Passive arm on the serve

[Finster]

We are supposed to be loose esp with the serve. With that in mind, how passive is the hitting arm after the coil and launch, using our bigger muscles. The arm is loose like a whip. Is it basically following the body like a forehand without really activating the arm muscles?

 

[LeeD]

Enough to retain the racket in y I ur hand

 

[eah123]

I think it’s a misconception that you don’t activate your arm muscles during a “relaxed” serve motion (or forehand). Your arm muscles just intuitively contract in the correct order when you stay relaxed during the swing.

 

[TropicalFruit]

I used to try to totally relax my arm on my serve, but it didn't work, because my elbow would hyperextend and get hurt.

I now prefer to use a little bit of volitional internal shoulder rotation. It's helped my serve tremendously, and my elbow never flares out and gets injured anymore. I feel like I'm more guiding my arm into the correct rotational whip than forcing it there, but it is volitional, it's not purely relaxed.

 

[Dragy]

Definitely not passive. It has to move precisely to deliver good strike on the ball.