great server/great coach Alexandra Stevenson: how to serve big under pressure

[joeldrucker]

The serve is unquestionably the most important shot in tennis. One of the best servers of the last 30 years, Alexandra Stevenson, has insights on what it takes to serve effectively no matter what the situation. Chime in.

https://www.tennisplayer.net/article/serving-under-pressure/

[don_budge]

Pressure...Under Pressure

Yeah...under pressure. Serving to close out a set. Serving for the match. Serving to stay in the match. Crucial tie-break points. All...one and the same. I love the basis of the article. One of the gems of competitive tennis. Serving under pressure.

You have to know the score. You have to know where you are...in the match. Every point is a pressure point if are playing to the score. Methodically serving your way through the match. Then you get to the point where you can end it. What happens? Nerves happen. The psychological effect on the server can be unnerving. Clouding judgement. Rushing the swing. A whole host of negative things can happen as a result of doubt. But where does this doubt come from. The motion itself. If the motion is not free of friction. If the motion is short of perfect, this is where nerves raise their ugly head and throw the critical rhythm off. The flow. Once doubt creeps in...you are toast. To put it nicely.

A good article to be sure. But no mention of the motion itself and this is a common oversight. A motion free of friction is more likely to serve the master without any hitches. Case in point...Roger Federer. Federer's motion was as close to a perfect motion in the modern game as there is. Once the money was on the table it was bing, bang, bye. This guy serving out a set or a match or a tournament was as good as it gets. When he was serving good, the writing was on the wall. Game over. Set and match to boot.

The reason why you see many players struggle at a crucial stage of a match or any serving game for that matter is in the motion. Anything less than perfect is hard to manage. Particularly so...under pressure.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a01QQZyl-_I