use of the stomach muscles when serving

stephenf

New User
Bungalo Bill said:
Coiling places resistance on your stomach muscles as they twist over the hips facing an angled direction toward the serving court. It is a lot like how a turnicut is twisted or twisting a sponge. The middle of the sponge gets the most tension before it is released. I takes time to get this down. But you should feel something tense a little and release in the stomach muscles. The stronger you get in the stomach, the less you feel but you are still doing it.

When you coil in the stomach area it helps push the front hip out a little (hip stretch) which creates a naturally angled knee bend (this is where people think players are just bending there knees to jump) angling your shoulders upward to the ball as your tossing arm stretches the front side. As you begin to uncoil at the stomach it sort of releases the stored energy upward and PULLS your feet off the ground. Your upper body uncoils and extends which begins to cause a jacknifing effect as your butt sort of pushes out or remain in place. In this case, the feet get pulled off the ground - it is not jumping. Jumping doesnt do anything for a serve. Stored and kintecitc energy moving up the body gives you power.

I had read a post listed above by BB regarding the use of the stomach muscles when serving. Is the coiling of the stomach muscles in opposition to the hips in that are the hips resisting while the stomach is coiling above them. I did not know if I was thinking about this the right way. I also wanted to ask if there is a way to practice this movement. Thanks
 

Bungalo Bill

G.O.A.T.
stephenf said:
I had read a post listed above by BB regarding the use of the stomach muscles when serving. Is the coiling of the stomach muscles in opposition to the hips in that are the hips resisting while the stomach is coiling above them. I did not know if I was thinking about this the right way. I also wanted to ask if there is a way to practice this movement. Thanks

Your stomach muscles should recieve some tension as you rotate your shoulders. The hips will naturally provide a different resistance. Once you get there, dont think about it. Focus on using the stored energy to completely relax and extend that arm!

You can try this exercise. While sitting down, turn or rotate your shoulders as if you are going to get ready to hit an overhead or serve. YOur hips should still be squared on the chair, but you should feel some stretching or tensing in the oblique stomahc area. This is coiling or loading.
 
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