Serve diary

[Chas Tennis]

Early January 2014 :
...........................................................................................
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0F8cK4HRHo

As before, the shoulder is not oriented to do external shoulder rotation (ESR) when the legs thrust upward. Looks as if you pose the shoulder, forearm & racket briefly in about the right position and then raise the shoulder away from the right position before you apply leg thrust. That orientation spoils the ESR. On this point compare your orientation to pro servers in slow motion.

Thread racket drop.
http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=475036

Thread with reply on the reason for holding the racket as recommended for the leg thrust.
http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?p=7005629#post7005629

Reply showing Stosur from above. Look at shoulder straight out and elbow & racket at about a right angle when she thrusts up with her legs. You mess this up before thrusting ups with your legs.
http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showpost.php?p=7722803&postcount=70

This issue is complicated because there are other motions ('cartwheel', 'somersault') that also can result in ESR for stretching, in addition to the leg thrust. View the pro videos and look at the timing of leg thrust and the racket orientation.

The quickest way to get this is to understand the dominant part played by internal shoulder rotation (ISR) in high level serving. This issue involves stretching the ISR muscles by externally rotating the shoulder (ESR). You are messing up the ESR that the leg thrust produces.

Use the terms IRS & ESR as you think about the serve. When the light bulb comes on you will be able to see this simpler stuff easily. Uncomfortable using those terms? An hour on the internet....

For replies with details, pictures, videos and references,
Search, using "Show Posts": internal shoulder rotation Chas Tennis

Terms defined on the internet -
Google: external shoulder rotation

Google: internal shoulder rotation

 

[Ballinbob]

Freeze the video at your trophy position. Your wrist looks really distorted/awkward. You'll probably want to fix that as it might cause some injuries further on. This is easier to see in the first video

Your hitting elbow is still too high as well.

Keep at it though

 

[santihaas]

Freeze the video at your trophy position. Your wrist looks really distorted/awkward. You'll probably want to fix that as it might cause some injuries further on. This is easier to see in the first video

Your hitting elbow is still too high as well.

Keep at it though

I think that indeed I do twist my wrist in the beggining of the serve but IMO it adjusts in my trophy position as somebody else already said.


I think my elbow is already low enough I don't know if it's a good ideia to lower it more

 

[WildVolley]

I think my elbow is already low enough I don't know if it's a good idea to lower it more

It isn't. But it does seem better (lower) than before. It is still a little high at the start of your forward movement.

I still maintain if you had the elbow slightly more in line with the shoulders as you moved the elbow up toward contact, you'd get more power, and an easier stretch across the chest.

Some great servers start with the elbow slightly high (thinking Raonic here) but they drop down more in line as the elbow moves forward toward contact. I think it might be a good idea to compare your serve to Raonic and see what you could do differently.

By the way, I love that court.

 

[Ballinbob]

Yeah his elbow is lower but not quite there yet

What are your thoughts on the way he positions his wrist in the trophy position? Pause at two seconds in the video

http://youtu.be/vCJ_H4O1QQc

 

[Chas Tennis]

Sampras & Raonic Serve Videos

Pete Sampras Serve
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBv4WjGQWFQ

Draw a line from one shoulder to the other shoulder and then out to the elbow. Compare that shoulder-shoulder-elbow orientation in this serve to your serve. Look at the external shoulder rotation when the legs thrust up. (See Ellenbecker video).

Another. Raonic serve. Videos of other Raonic serves are also in the collection.
https://vimeo.com/63688133

 

[Lukhas]

If you can't change the position of your elbow during your normal, full-motion serve, then break it down. There's no shame in it.Try something like this for example.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9QU8_pAVTM
Source

 

[Topspin Shot]

Yeah his elbow is lower but not quite there yet

What are your thoughts on the way he positions his wrist in the trophy position? Pause at two seconds in the video

http://youtu.be/vCJ_H4O1QQc

It's a little unusual, but I don't think it's hurting his serve. If I'm not mistaken, Raonic flexes his wrist a bit here as well.

 

[Ballinbob]

^Fair enough, thanks

 

[shindemac]

Early January 2014 :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCJ_H4O1QQc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0F8cK4HRHo

First vid looks pretty good. It looks like you're quieting down your body compared to your original serve videos. More relaxed, not over-rotating, and developing the kinetic chain.

In the second video, balance and extra movements before you start the service motion are causing problems. Look at the serves where you fault, and you'll notice your body and arms are swinging a bit too much. When you shift weight from your front foot to your back leg, you're thrown a little off balance which screws up everything afterward.

You're probably not even aware of these tiny differences in body positions so you need to develop your balance and body awareness more. You can get a balance board or do ballet exercises like standing on one leg, stand on tip-toes. Just google balance exercises.

 

[santihaas]

First vid looks pretty good. It looks like you're quieting down your body compared to your original serve videos. More relaxed, not over-rotating, and developing the kinetic chain.

In the second video, balance and extra movements before you start the service motion are causing problems. Look at the serves where you fault, and you'll notice your body and arms are swinging a bit too much. When you shift weight from your front foot to your back leg, you're thrown a little off balance which screws up everything afterward.

You're probably not even aware of these tiny differences in body positions so you need to develop your balance and body awareness more. You can get a balance board or do ballet exercises like standing on one leg, stand on tip-toes. Just google balance exercises.

Thanks for the input