Muscles the pros use that we're not: Tip from the Serve Doctor

[HunterST]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlPVdppfYGs#t=1m57s

I've noticed that virtually every pro has their chest angled upwards as they during the cartwheel motion of their serve (moving the front shoulder down and the back shoulder up).

Example from Djokovic: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NO1X4m7FOuI

This activates different muscles than if the chest not angled up. To me it seems like the same muscles that would be used if a person were to throw a javelin.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5wdaSwVeTo

It's also similar to if you put your arm to your side, kept your arm straight, and threw a tennis ball using your chest muscles to use your whole arm.

I really don't think most players use their chest muscles during the serve (including myself).

 

[larry10s]

if you you serve using any type of throwing motion you have to use your chest muscles to some degree
when your raquet arm goes back into the drop and your non dominant arm
moves away you are starting to stretch your chest musles.
pat wants your chest pointing up so you direct your forces "up the mountain" and not foward

 

[HunterST]

if you you serve using any type of throwing motion you have to use your chest muscles to some degree
when your raquet arm goes back into the drop and your non dominant arm
moves away you are starting to stretch your chest musles.
pat wants your chest pointing up so you direct your forces "up the mountain" and not foward

So you're saying this happens naturally and isn't something players need to consciously develop?

I'll have to record my serve to see if I am doing this. If you look at Federer, Djokovic, Roddick, or any pro really, it looks like they're using their chest more than I usually visualize. It's like their racket arm is almost a catapult.

I tried to emulate this yesterday, and I found it to be helpful on second serves, but not so much on firsts.

 

[yellowoctopus]

Personally I try to remind myself to 'get the chest to the ball' during an overhead to avoid hitting the shot flat-footed or overly passive.

(not implying that I hit my overhead like Mr. Federer, just an illustration of my point)

 

[mike53]

The younger guys are getting a lot of back extension. This may not be advisable for everyone.

 

[larry10s]

So you're saying this happens naturally and isn't something players need to consciously develop?

I'll have to record my serve to see if I am doing this. If you look at Federer, Djokovic, Roddick, or any pro really, it looks like they're using their chest more than I usually visualize. It's like their racket arm is almost a catapult.

I tried to emulate this yesterday, and I found it to be helpful on second serves, but not so much on firsts.

hunter what i am saying is similar to the racquet drop
the pros get a much deeper racquet drop than most rec players but most of us get some kind of racquet drop
all of us use our chest muscles to SOME degree
most of us dont get that chest angle or stretch of the chest muscles like the pros and thats partly why their serves are better.
if you focus on the "cartwheel"
the pros really get shoulder over shoulder(6-12 on qa clock) to get that look
most of our shoulder over shoulder is more like 8-2 if lucky.

 

[larry10s]

here is a pitcher throwing . he has as much chest stretch as the server but the angle its directed makes it look different
http://www.secsportsfan.com/images/college-baseball-pitcher1.jpg

 

[Djokovicfan4life]

Ugh, it's ridiculously low elbow position Djokovic again. Was hoping I'd never see him again.

 

[Majik]

Throwing the chest out is one of the keys. And now I think I know why. It helps you get that left shoulder down so you are hitting with your right arm extended in line with your shoulders where it is stronger, not so much of an overhead which is weaker. There is also probably some added thrust as your body straightens out as you make contact with the ball.

 

[Borg Forever]

I saw Murray serving from behind at the US Open this year, and what I can say is this: he gets a LOT of additional power from loading his body weight and snapping forward, such as the hips, chest, legs.

 

[HunterST]

Hey guys. I got an opportunity to try this out, and I have to say, It worked really well.

I concentrated on focusing my energy "up the mountain", kept my chest up, and used the muscles in my chest to crank forward. It led to a much higher 1st serve percentage, and a heavier ball.

Now, obviously the chest wasn't the only thing used to crank forward. I still used torso rotation and stuck my hip out. However, I think keeping my chest up helped me get my power into the ball.

 

[Limpinhitter]

Hey guys. I got an opportunity to try this out, and I have to say, It worked really well.

I concentrated on focusing my energy "up the mountain", kept my chest up, and used the muscles in my chest to crank forward. It led to a much higher 1st serve percentage, and a heavier ball.

Now, obviously the chest wasn't the only thing used to crank forward. I still used torso rotation and stuck my hip out. However, I think keeping my chest up helped me get my power into the ball.

Or, you could just get a full turn and tilt of your shoulders to maximize your upper body rotation.

 

[HunterST]

Or, you could just get a full turn and tilt of your shoulders to maximize your upper body rotation.

Nope, I've always done that. The problem is once the swing begins, if the chest doesn't remain up, all of that energy is directed forward rather than upward.

If you look at the pros I think it's pretty obvious that they're doing this.

 

[Strateon]

Nope, I've always done that. The problem is once the swing begins, if the chest doesn't remain up, all of that energy is directed forward rather than upward.

If you look at the pros I think it's pretty obvious that they're doing this.

Well its been my experience that if u achieve a good degree of torso rotation while sticking your front hip out, ur chest is naturally aligned "up".

 

[HunterST]

Well its been my experience that if u achieve a good degree of torso rotation while sticking your front hip out, ur chest is naturally aligned "up".

I agree. My chest has always been up during the trophy pose position. It's during the swing that I'm talking about. Actually, I watched an old video of myself and it appeared my chest stayed up during the swing as well.

However, somehow this strategy led to me making a lot more first serves. I don't want to start over analyzing for fear that I might lose it, haha.