Is the Safin shuffle legal or a foot fault?

[Rickson]

I used to have a pretty good pinpoint serve, where I brought up my right foot only, but the farther I threw the ball from my body, the more I shuffled my left foot the way Safin does. I used to play a lot of basketball and the little shuffle hop I use for elevation in basketball has carried over into my serves. Is moving both feet for a shuffle hop a foot fault or is it perfectly legal as long as I don't cross over into the baseline?

 

[TennsDog]

You can do whatever the heck you want before you serve as long as your foot doesn't step on or over the baseline. I used to actually step in with my left leg (I'm a righty) for my first about 6 years of tennis including freshman year of high school. As long as the foot stays behind the line, it is fine.

 

[predrag]

I used to have a pretty good pinpoint serve, where I brought up my right foot only, but the farther I threw the ball from my body, the more I shuffled my left foot the way Safin does. I used to play a lot of basketball and the little shuffle hop I use for elevation in basketball has carried over into my serves. Is moving both feet for a shuffle hop a foot fault or is it perfectly legal as long as I don't cross over into the baseline?

8. Foot Fault
The Server shall throughout the delivery of the Service:
a. Not change his position by walking or running. The Server shall not by slight movement of the feet which do not materially affect location originally taken up by him, be deemed "to change his position by walking or running"

So I guess that interpretation would be, if it is not a significant step, it is not a foot fault.

Regards, Predrag

 

[TennsDog]

Well there you go, I guess I was not entirely accurate, but I did answer your question. I don't recall ever actually seeing Safin's feet while serving, but I think I can picture what you are talking about and even if that is technically a foot fault on the tour, there is no way anyone will ever call it.

 

[Bungalo Bill]

I used to have a pretty good pinpoint serve, where I brought up my right foot only, but the farther I threw the ball from my body, the more I shuffled my left foot the way Safin does. I used to play a lot of basketball and the little shuffle hop I use for elevation in basketball has carried over into my serves. Is moving both feet for a shuffle hop a foot fault or is it perfectly legal as long as I don't cross over into the baseline?

8. Foot Fault
The Server shall throughout the delivery of the Service:
a. Not change his position by walking or running. The Server shall not by slight movement of the feet which do not materially affect location originally taken up by him, be deemed "to change his position by walking or running"

So I guess that interpretation would be, if it is not a significant step, it is not a foot fault.

Regards, Predrag

Predrag is correct. If his foot movement does not materially change his position along the baseline or he steps into the court or on the line before making contact it is not a foot fault.

 

[Eric Matuszewski]

So long as you don't touch the line or court inside the line before the ball has left your strings then it's not a foot fault.

I'm a big Safin fan and I've noticed and tried this as well.
I also played Varsity Basketball in H.S. , went to basketball camps etc. and moved like this to dunk.
Coaches called it a "drop step".

Safins left foot is not the only one that shuffles toward the line.

The most extreme left foot shuffle I've seen was a top 100 guy named Raemon Sluiter at the US Open a couple years ago, I think he made 2nd round.

He moved both feet so much it looked like a running start but didn't get called.

It made me think of the possibilities...
maybe someday in the future we will be taking Michael Jordan slam dunk from the foul line running jumping serves.

The problem with all this extra movement is that the more things you try to do before hitting the ball, the more difficult timing in all those extra motions become. This is why, in general I teach my students that simpler is usually better.

However as the average serve speed increases for top players and the rest try to keep up, I wouldn't be suprised if we see more complicated techniques evolve.

www.advancedtennis.com has some great slow motion videos of Safin for reasonable donations.