Interactive Forum March 2024: Iga Swiatek Serve

[John Yandell]

Iga Swiatek Serve

So here is Iga’s serve. Thoughts please.

Stance? Arm Rotations? Contact point? Landing?

[seano]

Not a big fan of Iga's service motion. Very much out of sync with coordinating the lower and upper parts of body. No rhythm to the motion just done in parts. Here are some of the issues I have with her serve.
1) Lateral pinpoint stance - right foot ends up slightly further right than the front, left foot, limiting rear hip coiling.
2) Racquet takeback - Iga's racquet will point straight back towards the rear fence with the racquet face slightly open. Instead of keeping the palm of her hand pointing more downward in the takeback.
3) Racquet drop - Iga's racquet strings are pointing straight ahead as she drops the racquet down her back. Strings ideally should point to the side fence or up to 45 degrees. This effects the "sweeping" out in the shoulder and can limit the external to internal rotation of the shoulder.
4) Racquet drops down her back well before the legs fire upward. The leg drive should initiate the racquet drop.
5) Tossing hand never inverts forward after release and dooms the serve to more of a forward swing path instead of an upward motion (refer to Gavin MacMillian - Sabalenka's coach).
6) Landing - notice when Iga lands after contact, she will fall to her left instead of in the direction of the serve. A product of lateral pinpoint and toss location.
Just a few thoughts. Would love comments.

Sean

[jimlosaltos]

I believe it was Laura Robson, now a commentator, who said she hoped that Iga would work on improving her service noting Jannik Sinner as an example.

However, Robson also noted that Sinner basically "sacrificed" the French Open, losing early during the process of the switch. That's hard to do, i would imagine.

[John Yandell]

Sean,
You nailed it brother!

[seano]

Though I'd repost my thoughts on Iga's serve. Very curious of others thoughts on the racquet strings pointing towards the net in the "trophy position" and it's limitations. Not that Iga does this but another question I have is thoughts on the racquet face open to varying degrees, in the racquet drop. Are their limitations verses "on edge" racquet drop?

Not a big fan of Iga's service motion. Very much out of sync with coordinating the lower and upper parts of body. No rhythm to the motion just done in parts. Here are some of the issues I have with her serve.
1) Lateral pinpoint stance - right foot ends up slightly further right than the front, left foot, limiting rear hip coiling.
2) Racquet takeback - Iga's racquet will point straight back towards the rear fence with the racquet face slightly open. Instead of keeping the palm of her hand pointing more downward in the takeback.
3) Racquet drop - Iga's racquet strings are pointing straight ahead as she drops the racquet down her back. Strings ideally should point to the side fence or up to 45 degrees. This effects the "sweeping" out in the shoulder and can limit the external to internal rotation of the shoulder.
4) Racquet drops down her back well before the legs fire upward. The leg drive should initiate the racquet drop.
5) Tossing hand never inverts forward after release and dooms the serve to more of a forward swing path instead of an upward motion (refer to Gavin MacMillian - Sabalenka's coach).
6) Landing - notice when Iga lands after contact, she will fall to her left instead of in the direction of the serve. A product of lateral pinpoint and toss location.
Just a few thoughts. Would love comments.

Sean

[stotty]

Tend to agree.

Not a good motion in my view. The trouble with lateral pinpoint I feel is it blocks the player from be able to fully drive up as the right leg becomes more of a stabiliser than a driver. Most coaches seem to prefer platform because it takes care of the rear leg sliding up to somewhere it really shouldn't.

Iga's serve is terribly disjointed and her racket arm and tossing arm synch poorly together. There's very little technically going in its favour. She generates good racket head speed is about the only positive I can find.

[doctorhl]

Great analysis Sean! Your Groups point seems to me as one of the most significant points ( along with #3) because you have to work hard to generate racket head speed with the arm only. Working hard with the arm has got to affect segmental timing.

[doctorhl]

Oops! Not Groups... I meant Groups point.

[doctorhl]

Sorry, referring to point four.