oserver
Professional
"Pronation" is a fascinating word in tennis. We cannot play tennis without it. It is also a divisive word. The ones who can do pronation right became advanced players, and the ones who cannot remain to be sub-par players. This picture is undergoing changes now.
To me, pronation in tennis has three different aspects: scale, speed and active levels.
In scale, the pronation in modern tennis serve has a small scale that mostly involve very short time counter rotation of the wrist, the elbow and the shoulder. The the pronation in modern tennis forehand has a much larger scale that involves not only above small muscle groups, but also large muscle groups down below, plus it take a much longer time to complete (the windshield wiper motion occupies a larger space and longer time than in tennis serve situation.)
In speed, the pronation in modern tennis serve is speedy while the pronation in modern tennis forehand is much slower.
In active levels, the pronation in modern tennis serve involves an active arm with rapid flexing of the wrist, while the pronation in modern tennis forehand involves a passive arm with the wrist mostly kept at extension state (from large part of forward swing till early part of followthrough).
Both worked very well so far. For a long time, the co-existence didn't bother anyone. It seemed no one question why two different models or styles. A rather dump answer can look like this: a overhead shot should have its model and a non-overhead shot should have its own.
Since I started open stance serve practice four years ago, I gradually wondering about this separation of styles and unification possibilities. Early last spring, I wrote a article
"Open Tennis Serve Techniques An Introduction to Wrist Extension Tennis Serve", that was when I realized there can be a symmetry between these two different strokes, the forehand and the serve.
In short, a tennis serve can be executed just like the forehand. The only significant difference is the contact height. All other major factors - the stance, the grip and the way to use our wrist and arm, all can be the same.
Now I call it Forehand Serve, or 3O serve (to match the 3O forehand) but against the backdrop of 3C serve.
This means we can bring the forehand pronation to the serve with its large scale, slower and passive arm, and delay the timing of pronation much later in the up/forward swing path.
I know this was radical so I just hope to see some open minded criticism.
To me, pronation in tennis has three different aspects: scale, speed and active levels.
In scale, the pronation in modern tennis serve has a small scale that mostly involve very short time counter rotation of the wrist, the elbow and the shoulder. The the pronation in modern tennis forehand has a much larger scale that involves not only above small muscle groups, but also large muscle groups down below, plus it take a much longer time to complete (the windshield wiper motion occupies a larger space and longer time than in tennis serve situation.)
In speed, the pronation in modern tennis serve is speedy while the pronation in modern tennis forehand is much slower.
In active levels, the pronation in modern tennis serve involves an active arm with rapid flexing of the wrist, while the pronation in modern tennis forehand involves a passive arm with the wrist mostly kept at extension state (from large part of forward swing till early part of followthrough).
Both worked very well so far. For a long time, the co-existence didn't bother anyone. It seemed no one question why two different models or styles. A rather dump answer can look like this: a overhead shot should have its model and a non-overhead shot should have its own.
Since I started open stance serve practice four years ago, I gradually wondering about this separation of styles and unification possibilities. Early last spring, I wrote a article
"Open Tennis Serve Techniques An Introduction to Wrist Extension Tennis Serve", that was when I realized there can be a symmetry between these two different strokes, the forehand and the serve.
In short, a tennis serve can be executed just like the forehand. The only significant difference is the contact height. All other major factors - the stance, the grip and the way to use our wrist and arm, all can be the same.
Now I call it Forehand Serve, or 3O serve (to match the 3O forehand) but against the backdrop of 3C serve.
This means we can bring the forehand pronation to the serve with its large scale, slower and passive arm, and delay the timing of pronation much later in the up/forward swing path.
I know this was radical so I just hope to see some open minded criticism.
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. He may not know that his forehand is his best resource for improving his serves. He may be still thinking - serve is a overhead but my forehand is not, so the forehand has nothing to do with the serve. 
