The home page's main article this month illustrates an interesting difference between classic and modern. There is no kick back with McEnroe's serve - who just swings the left leg through to ensure he hits the ground running. In stark contrast, the modern baseline player slams the brakes on immediately after serving to ensure he/she can get back behind the baseline in double quick time.
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Stotty -
Spot on, stotty. You said it so well, "the modern baseline player slams the brakes on immediately after serving to ensure he/she can get back behind the baseline in quick time." That's not supposed to happen, but invariably, it does. Explains a lot about how the serve is both hit and learned. It's one thing to see pros serving very fast, but developing players don't always learn how to maximize the game's most important shot. I wonder how instructors address this. -
Good take. Taking time away from the server is a focus.
Craig O'Shannessy of Braingame has this advice:
Players at all levels all over the planet need more work on returns. It’s undoubtedly the least practiced segment of our sport. And it’s one of the most important. Your initial target is right back down the middle of the court. Make the returner have to move away from their shot, and provide no angle for them to hurt you with.Comment
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Craig is so right. Our January issue was all about the return -- the second-most important shot in the game after the serve. And arguably the return is a shot that can be improved even more, be it in doubles, or mixing up spins, speeds, direction, etc.
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Kickback is a modern phenomenon in my view. It's coached to death these days as a vital ingredient...everyone is on that bandwagon. Michael Stich could effortlessly serve 130mph all afternoon. He hardly left the ground and had zero kickback. Carlos has the highest kickback the game has ever seen...but I'd sooner have Stich's serve if I were given the choice to borrow either for the afternoon.StottyComment
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