How to improve my first serve?

[TennisFace]

Sorry about the lack of footage and me mucking about at the end of the serve. It was originally just taken for a joke but then i thought that since it's caught on video i may as well ask for tips on how to improve the serve.

I can try and get some more footage next week with some more first serves and my second serve.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9uwSA7IoFA

 

[r2473]

It looks like you dip into a knee bend without achieving the "set to launch" position. See minute 2:30 in this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajoZ0f7hw-A

 

[LeeD]

Lower racket hand at trophy position. You are not spiking a volleyball here.
Turn more sideways.
Swing faster.
Thrust your body upwards and into the court, so you land inside the court by at least 18".
Adopt an archer's bow, which ties with the first sentence.

 

[TennisFace]

Thank you for the video. I'm assuming the set to launch position is kind of the same as the trophy position?

 

[r2473]

^^ Yup. It's a good video. Worth purchasing the entire DVD (on Amazon).

All of what LeeD says is covered in the video. For example, the reason your hand is high is related to your knee bend without getting into "set to launch", because in set to launch, you will be tilting your shoulder back and your hip will bow out (all the same movement). This will automatically lower your racquet. It will be impossible to lower your racquet in the position you achieve before serve.

 

[TennisFace]

Cheers for the tips guys, will work on some of the stuff and try and get a longer video posted soon.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

You could try to synchronize your arms. You rush the racket arm to the trophy position and then hold it there waiting for your toss release. Try having the arms come up together or have the tossing arm lead somewhat rather than have the longer appendage (arm + racket) leading. If you can sync the 2 arms better you would not have to stop and then start the racket again. It should, hopefully, produce a better rhythm

 

[Topspin Shot]

You have a hitch in the trophy position that limits your racket speed. Either keep a continuous swing with no pause in trophy or do what Systemic Anomaly says and adopt a down together up together motion. The hitting arm shouldn't move before the tossing arm either way.

 

[JohnB]

You could try to synchronize your arms. You rush the racket arm to the trophy position and then hold it there waiting for your toss release. Try having the arms come up together or have the tossing arm lead somewhat rather than have the longer appendage (arm + racket) leading. If you can sync the 2 arms better you would not have to stop and then start the racket again. It should, hopefully, produce a better rhythm

I second that.

 

[Tight Lines]

Although hard to see, it looks like you are not doing enough pronation (forearm roll, ISR) because the racket hitting surface is pointing down as you hit the ball. It should point to the right side fence. IMO, that is the easiest way to get extra power.

Check this video out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iONY6fcqZGg

Once you achieve that, then you can correct your trophy position as others have mentioned.

Good luck.

Harry

 

[xFullCourtTenniSx]

1) Get a "ritual" - a process you go through before serving.
2) For your pre-service "pause", have your hands connected. Think Agassi, Djokovic, Sampras. Agassi and Djokovic have the ball in the center of the strings. Sampras had the ball in the throat (like normal people). Some people put their tossing hands together at the handle.
3) Don't move your back foot up. Your problem right now is you rotate into the shot before you actually initiate your swing. Why is this a problem? Consider moving your extended arm from behind you to your front as quickly as possible. Now, turn your shoulders to face the side, and do the exact same motion while rotating your shoulders forward. Which one has your hand moving faster? The method that incorporates the shoulder rotation. Which one also takes less effort to generate speed? The same method. When you pull your back foot up, your hips rotate forward, which draw your shoulders to rotate forward. This is fine if you load your shoulders against your hips (rotate it the other way) then release the load as you reach up for the ball, generating a fair amount of racket head speed. However, it requires more of a conscious effort to that than simply keeping the foot back and having the entire body rotate in a chain reaction to reaching up for the ball.

 

[Avles]

Although hard to see, it looks like you are not doing enough pronation (forearm roll, ISR) because the racket hitting surface is pointing down as you hit the ball. It should point to the right side fence.

Just to clarify, I think you mean "immediately after" you hit the ball, not "as you hit the ball." The face has to be basically square at contact for the ball to go into the court. It should be pointed to the right after contact though.

This Safin video shows it pretty well: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhrfqjokS_Q (Contact at :54, racquet face pointing right at :55).

 

[Tight Lines]

Just to clarify, I think you mean "immediately after" you hit the ball, not "as you hit the ball." The face has to be basically square at contact for the ball to go into the court. It should be pointed to the right after contact though.

Correct. That's what I meant.

Harry