After watching Nadal at the Aus Open I don't get why he doesn't serve bigger. He is tall enough, has a great physique and yet his serve is on average 20- 30klms down on many of the top players. Surely his team should try an increase the effectiveness/speed of his serve.He basically has to fight for every point on his serve, as he struggles to pick up any free points off the serve. I think maybe his shoulders are a little too front on, but any ideas?
Nadal's Serve
- Thread starter GregN
- Start date
CentreCourt
Rookie
He does it deliberately, as part of his match strategy, if you hear Federer speak on it. He reckons Nadal feels cold if he isn't constantly trying to turn it into a slugfest.
Harry_Wild
G.O.A.T.
Rafa only serves hard enough so the returns float back to like the service line! He can serve up to 130 mph but elect not too!
D
Deleted member 3771
Guest
If Rafa switched to a more traditional easy power type of racquet his serve would go to the next level. Serving consistently fast with his tweener racquet requires too much effort. Same with his return of serve which would also improve dramatically with a better racquet - Name the top 5 returners of serve that use a tweener like Rafa's?
he has already answered this years ago and several times. He serves slower on PURPOSE as it suits his grinding style, he tries to get a return from the receiver and buy himself time to hit a big shot back. He said If he serves too big ball comes back to quick. He has been very explicit in stating why he serves slow because of this. He upped his speed USO because of knees and straight away then went back to how he likes to serve, slow, little variation to the backhand
Fed has mentioned less but has said he serves slower on purpose to try and get better placement
Basically it suits nads grinding style. Even in serving he is a grinder. Moya has made his serve more aggressive. Not moyas fault but at the same time nads return of serve has become even more grinder like
im not knocking the effectivess, it does work. However, in the long toroitse and hare game his style of play, and in this case serve, has been a bad choice that has led to constant injuries and 1 indoor title his whole career
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goldengoose
Rookie
Don't forget he is a natural right hander.
See above
MichaelNadal
Bionic Poster
Tbh his serve is fine right now
titoelcolombiano
Legend
When you've won 16 slams you're on to a pretty good formula. Same with Fed v Rafa pre 2017. Everyone was saying Fed should do this and that but he'd already won 17 slams so he didn't feel the need to make a change earlier
I guess I can believe this could be a tactic for clay courts, however I am having trouble believing its viable on other surfaces. I find it difficult to believe that even Nadal would want to extend points on hard courts in a Grand Slam event for seven matches over two weeks! By the way I am a Nadal fan and admire his fighting spirit, I just feel matches would be so much easier for him if he got more free points off his serve.
fedtennisphan
Hall of Fame
You only say he needs a better because he can’t outgrind the player as easy as he used to. Nadal is losing the war of attrition.
