When serving, how do you place your foot and which foot do you land on?

[pmata814]

2 Questions please:

1. When you serve is it ok to place your left foot (right handed) completely parallel to the baseline? My instructor told me not to do it but I see almost all the pros stand that way on TV (Unless the camera can't pick up the image correctly). How do you stand when you serve?

2. After you serve and fall into the court, do you land on your left foot or right foot (assuming you're right handed)? I land on my left foot...and the thing is I suffer from shin splints often and my left shin hurts a lot more than my right. I wonder if it might be because I land on my left foot? I'm also right handed so I place my weight on my left foot when I hit forehands so i guess that could be it also. So which do you land on after the serve...left or right?

 

[Sleepstream]

1. I sometimes change my serve stance just to experiment with my body motion, but most of the time I at least have my left foot pointing towards the post on my right.

2. Left foot. Landing on the right just seems like an unnatural movement to me.

 

[Rickson]

1. When you serve is it ok to place your left foot (right handed) completely parallel to the baseline? My instructor told me not to do it but I see almost all the pros stand that way on TV (Unless the camera can't pick up the image correctly). How do you stand when you serve?

Hell no! My left foot is facing the right side post. You're looking at a bad camera angle so don't go by what you think you see.

2. After you serve and fall into the court, do you land on your left foot or right foot (assuming you're right handed)? I land on my left foot...and the thing is I suffer from shin splints often and my left shin hurts a lot more than my right. I wonder if it might be because I land on my left foot? I'm also right handed so I place my weight on my left foot when I hit forehands so i guess that could be it also. So which do you land on after the serve...left or right?

I land on the left foot after the serve also being right handed and my weight is on the right leg when I hit forehands because a front footed forehand is an uncoordinated forehand. I hope the info helps and good luck.

 

[TennsDog]

I do serve with my left foot completely parallel to the baseline and my right foot facing about 20-30º away from the baseline. It allows me to get great hip and shoulder rotation. See my videos: http://youtube.com/results?search_query=tennsdog&search=Search
If you want to serve that way and can be effective doing so, then I say go for it. I do think you should really know your own serve and know what you're doing, though, before you stand this way. It requires more precise timing and I'm sure it puts more strain on the body.

As for landing you your left foot, that is the only proper way to do it. If you hit a proper serve, your right leg and foot should kick up into the air behind you as you land down on your left foot.

 

[Catalyst]

I do serve with my left foot completely parallel to the baseline and my right foot facing about 20-30º away from the baseline. It allows me to get great hip and shoulder rotation. See my videos: http://youtube.com/results?search_query=tennsdog&search=Search
If you want to serve that way and can be effective doing so, then I say go for it. I do think you should really know your own serve and know what you're doing, though, before you stand this way. It requires more precise timing and I'm sure it puts more strain on the body.

As for landing you your left foot, that is the only proper way to do it. If you hit a proper serve, your right leg and foot should kick up into the air behind you as you land down on your left foot.

Quit posting links of videos of you, and trying to teach. You're not that good. Definitely not something I would be bragging about.

 

[Rickson]

Quit posting links of videos of you, and trying to teach. You're not that good. Definitely not something I would be bragging about.

Come on now, TennsDog's serve wasn't that bad.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nOjF_QKqO0

 

[TennsDog]

I'm not bragging. I posted videos so people would know what I'm talking about when I am explaining things. I'm not saying I'm good. You can't say it isn't helpful to have a visual aid when explaining tennis. That is why people so often request videos in order to give advice.

So instead of posting just to tell me what to do or not to do, how about you actually do something productive on the forum. And so you know, I have never had anyone complain about advice I give. I have had plenty of posters IM me personally asking for specific advice. So whether or not I am personally that good, I know the game plenty well enough to teach and give advice. I'm not hear to say how good I am. I am here to help others as plenty of others have done for me in years past. That's why this forum works, not because of people like you criticizing others who are trying to help.

 

[j3d0]

TennsDog's serve looks good. I don't know why Catalyst is hating???

Anyways, I have the same question as the original poster. Right now, I'm still experimenting what's the best position. But I found out that with my left foot pointing towards the right post works great for me.

Also, I land with my left foot.

 

[Mahboob Khan]

Double Leg Drive on Serve!

The right foot is placed parallel to the baseline, the left foot is slanted toward right net post!

I land on my left and kick back with my right foot (double leg-drive). Double leg drive because the left leg is driving forward and the right leg is driving backwards! Almost every ATP and WTA player serves that way!

Check some models out at www.tennisplayer.net.

 

[TennsDog]

The right foot is placed parallel to the baseline, the left foot is slanted toward right net post!

I land on my left and kick back with my right foot (double leg-drive). Double leg drive because the left leg is driving forward and the right leg is driving backwards! Almost every ATP and WTA player serves that way!

Check some models out at www.tennisplayer.net.

It is true that almost every pro player does it this way, and I'm not arguing about that. And while the original post suggested otherwise, it also asked if it was ok to stand with left foot parallel to the baseline. So the answer to that part is yes, if it works for you. I personally stand the way I do because a few years ago I completely dismantled my serve and started from scratch (going from pinpoint to platform stance). In doing so, I modelled my new serve after Samras's, who served with a stance very similar to the one I currenly use. However, we will all agree that Sampras had/has a unique service altogether that does not suite every player.