switching to platform

[AllCourtHeathen]

I naturally serve pinpoint.
It is just what my body wants to do.
I always found platform impossible in the past.

Lately though, when mucking around, it seems I feel so much more balanced when serving with a platform stance. It feels like everything is almost still, and I can almost take my time to decide just how I want to hit the ball. Though my instincts are telling me I am robbing myself of leg drive and power and momentum.

Has anybody else switched successfully from pinpoint to platform?

I kinda feel like I am doing things backwards

 

[Shroud]

I naturally serve pinpoint.
It is just what my body wants to do.
I always found platform impossible in the past.

Lately though, when mucking around, it seems I feel so much more balanced when serving with a platform stance. It feels like everything is almost still, and I can almost take my time to decide just how I want to hit the ball. Though my instincts are telling me I am robbing myself of leg drive and power and momentum.

Has anybody else switched successfully from pinpoint to platform?

I kinda feel like I am doing things backwards

In the process myself and i know exactly what you are saying!

Just hang in there. Its starting to click for me and i am getting better and better with more reps.

What i have noticed is that the loss of momentum is not a big deal and just being more balanced is a worthwhile trade off

 

[GN-001]

I naturally serve pinpoint.
It is just what my body wants to do.
I always found platform impossible in the past.

Lately though, when mucking around, it seems I feel so much more balanced when serving with a platform stance. It feels like everything is almost still, and I can almost take my time to decide just how I want to hit the ball. Though my instincts are telling me I am robbing myself of leg drive and power and momentum.

Has anybody else switched successfully from pinpoint to platform?

I kinda feel like I am doing things backwards

Like you I also had a pinpoint, but switched for some reason I can't remember. The leg drive was definitely helpful in getting net clearance, exploding upwards and flat serves were great. When I first switched, I lost some of that explosive power and net clearance on flat serves but realised my topspin serve improved because I was dropping my shoulder more and I was more stable. Eventually I made adjustments and now I can hit flat serves almost just as well as pinpoint and I'm more stable too with better variation and topspin than I did before but it did take me awhile.

That was just my experience, yours may differ. Find the stance you believe in. There is going to be an adjustment period and you may find you ll lose some of the explosive power at the start but if you keep working at it, you will get it back.

 

[SinjinCooper]

Cylinder drill for about a month. Your transition will be seamless (and your serve will improve a lot).

 

[S&V-not_dead_yet]

I made the transition last year to address the problem of my back foot sliding too far forward and going past my front foot, which makes it difficult to remain in a coiled position so I lose a lot of energy of the core. I S&V [if you couldn't guess by my username] and have been told that pinpoint is better to get to the net more quickly but I had to balance that vs the other factors and I ended up going with platform.

I was injured at the time and not playing at all so I had the advantage of downtime to work out the kinks [and there were a lot of them, believe you me!]. It took a couple of months to start feeling normal. 9 months later, I don't think about it anymore.

 

[AllCourtHeathen]

Like you I also had a pinpoint, but switched for some reason I can't remember. The leg drive was definitely helpful in getting net clearance, exploding upwards and flat serves were great. When I first switched, I lost some of that explosive power and net clearance on flat serves but realised my topspin serve improved because I was dropping my shoulder more and I was more stable. Eventually I made adjustments and now I can hit flat serves almost just as well as pinpoint and I'm more stable too with better variation and topspin than I did before but it did take me awhile.

That was just my experience, yours may differ. Find the stance you believe in. There is going to be an adjustment period and you may find you ll lose some of the explosive power at the start but if you keep working at it, you will get it back.

YES! You describe it perfectly! It is amazing me, but i am finding it is easier to gain spin from platform, as I feel lower, and loaded, and have more real estate to grab the ball on the way up. I am just having to adjust my ball toss, I used to toss quite a ways out front, now I need to rein it back just a little as the contact point feels different. I had a hit today with a young gun who was really good, and I didn't even feel anywhere near being "in the zone" I felt tired and crap, yet I was still getting my kicker to jump to head height for him. Pretty pleased.

 

[1HBH-DownTheLine]

you will feel more balanced on the platform but you just need to do whatever feels best to you. there are many pinpoint vs platform debates out there. advantages and disadvantages for both for sure. i prefer pinpoint because i'm 6'3 and it feels more natural for me to bring my back leg up and drive up through the ball with both legs together. i've done platform in the past but i've always had sporadic results with it for some reason.

 

[AllCourtHeathen]

you will feel more balanced on the platform but you just need to do whatever feels best to you. there are many pinpoint vs platform debates out there. advantages and disadvantages for both for sure. i prefer pinpoint because i'm 6'3 and it feels more natural for me to bring my back leg up and drive up through the ball with both legs together. i've done platform in the past but i've always had sporadic results with it for some reason.

It still feels more natural to me to bring my back foot up drive up and forward, as you say.
I can hit quite fast serves if I want to with pinpoint. It is just, the platform's access to control and spin has opened my eyes though. I never used to even be able to serve platform at all, I dunno what has clicked. Guess I'll just keep mucking about. I feel total control/placement/spin trumps flat pace at this juncture.

 

[dlam]

I been only able to do platform on the ad side when i try to convert.
My natural rhythm for my feet is to step up with my right foot.
I like watching Monfils or Murray serve.
The rest tend to mess me up after watching their serves
Seems to me the better servers are platform style but it just doesnt fit me.

 

[Long Face]

I'm also working on this change, and also leaving the racquet hand down behind for as long as possible. Working well so far. Serves feel more consistent, reliable, and sometimes faster.

But my right shoulder starts to hurt a little every time I do this new serve. Not sure whether I should continue.

 

[dimkin]

- No foot faulting
- Stable base
- Less bad toss chasing (with pinpoint I often did)
--------------------
Cylider drill would have to be done WITH the toss ... i.e. toss/swing (just don't try to hit) otherwise timing is all screwey ...

My biggest problem was the rythm - it is very different ... but it's worth the switch

 

[S&V-not_dead_yet]

I'm also working on this change, and also leaving the racquet hand down behind for as long as possible. Working well so far. Serves feel more consistent, reliable, and sometimes faster.

But my right shoulder starts to hurt a little every time I do this new serve. Not sure whether I should continue.

But no pain with the old method?

Your body is trying to tell you something [ie "stop doing that!"]. You ought to listen.

 

[chikoo]

I naturally serve pinpoint.
It is just what my body wants to do.
I always found platform impossible in the past.

Lately though, when mucking around, it seems I feel so much more balanced when serving with a platform stance. It feels like everything is almost still, and I can almost take my time to decide just how I want to hit the ball. Though my instincts are telling me I am robbing myself of leg drive and power and momentum.

Has anybody else switched successfully from pinpoint to platform?

I kinda feel like I am doing things backwards

wut? i need to read up on these jargons

 

[Long Face]

But no pain with the old method?

Your body is trying to tell you something [ie "stop doing that!"]. You ought to listen.

No pain in the old pinpoint method. I guess my shoulders do not like the new way my body rotates and how the arm swings.

I will take a video of myself and the new serve, and try to find out what's wrong.

 

[chikoo]

wouldnt platform shorten your height?

 

[TennisCJC]

wouldnt platform shorten your height?

I don't think so. Sampras and Federer get off the ground, into the court and great extension from platform stance. With both stances, you drive up and in to contact so theoretically there shouldn't be a difference in extension. McEnroe was very closed platform stance and it was amazing how far he could toss into the court. His 1st serve contact point was a full 2 feet or more into the court and he started in a platform stance with his back to the net.

 

[esgee48]

I use a platform. One thing you have to remember is how far apart you keep your feet as well as where they are positioned/pointing. I keep both my feet near/under my hips; not wide apart. When serving to the deuce side [right handed], my left shoulder is facing the net or slightly towards the middle of the deuce court. For the ad side, my left shoulder is facing the middle of the ad court. That means position the feet slightly different, but everything else is the same. 3 cents.

 

[2HBH-DTL]

I've done both but finally settled on pinpoint. I'm tall at 6'3 and like bringing both feet together and pushing up through the serve to get the most pop. to me it's more natural but i've also served platfrom with good success. just slighly prefer pinpoint as i get more forward momentum going forward a little bit more and better leg drive.