Serve Help

[AlexSV]

Hi, I started playing this summer. The last two months I've been trying to play matches whenever I have the chance. My serve is really letting me down and I only keep around 1/3 of them in.

The video is the result of around two months of trying to teach myself. Video quality is not great and I didn't have a camera person but any help would be appreciated.

 

[IowaGuy]

Hi, I started playing this summer. The last two months I've been trying to play matches whenever I have the chance. My serve is really letting me down and I only keep around 1/3 of them in.

The video is the result of around two months of trying to teach myself. Video quality is not great and I didn't have a camera person but any help would be appreciated.

The service motion is very complex and one of the most difficult tennis shots.

If you can afford a private coach, that might be a good idea for a few lessons and just focus on serves. He/she can point you in the right direction.

IMHO, teaching yourself to serve is fine if you're just playing tennis to have fun. If you want to really improve your serve, you'll need to learn proper serving fundamentals, and the best way to do that is with a good coach. YMMV...

 

[Kevo]

It's not too bad for two months of teaching yourself. I would suggest simplifying the motion to start with. Trying to learn so many moving parts all at once is not the best way to learn the serve in my experience. I start my students off with the toss first and then add in an abbreviated swing. For younger students and beginners who don't have some experience with a throwing sport that swing is not even really a swing. It's arm up and turn the strings through the ball. Once they master that and are able to aim reasonably well and hit cleanly into the box, then we start adding in the rest of the elements piece by piece. Doing it this way if you practice 3-4 times a week you can work up a nice service motion in a couple of months. Then you pretty much end up trying to perfect it the rest of your life.

 

[Fintft]

Disclaimer: I'm not a coach and not even a very good player.

But, props to you, b/c your serve is better then many people have after years of tennis (hard to believe that you've played only 2 months).

My quick suggestion would be to try to jump into the court (b/c your left foot never leaves the ground).

My second one would be to try to make sure that you hit your serve with an extended arm.

So it's only in matches when only 1/3 of your serves go in? (b/c in your video both serves seem to go in).

If so, that's normal, nerves play a huge part and eventually you'll learn to serve as relaxed in matches as in practice.
Some minor things that might help:
a) Slow down (especially before you serve). Breathe.
b) Have a routine (i.e. bounce the balls the same number of times for each serve, unlike what you are doing now).

 

[styksnstryngs]

I see you have a good trophy position, but you're holding it there for too long. You shouldn't stop your motion once you begin, just pass through the trophy position as you begin upwards acceleration. The trophy position is merely where you seem to slow down when your racquet head stops going up and begins to drop behind your back in a smooth loop.

 

[Chas Tennis]

Hi, I started playing this summer. The last two months I've been trying to play matches whenever I have the chance. My serve is really letting me down and I only keep around 1/3 of them in.

The video is the result of around two months of trying to teach myself. Video quality is not great and I didn't have a camera person but any help would be appreciated.

I'd say that it is probably a Waiter Tray's technique.

If the upper arm were rotating from ISR I believe that the racket and forearm, with bent elbow, would move to the side and forward and show in the video. Rather than looking up from the ground, a better camera view is to sight the camera looking along the ball's trajectory from well up off the ground on a tripod.

There are many posts describing the WT.

Google: Waiter Try Error Hi Tech Tennis

Todd Ellenbecker has a video "Rotator Cuff Injury" that describes the orientation of the upper arm during the high level serve to reduce the risk of injury. Video available with subscription to Tennis Resources. The high level ATP servers are examples of good practice for the upper arm orientation throughout the service motion. Search this issue also on the forum especially a post by David Whiteside, biomechanics researcher.

 

[Chas Tennis]

This post illustrates the fastest parts of a high level serve.
https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/ind...ronation-on-serve.622271/page-2#post-12542309

 

[samarai]

your serve actually looks good for 2 months. keep at it. ive been playing for 10 years and the serve still lets me down at times. Its the most complex shot in tennis. ive
seen people play there whole life and still pancake that sucker in.

 

[AlexSV]

I'd say that it is probably a Waiter Tray's technique.

If the upper arm were rotating from ISR I believe that the racket and forearm, with bent elbow, would move to the side and forward and show in the video. Rather than looking up from the ground, a better camera view is to sight the camera looking along the ball's trajectory from well up off the ground on a tripod.

There are many posts describing the WT.

Google: Waiter Try Error Hi Tech Tennis

Todd Ellenbecker has a video "Rotator Cuff Injury" that describes the orientation of the upper arm during the high level serve to reduce the risk of injury. Video available with subscription to Tennis Resources. The high level ATP servers are examples of good practice for the upper arm orientation throughout the service motion. Search this issue also on the forum especially a post by David Whiteside, biomechanics researcher.

The Hi Tech Tennis videos helped show what is happening. I can see how the racquet is opening up prematurely after watching the clips on that site. Thanks for the help.

 

[AlexSV]

Disclaimer: I'm not a coach and not even a very good player.

But, props to you, b/c your serve is better then many people have after years of tennis (hard to believe that you've played only 2 months).

My quick suggestion would be to try to jump into the court (b/c your left foot never leaves the ground).

My second one would be to try to make sure that you hit your serve with an extended arm.

So it's only in matches when only 1/3 of your serves go in? (b/c in your video both serves seem to go in).

If so, that's normal, nerves play a huge part and eventually you'll learn to serve as relaxed in matches as in practice.
Some minor things that might help:
a) Slow down (especially before you serve). Breathe.
b) Have a routine (i.e. bounce the balls the same number of times for each serve, unlike what you are doing now).

Thanks, I think a routine would help with tempo and relaxing before the shot. I'll have to work on developing something.

 

[AlexSV]

This post illustrates the fastest parts of a high level serve.
https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/ind...ronation-on-serve.622271/page-2#post-12542309

That's another really great link. I was able to find some similar frames from the video I posted and I can see how the racquet is opening up early and the shoulder alignment is off as I move through the final phase of the serve.

Thanks.

 

[RetroSpin]

Hi, I started playing this summer. The last two months I've been trying to play matches whenever I have the chance. My serve is really letting me down and I only keep around 1/3 of them in.

The video is the result of around two months of trying to teach myself. Video quality is not great and I didn't have a camera person but any help would be appreciated.

For a couple of months, your serve is not bad at all. The main problem I see is you appear to be trying to hit checkpoints along the way. That interferes with a smooth relaxed swing, the real key to power. You need to get a better drop, deeper and more behind you. Now, you appear to stop just before impact and hit it by flipping your wrist, ie flexion.

I would do what a poster above suggested. Begin with an abbreviated motion and get the release through impact correct. Then learn a dynamic move into drop and how to snap it up from there.

 

[AlexSV]

For a couple of months, your serve is not bad at all. The main problem I see is you appear to be trying to hit checkpoints along the way. That interferes with a smooth relaxed swing, the real key to power. You need to get a better drop, deeper and more behind you. Now, you appear to stop just before impact and hit it by flipping your wrist, ie flexion.

I would do what a poster above suggested. Begin with an abbreviated motion and get the release through impact correct. Then learn a dynamic move into drop and how to snap it up from there.

I agree. At this point, it is a bit of a check box exercise where I'm trying to hit some check points along the way. I think I'll have to back up a couple of steps and focus on the drop and release through impact.

I actually though I was using a lot of shoulder, and I didn't notice the wrist flip until you mentioned it.

Thanks for the feedback.

 

[Fintft]

I see you have a good trophy position, but you're holding it there for too long. You shouldn't stop your motion once you begin, just pass through the trophy position as you begin upwards acceleration. The trophy position is merely where you seem to slow down when your racquet head stops going up and begins to drop behind your back in a smooth loop.

I second this advice to the OP! From my own experience and also I've heard it emphasized a lot recently.