The Underhand Serve

[don_budge]

So the Tennis Channel did a study of Roger's backhand using shot spot data before and after the change to the larger racket. With the new racket he was making contact 2 feet closer to the net and also picked up something like 5-7 mph.

The difference in the area of the racquet is about 9% and it seems to me that if he is meeting the ball that much earlier on the backhand side that is very significant seeing that is the "weaker" side. I got the distinct impression that he tweaked his grip to the stronger side as well. This would make sense as well...I have no doubts. It doesn't have to be a big change to make it that much more effective but if he is meeting the ball that much earlier he must be taking it on the rise much of the time. Very impressive stat.

Most interesting is that I imagine that his whole game has been lifted by a similar margin. He is really pressing in on the baseline and playing inside of it much of the time. When you think about how he is actually dominating the game and 95 percent of the field now the racquet has had quite an impact on his career. If only he had made the switch when I first wrote about it. It was obvious to me that he was outgunned by his rivals and the switch was imperative.

Whether it be tennis or golf the fundamental principle of the shots produced is the utilising the face of the racquet passing through the path of the ball. Seeing as only 7 square inches has had this much impact on his backhand it makes me wonder how he might have played with a wooden racquet. I see him with the Dunlop Maxply...all decked out in white.

[nytennisaddict]

attempting to get back on topic... herbert recently just tried a underhand serve against coric (missed it)... in a long 12min game... (i think because coric was standing a bit further back to return)
in general, i find that switching rhythm between an overhand serve to an underhand serve is challenging...
in practice, i can hit several good underhand serves in a row, but i have to miss a few (or hit some sitters), before i find my range/rhythm.

[gzhpcu]

Like everything else, the underhand serve needs to be practiced. If only sporadically used, the result will be dicey.

[don_budge]

attempting to get back on topic...

Get back on topic? Do you have parameters for the rest of us participants?

[nytennisaddict]

Like everything else, the underhand serve needs to be practiced. If only sporadically used, the result will be dicey.

true true.

[nytennisaddict]

Get back on topic? Do you have parameters for the rest of us participants?

umm yeah, in the title... "underhand serve"... not racquet sizes or lengths, or wood vs. composite or whatever... underhand serve.

[nytennisaddict]

Let's discuss Rocky Lang's article, "The Underhand Serve"

for don_budge in case you couldn't navigate the [back] button.

[don_budge]

for don_budge in case you couldn't navigate the [back] button.

Both you and Error apparently think that being insulting or condescending is appropriate behaviour on this forum. I don't think it is going to work in the long run. As far as being on topic here you are going to be a bit disappointed that discussions often deviate from the original premise. This is where it gets interesting. I am going to have a limited attention span for your underhand serve trevails. The owner of this website participated in the deviation that I speak of and it was the most interesting comment in the thread and it had absolutely nothing to do with underhand serves. Why don't you try being a wise guy with him...newyorktennisaddict?

[nytennisaddict]

Both you and Error apparently think that being insulting or condescending is appropriate behaviour on this forum. I don't think it is going to work in the long run. As far as being on topic here you are going to be a bit disappointed that discussions often deviate from the original premise. This is where it gets interesting. I am going to have a limited attention span for your underhand serve trevails. The owner of this website participated in the deviation that I speak of and it was the most interesting comment in the thread and it had absolutely nothing to do with underhand serves. Why don't you try being a wise guy with him...newyorktennisaddict?

sure thing, don.

[John Yandell]

DB, NY,
It's fine to deviate in the thread and fine to come back to original topic. NY is a great new subscriber and contributor and I encourage that--for the long run.. Let's keep it all good.

[nytennisaddict]

DB, NY,
It's fine to deviate in the thread and fine to come back to original topic. NY is a great new subscriber and contributor and I encourage that--for the long run.. Let's keep it all good.

i'm cool calling a truce.