Tips for better Racket Drop

[mrgonzo]

Hey guys, I have this problem on my serve where I don't get a very good racket drop (especially on my first serve). When I solely focus on the racket drop, I feel like it's hard to use my big muscles and I lose power (and my racket drop isn't that much better anyways). I am pretty flexible so I think it must be a technique issue. Do you guys have any tips on how to get a good racket drop on the serve?

Here's a link of a picture that shows what I mean by "racket drop":

http://www.tennisone.com/newsletter/template/photos/1.8.10/Roddick.Federer.serve.1.jpg


Thanks a lot.

 

[ATP100]

Without a video, I would say just practice more.

 

[FedExpress 333]

Exactly, vids are the only way to know.

 

[Chas Tennis]

Stretch-Shortening Cycle & Leg Thrust Reference

1) General principles - This article is by one of the prominent tennis biomechanics researchers, B. Elliott. Look especially for comments on stretch – shortening cycle, elastic, etc. & leg timing for the serve.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2577481/

2) Safety – Todd Ellenbecker video

http://www.tennisresources.com/inde...&basicsearch=1&ATT=&LineNbr=1&StartRow=1&ts=1

My interpretation is that you add final stretch to your internal shoulder rotators (lat & pec mostly) by thrusting up with the legs at the right moment. The legs must bend and go down and then quickly rise with timing as the article discusses. The racket drops the most about the time of the leg thrust. Also, your upper body muscles should be relaxed, I think, to take on the elastic stretch.

Other recent threads discuss internal shoulder rotation as the most important power contributor to the serve. I believe that tennis biomechanics researchers had concluded that several years ago as the reference indicates.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

First, practice throwing tennis balls upward at a steep angle (75 degrees or so) with you racket arm. Then, go out to the park with an old tennis racket and throw this upward at a steep angle. If you throw at a 30 to 45 degree angle, you may not get much of a racket head drop but the steeper angle should do the trick.

Next, try serving for while with the racket on your shoulder -- close to a "scratch" position. Some people will serve like this for weeks (or even months) before moving on to the next step. The next step would be to start the racket from the trophy position. After the ball is released, let the racket head drop. To facilitate this, drop your front arm/shoulder; rotate and drive your chest and back shoulder upward. This will probably result in a mild arch in the back. If you are not getting a sufficient racket head drop from the trophy start then go back to the "shoulder" scratch start for a while longer.

 

[mightyrick]

Next, try serving for while with the racket on your shoulder -- close to a "scratch" position. Some people will serve like this for weeks (or even months) before moving on to the next step.

+1 This.

OP, start with the racquet on your shoulder and execute the serve. You'd be surprised how much pop you can still get on the ball serving from this position. I know people with pretty good serves who still do it.

 

[5263]

First, practice throwing tennis balls upward at a steep angle (75 degrees or so) with you racket arm. Then, go out to the park with an old tennis racket and throw this upward at a steep angle. If you throw at a 30 to 45 degree angle, you may not get much of a racket head drop but the steeper angle should do the trick.

Next, try serving for while with the racket on your shoulder -- close to a "scratch" position. Some people will serve like this for weeks (or even months) before moving on to the next step. The next step would be to start the racket from the trophy position. After the ball is released, let the racket head drop. To facilitate this, drop your front arm/shoulder; rotate and drive your chest and back shoulder upward. This will probably result in a mild arch in the back. If you are not getting a sufficient racket head drop from the trophy start then go back to the "shoulder" scratch start for a while longer.

+2 on this one. We throw the football up like a punt.

 

[mrgonzo]

First, practice throwing tennis balls upward at a steep angle (75 degrees or so) with you racket arm. Then, go out to the park with an old tennis racket and throw this upward at a steep angle. If you throw at a 30 to 45 degree angle, you may not get much of a racket head drop but the steeper angle should do the trick.

Next, try serving for while with the racket on your shoulder -- close to a "scratch" position. Some people will serve like this for weeks (or even months) before moving on to the next step. The next step would be to start the racket from the trophy position. After the ball is released, let the racket head drop. To facilitate this, drop your front arm/shoulder; rotate and drive your chest and back shoulder upward. This will probably result in a mild arch in the back. If you are not getting a sufficient racket head drop from the trophy start then go back to the "shoulder" scratch start for a while longer.

Thanks for the tips!! I videotaped myself throwing an old racket upward at a steep angle and my racket drop improved dramatically. So when I hit a serve, am I supposed to pretend like I am throwing a racket upwards? Because I would imagine that this would be tough to think about when I am trying to hit the ball forward and over the net.

Thanks.

 

[LeeD]

Tennis serve is all about "hitting UP at the ball"...
You achieve this by archer's bow, which leads your torso to lean back and face upwards during your forwards swing.
Archer's bow is achieved by high hand toss, tilting the tossing shoulder upwards, thus dropping the hitting shoulder.

 

[mightyrick]

Thanks for the tips!! I videotaped myself throwing an old racket upward at a steep angle and my racket drop improved dramatically. So when I hit a serve, am I supposed to pretend like I am throwing a racket upwards? Because I would imagine that this would be tough to think about when I am trying to hit the ball forward and over the net.

Thanks.

You aren't supposed to think when you serve. Thinking is the #1 cause of net balls and shanks. You just need repetition. After you get the motion committed to memory, you won't think about it anymore.

 

[LeeD]

Actually, you're supposed to visualize the technique and the ball path before you start your motion, having already decided on the target of your serves.

 

[mightyrick]

Actually, you're supposed to visualize the technique and the ball path before you start your motion, having already decided on the target of your serves.

To me, that's not thinking. Thinking is, "Okay... first drop the racquet... then hands up together... then drop the racquet... then..." etc... etc. NET!

Visualization is almost a free wandering of the mind. When I serve, I look at the opponent, I visualize the ball hitting the spot I want to hit.. with the spin I want... then just I toss, I swing.

It might be a fine line... but to me... thinking is far different.

 

[LeeD]

Ok, you got it correct.
I like to know my target, but visualize my swing. The toss, archer's bow and takeback to trophy is automatic from years of practice and repetition.

 

[ski racer]

For Me, I could never get to a solid RD position by just thinking of dropping the racquet down. If you try to turn the elbow over so that the bottom of the elbow that was facing the court in the trophy position faces the net while making sure not to bring the elbow forward or back you should be set.

Watch how Karlovic turns his elbow over from the trophy pose to the racquet drop.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0RbHNOCaws