Opening shoulder on slice serve

EddieBrock

Hall of Fame
I was watching videos from 2 different coaches and they appearec to give conflicting advice.

Top tennis trainig says to open shoulders early and use them to ensure your throwing your hitting shoulder at the ball to generate the slice.



Crunch time coaching says to keep your shoulders closed and even exagerrates holding them and tucks the racket.

3:00


Which is it?

Also, when hitting a slice serve for a first serve how to you ensure you get good slice without arming the serve?
 

Pete Player

Hall of Fame
...

Also, when hitting a slice serve for a first serve how to you ensure you get good slice without arming the serve?

Just throw the racket at the ball without too much pronation.


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On pain meds - all contributed matter and anti-matter subject to disclaimer
 

Tennisanity

Legend
Amount of pronation should be the same on both slice and flat serves. Just different at what stage of pronation contact is made and swing path.
 

FiReFTW

Legend
Amount of pronation should be the same on both slice and flat serves. Just different at what stage of pronation contact is made and swing path.

I don't think people should really focus on that tho, pronation happens naturaly, depends on the swing and how much you open or how soon you open etc.. I think best bet is to probably videotape yourself in slow motion and analyze that with the pro players and fix the obvious issues ur having, then if some issues remain that you can't seem to fix try with a coach or maybe post a topic here and maybe someone can offer you some tips on how to correct that.
 

Tennisanity

Legend
Agreed pronation should happen naturally, but the fact is it doesn't in many people. So sometimes in the beginning you have to force it to get how it feels and then let it happen natural with your body knowing how it feels.
 

atp2015

Hall of Fame
The first one is a high level serve technique with the same toss as other serves.

The second one is an all arm, "carve the ball from outside" idea by tossing away to the right, low level technique. Easy to see where the serve is going by looking at the toss.
 

Limpinhitter

G.O.A.T.
I was watching videos from 2 different coaches and they appearec to give conflicting advice.

Top tennis trainig says to open shoulders early and use them to ensure your throwing your hitting shoulder at the ball to generate the slice.



Crunch time coaching says to keep your shoulders closed and even exagerrates holding them and tucks the racket.

3:00


Which is it?

Also, when hitting a slice serve for a first serve how to you ensure you get good slice without arming the serve?

This goes against the common knowledge.

Try hitting your serve with the same set up, shoulder turn and swing path as you would hitting a kick serve to the right side of the box, except, at contact turn your racquet face to the left side of the box, and see what happens.
 
Last edited:

Pete Player

Hall of Fame
There is a big difference in those two OP-videos. Looking at the racket face angles at contact I think the later is more to lower level, kind of recreational slow speed slice serves. And the first more of a high-level serves with pace too.


——————————
On pain meds - all contributed matter and anti-matter subject to disclaimer
 

Pete Player

Hall of Fame
I’m using eastern backhand grip on serves. For flat I sometimes go little more towards the continental, but in general eastern bh gives me more confidence on the control, where I aim and hit. It also promotes more pronation by itself.


——————————
On pain meds - all contributed matter and anti-matter subject to disclaimer
 
Last edited:

EddieBrock

Hall of Fame
There is a big difference in those two OP-videos. Looking at the racket face angles at contact I think the later is more to lower level, kind of recreational slow speed slice serves. And the first more of a high-level serves with pace too.


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On pain meds - all contributed matter and anti-matter subject to disclaimer

The 2nd one (left hander) seems to generate effective short slices more consistently than the guy in the 1st video. Obviously in the 1st video he has more pace and uses his whole body, but for someone standing far back the 2nd guy's serve seems better.
 

atp2015

Hall of Fame
The 2nd one (left hander) seems to generate effective short slices more consistently than the guy in the 1st video. Obviously in the 1st video he has more pace and uses his whole body, but for someone standing far back the 2nd guy's serve seems better.

As effective as underhand serve.
So slow and easily readable from wide toss.
 
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