Never seen a coach feed serves like this.

[FiddlerDog]

Going to try this during my next practice session

 

[FTW]

wow, that's brilliant actually. gonna try it with my friends too

 

[Rosstour]

Patrick isn't dumb.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

Patrick must have been watching my classes again. I started doing this at least 5 or 6 years ago. Can't remember where I first saw it. Neither Patrick nor I invented it (unless he's been keeping it under his hat). It's probably been around for a while

I was also feeding it deeper... to get players to hit on the rise with a quick, compact preparation.

 

[ChaelAZ]

A lot of coaches do this to get the topspin bounce. I've seen coaches do it from the other side of the next as well, and I tried it, but it takes some practice to get the feed right. Very useful for sure.

 

[LeeD]

Actually, saw this in 1976, watching City College of SF practice for a scrimmage vs UC Berk.
That's D-3 vs D-1, which is why it was a scrimmage.
Feeder simulates RESERVA times while not wearing himself out.
Returner works on short swing and forward movement.

 

[LeeD]

Spellcheck......ROServe..return of serve

 

[RobS]

I've practiced with that and it's helpful. I've also practiced with feeds from the other side of the net where the ball is fed with a double bounce so that the ball really jumps off the 2nd bounce. The feeder hit the ball into the ground with top spin on his side of the net and it bounces again in my service box and it kicks like a heavy spin serve.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

I don't really recall when I first came across this type of feeding.

Have been working with another coach, a former D2 player, on his serves & returns. I had asked him when he first saw this type of feed. He had indicated that he recalls seeing it about the same time that he was learning about the Spanish method of teaching. Sounds about right.

But Not sure if this is part of that system since the Spanish drills employ quite a lot of hand-feeding. I first learned of the Spanish system around 2011.

From TennisPlayer.net:

Building the Spanish Forehand: Stroke Shaping and Hand Feeding

.

 

[RobS]

I don't really recall when I first came across this type of feeding.

Have been working with another coach, a former D2 player, on his serves & returns. I had asked them when he first saw this type of feed. He had indicated that he recalls seeing it about the same time that he was learning about the Spanish method of teaching.

Not sure if this is part of that system since the Spanish system employs quite a lot of hand-feeding drills. I first learned of the Spanish system around 2011.

From TennisPlayer.net:

Building the Spanish Forehand: Stroke Shaping and Hand Feeding

.

I think you're right on this. Lewit also wrote a book called the Secret of Spanish Tennis. One chapter is titled "Suffering" by the way. I made the mistake of giving it to the pro I regularly work with after I read it. He ended up killing me with hand feeds shortly after for months. It's brutal drilling especially for a 40+ man like me. I can't recall exactly, but I think the double bounce serve feed I mentioned above may have come from the book or one of Lewis' videos. Back to the hand feeding, I highly recommend it for the guys who struggle with pushers and junk ballers.

 

[Nellie]

I have seen coaches in Spanish academies stand close and to the side of a player (so the coach does not get hit) and do soft hand feeds to build reaction timing. I have also seen similar drills used in baseball for batting drills.