous motion that Tanner had..Dogopolov seems like a current pro that has a continuous motion
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0AXyjMVkKY

 

[hoodjem]

I think I've written this about 1000 times on this forum. Tanner didnt' hit it on the rise, though it appeared that way.

My recollection was that Tanner hit it at the apex of the toss, when it was momentarily stationary (not rising or falling).

 

[hoodjem]

Oooops! Double-post.

 

[hoodjem]

Oooops! Triple-post. (How did that happen?)

 

[dominikk1985]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1gc_Bur4UY#t=2m47s

 

[SCRAP IRON]

His serve would be faster than a Ferrari...