A lesson on the serve from Pancho...

[gzhpcu]

[gzhpcu]

[gzhpcu]

[gzhpcu]

[gzhpcu]

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[llll]

phil this to me is an incredible photo
my beleif was the serve was taught fore ever as down together up together
this photo show a lag take back where the tossing arm is ahead of the racquet arm
dont know if this timing was not talked about for 20 years after pancho did it

[tennis_chiro]

Not as different as you think

phil this to me is an incredible photo
my beleif was the serve was taught fore ever as down together up together
this photo show a lag take back where the tossing arm is ahead of the racquet arm
dont know if this timing was not talked about for 20 years after pancho did it

Sometimes we talk about (or used to) the ability to rub your stomach as you pat your head (or vice versa). The left arm is making a different motion from the right, but they are still essentially going up and down together. However, the right arm and the racket are following a much larger track, but as the body arrives at the trophy position (above right), the left arm is extending a straight arm up while the right arm is decelerating and letting the elbow break. As the left upper arm goes above the line of the clavicles, the right forearm rotates in and bends at the elbow. Further, for timing, as the ball leaves the hand and begins to decelerate, the racket head continues to move towards the "pro drop" and actually may slow down a little as the ball slows down reaching its' peak; the elbow might seem completely stationary at this point, but the racket head is continuing to move toward the "pro drop". The ball "seems" to stop for an instant as it reverses direction and begins to stop. The ball stays within about 2" of the peak of the toss for about a tenth of a second. That tenth of a second is the time it takes to swing up from the "pro drop" position. This may not be exactly down and up together, but the right and left arms essentially complete their movements to the highest point of the backswing (for the upper arm) and toss before the actual upward strike at the ball simultaneously. The left hand stays there a moment as the ball rises and the racket head drops. Then comes the strike. Gonzales' serve is beautiful and simple. Let's not make it more complicated than it actually is.

don

[gzhpcu]

The book is called simply "Tennis by Pancho Gonzales and Dick Hawk". Still my favorite...

[stotty]

Nothing wrong with "up together, down together in my book". The trick is - in the early part of the swing - getting the throwing arm moving at 4 miles and hour and the racket arm moving at 2 mph...otherwise we end up with everything the "up together, down together" teaching method is derided for.