Tip For Greater Spin On Serve - Link In The Kinetic Chain!

[anchorage]

So, I’ve been trying to hit kick serves with some mixed results. Some really kick, while others clearly have much less spin on them.

However, last time out, I made one change to my service action which made a huge difference. Basically, all I did was to delay the release of the wrist so that it became the very last ‘trigger’ of the serve. In other words, from the racket drop, the arm starts to head up to the ball. Prior to the recent change, I would have been triggering the wrist release in line with this upward swing as I accelerated to the ball. Delaying the release makes a HUGE difference to the serve. Obviously, a delayed release keeps all of this energy stored until the last moment and, by increasing the racket head speed still further, really imparts much more spin on the ball. Hope this helps!

 

[TNT16]

So, I’ve been trying to hit kick serves with some mixed results. Some really kick, while others clearly have much less spin on them.

However, last time out, I made one change to my service action which made a huge difference. Basically, all I did was to delay the release of the wrist so that it became the very last ‘trigger’ of the serve. In other words, from the racket drop, the arm starts to head up to the ball. Prior to the recent change, I would have been triggering the wrist release in line with this upward swing as I accelerated to the ball. Delaying the release makes a HUGE difference to the serve. Obviously, a delayed release keeps all of this energy stored until the last moment and, by increasing the racket head speed still further, really imparts much more spin on the ball. Hope this helps!

Interesting. I just recently stumbled across what may be the same or at least very similar to what you describe.

I had been working on improving the kick on my spin serves and was tinkering with grip, pronation and wrist snap (you describe it more appropriately as wrist release). My spin serve has always been quite solid with very few double faults. Recently as I continued to tinker the serve became unreliable and also seemed to lose power and spin.

I went back to basics with the grip (somewhere between continental and EBH rather than full EBH) and the wrist movement (basically resolving to leave wrist movement out of the equation); by spreading my fingers a bit more across the grip arm and racquet started to feel like one unit. And voila - first consistency came back and then power and spin followed.

By keeping wrist motion out of the equation before contact my spin serve is in a better place than it has been for a long time. Now I look forward to going out with a hopper to tinker with impact point and path across the ball . . .

 

[Sentinel]

Is this different from pronation ? Exactly how ?

 

[Fumoffu]

sounds more like you just figured out how to serve correctly than anything else

 

[Coach Kyril]

Hey Anchorage -

You have hit the nail on the proverbial head! I'm so happy when I see people 'get it'!

While there has always been 'debate' as to the best ways to do it, the efficient storing of potential energy and efficient release of kinetic energy is THE key to a powerful serve.

Your post should stay up forever on this forum as witness to the fact that players have 'ah-ha' moments that can change their game forever.

I am so happy for you!

Make It A Great Day!

 

[Coach Kyril]

Is this different from pronation ? Exactly how ?

Hey Sentinel,

Not different from pronation at all. What Anchorage has happily (congratulations again!!!) figured out is what I teach my students (who are ready): Fast forearm and wrist pronation AT THE LAST MOMENT before contact.

Also, keeping your grip and arm 'loose', like a 'rag' until you pronate AT THE LAST MOMENT does exactly what Anchorage was speaking of: It allows the potential energy to stay stored and release efficiently into the ball. Sort of like the tail end of a 'whip'.

Hope everything is going well for you!

Make It A Great Day!

- Coach Kyril

 

[Sentinel]

...is what I teach my students (who are ready): Fast forearm and wrist pronation AT THE LAST MOMENT before contact.


- Coach Kyril

Is there any video that shows this... any player on youtube or your own vid that highlights that last monent thing.

 

[Coach Kyril]

Is there any video that shows this... any player on youtube or your own vid that highlights that last monent thing.

Hey Sentinel,

I don't know which videos of mine you have seen so far, but this one I did should show you the 'last moment thing' pretty clearly:

http://coachkyriltennis.blogspot.com/2008/04/how-you-can-hit-power-serve-part-2.html

All The Best,

Coach Kyril