Surfy111
Rookie
This is a video of my serve.. can you'l judge and tell me how it is?
This is my first serve btw!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jG27biso5jg
This is my first serve btw!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jG27biso5jg
MY serve analysis! +video+
- Thread starter Surfy111
- Start date
aimr75
Hall of Fame
others can chime in, but a quick observation is that you dont complete the follow through with arm/body rotation.. your racquet ends up on the right side of your body instead of the left side.. see here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcjZ5r_YHV0
dont know if this inhibits the serve, but when watching most great serves, they do a full body rotation with racquet wrapping around the body
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcjZ5r_YHV0
dont know if this inhibits the serve, but when watching most great serves, they do a full body rotation with racquet wrapping around the body
Tennis Dunce
Semi-Pro
The above are all correct...follow-through so that the butt cap is pointing at the net.
OvertheFence
Rookie
Not to hijack the thread or anything, but for a slice serve pronation to follow through, is it to the right of the body ( for rightys)
Djokovicfan4life
Legend
Well, noticing the lack of follow-through is one thing. It's another to actually see what might be causing this issue. I think that the OP is not accelerating through contact, but rather letting up as he approaches the ball. Since his swing is decelerated, his follow-through is shorter as well.
The follow-through in itself does nothing. You don't hit the ball with a follow-through. How you finish your swing is determined by what you do up to contact. If it looks strange, it should be taken as a warning sign that something else is in need of attention.
Matt
The follow-through in itself does nothing. You don't hit the ball with a follow-through. How you finish your swing is determined by what you do up to contact. If it looks strange, it should be taken as a warning sign that something else is in need of attention.
Matt
Mountain Ghost
Professional
Surfy’s Serve
You’re pulling your left shoulder down and opening up too soon. Stay sideways longer and focus on hitting up, with the hitting arm swinging more toward the right netpost.
You have a very good racquet drop, but are not making full use of its potential. I especially like the birds singing in the background . . . India?
MG
You’re pulling your left shoulder down and opening up too soon. Stay sideways longer and focus on hitting up, with the hitting arm swinging more toward the right netpost.
You have a very good racquet drop, but are not making full use of its potential. I especially like the birds singing in the background . . . India?
MG
Surfy111
Rookie
hahaha . thank you .. no im from sri lanka!!your very close though hehe
mista-k
Rookie
your young so you can still fix this...
it seems like your initial wind up is only half way (thus less power)
your form is fine...
learn the "wrist snap" as this can improve both your power and accuracy as you gain more experience with your serve
Tennis Dunce
Semi-Pro
That's a good point. I'm guilty of doing the exact same thing. From now on I'm going to concentrate on accelerating through contact instead of worried about just making contact.
It's easy for me to worry about just getting the ball to drop in the box, but I'm just cheating myself out of MPH's without the acceleration. Thanks!
Djokovicfan4life
Legend
That's a good point. I'm guilty of doing the exact same thing. From now on I'm going to concentrate on accelerating through contact instead of worried about just making contact.
It's easy for me to worry about just getting the ball to drop in the box, but I'm just cheating myself out of MPH's without the acceleration. Thanks!
Yeah, it works, trust me. If only I'd actually listen to my own advice more often. I stunk it up last time I practiced my serve. Today's a new day though.
Solat
Professional
there is no problem with his forearm pronation, other then as MG pointed out he tends to suffer from deceleration through contact, but if you look at his finish position he has definitely pronated through til the butt cap points skyward
mista-k
Rookie
if you mean his "wrist snap" yes there is nothing wrong wd it. I mentioned it coz he can incorporate it in his practice further. if you were referring to his "wind up" > notice his shoulders start @4oclock > he can go further to @7oclock (put your elbows past 6oclock at least) and get more oomph before ball impact also his toss is too well inTO the body. I think he should focus on tossing infront of him...
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Surfy111
Rookie
what do you mean. "put your elbows past 6oclock at least" ????
Djokovicfan4life
Legend
Don't worry about that. It's unimportant given your current arm action. Work on the other stuff, i.e. use of the legs, non hitting arm, hips, etc. The actual swing is the easy part.
Listen to Solat, Mountain Ghost, and Nellie's advice. They know their tennis.
Surfy111
Rookie
another video
this is another video of my first serves. its not so clear though! but watchable
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHVgD995XSI
this is another video of my first serves. its not so clear though! but watchable
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHVgD995XSI
mista-k
Rookie
your take back is short in a nutshell...ive seen many juniors and have played against many juniors and they have excellent take back/windup on serves...
I only have been playing for 30 years...so I guess I still need to brush up on my skills
edit
heres a pic of a 9oclock take back
its like hitting a forehand with a full swing.
+to increase the speed you can work on your wrist snap. it adds more mph
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Djokovicfan4life
Legend
Mista-k, an effortless "wrist snap" is caused by other factors as well. The legs and hips play a huge role in this. As far as the arm action, I think you would agree that it can be compared to a throwing motion, only done straight up towards the sky. No point in over complicating this.
If you pause the video at the exact right spot at 0:02 you can see that the basic trophy pose is there, i.e. upper arm and forearm form an "L" shape, racquet pointing towards sky with a neutral wrist, left arm straight up towards the sky, maximum knee flexion at the apex of the toss, etc. The problem is that this structure breaks down too soon. He drops the left arm prematurely and it all goes downhill from there.
OP: you have a fairly conservative platform stance (meaning not very wide like Sampras or Djokovic), so I advise that you copy Federer's service motion. Watch how long the tossing arm stays up. You should never think about dropping it down to begin with. It'll happen naturally as your right shoulder begins to rise.
Matt
If you pause the video at the exact right spot at 0:02 you can see that the basic trophy pose is there, i.e. upper arm and forearm form an "L" shape, racquet pointing towards sky with a neutral wrist, left arm straight up towards the sky, maximum knee flexion at the apex of the toss, etc. The problem is that this structure breaks down too soon. He drops the left arm prematurely and it all goes downhill from there.
OP: you have a fairly conservative platform stance (meaning not very wide like Sampras or Djokovic), so I advise that you copy Federer's service motion. Watch how long the tossing arm stays up. You should never think about dropping it down to begin with. It'll happen naturally as your right shoulder begins to rise.
Matt
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Surfy...
Basically, you are just pushing the ball into the court with an overhead motion.
Your trophy is too high, and too close to your right ear.
Your swing is too slow, too short, and the followthru everyone mentioned.
You don't turn enough on the prep, so you don't get rotation.
You DO move into the court, but that's only one part of 10 done well.
Lengthen the whole movement. Become a baseball pitcher rather than a baseball catcher (throwing motions of).
Maybe extend tossing arm higher, to get the full archer's bow.
Shorter guys need all the physical parts to serve fast. IvoKarlovic only needs hand speed.
Basically, you are just pushing the ball into the court with an overhead motion.
Your trophy is too high, and too close to your right ear.
Your swing is too slow, too short, and the followthru everyone mentioned.
You don't turn enough on the prep, so you don't get rotation.
You DO move into the court, but that's only one part of 10 done well.
Lengthen the whole movement. Become a baseball pitcher rather than a baseball catcher (throwing motions of).
Maybe extend tossing arm higher, to get the full archer's bow.
Shorter guys need all the physical parts to serve fast. IvoKarlovic only needs hand speed.
Djokovicfan4life
Legend
You had me until that Karlovic part, LD. His technique is flawless, and NOT a byproduct of his height, although it certainly does help.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmmSMJhIUqU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmmSMJhIUqU
mista-k
Rookie
some pts brought up similar to mine. but more informative +++points on that >
Djokovic4life > yes I agree with you in not overcomplicating the motion (range of motion) + other factors but better now than later. like I said he is young and you have to be critical with them coz these are the skill sets they are going to have to up their level as they progress. either way should be fine for the OP / gradual changes could be more beneficial...
question
to surfy >in the vidz > are you trying to do a "flat" or "spin" serve?
Djokovicfan4life
Legend
Yes, I agree. But IMO, players focus on the wrist snap too much. You'll never serve 120 MPH with your wrist. You just might using your entire body.
Surfy111
Rookie
answer.: majority of them are flat. why?
I think, at 5'11" and 150lbs., if I had Karlovic's service motion, I'd serve maybe 100mph MAXIMUM.
I think his motion is stunted, very short with little body twist and shoulder rotation, very mechanical, and the whole motion is based on LIMITING the amount of possible body mechanic MISTAKES, rather than maximising power and ball speed.
As a little tyke who wants/wishes to serve like the big boys, I need much more dynamics into my service motion to get that yellow thing to move anything over 110mph.
My arms just ain't as long as Karlovics, Celics, Lubicics, or any of them wingspan Croats.
My actual wingspan is only 5'9".
I think his motion is stunted, very short with little body twist and shoulder rotation, very mechanical, and the whole motion is based on LIMITING the amount of possible body mechanic MISTAKES, rather than maximising power and ball speed.
As a little tyke who wants/wishes to serve like the big boys, I need much more dynamics into my service motion to get that yellow thing to move anything over 110mph.
My arms just ain't as long as Karlovics, Celics, Lubicics, or any of them wingspan Croats.
My actual wingspan is only 5'9".
Djokovicfan4life
Legend
It helps a little bit, but there is nothing wrong with Ivo's technique. The reason he doesn't throw his hips more into the court is because of the trajectory of the serve. He has to hit down more because of his freakish proportions.
Isn't Ivo like 6'8" tall or so, same as Isner?
That means, when he reaches up from flat footed, he can reach about 9' .
At my under 6' and short arms, I can reach 7'4".
He has almost 20% MORE leverage.
OK, if I used HIS technique serving, my fastest serves would be closer to 85mph.
Look at RandyJohnson. He limits his body and leg movements to harness the ball speed of around 97mph.
Look at TimLincicum. At my height, he needs ALL the body and leg mechanics to get the same speed, so his motion is all helterkelter compared to a guy who's 6'8".
And Celic and Lub are also 6'4", aren't they?
That means, when he reaches up from flat footed, he can reach about 9' .
At my under 6' and short arms, I can reach 7'4".
He has almost 20% MORE leverage.
OK, if I used HIS technique serving, my fastest serves would be closer to 85mph.
Look at RandyJohnson. He limits his body and leg movements to harness the ball speed of around 97mph.
Look at TimLincicum. At my height, he needs ALL the body and leg mechanics to get the same speed, so his motion is all helterkelter compared to a guy who's 6'8".
And Celic and Lub are also 6'4", aren't they?
