Serving Coronas.

[J011yroger]

J011yroger - 3 points

1) I agree with keeping the racquet head vertical just prior to the racquet drop. During the early phase of the racquet drop, remember to keep the racquet "ON EDGE" as it passes your head. Your racquet head acts like a "halo" and is pointing down towards your head and ground. You do a nice job of internally rotating your arm in the "trophy position" but after that there's too much wasted motion. Just keep the racquet on edge as you drop, keep it simple.

2) Notice your body position at contact, way to bent and leaning to your left. Try to stay more sideways at contact and land in the direction the ball is going. A drill that works well, I find, is to serve, land on your front foot in the direction of the hit and continue to hop on the same left foot a couple times continuing in the direction of the hit. That should get most of your energy moving in the correct position.

3) I would be curious to see if you would get more rear leg drive, if your right foot was just a tad closer/in-line with the left in the set-up. To me, your right leg looks just a little uncomfortable and as a result, your heel never really touches the ground. Your front foot is completely flat, while your rear foot is awkwardly on your toes. You even take a couple steps with your front foot just before driving up, in an attempt for balance.

Just a bored guy at home, with a lot of free time

SeanO

Hello, thanks for the comments.

1) I think I understand what you are saying, and agree. For right now, my plan is to try to keep the racquet vertical in the trophy position, and see what happens to the rest of the motion from that change. I assume there will be some sort of ripple effect.

2) I'm not really sure I'm following you here, are you talking about the torso being tilted at contact? Most elite servers have their shoulder line nearly perpendicular to the court at contact, which I though was to facilitate easier internal shoulder rotation as raising your arm much above your shoulders and internally rotating it risked impingement.





Does it look I am falling to my left? I used to have that problem, and now when I practice serves I sweep the court beforehand so I can see where my footprints are. The picture below is from the serves I hit in the black shirt and yellow hat.



3) I'm not sure, I don't love the wide stance with the front foot parallel to the baseline, and I hate the front foot step/rotation. I changed it to get more of a topspin component on my ball. I can try both stances and see what happens? W/R/T not having my back foot flat, I am trying to remind myself to get up on my toes because I have the habit of being flat footed from hitting carts of serves to kids. I think that I am actually not on my toes enough, as most elite servers are much more up and I barely get my heels off the ground. Upon personal analysis, I think that I have been trying to get up on my toes thinking it is a cause, when in reality it is an effect of the weight being shifted forward into the court. I think my center of mass is over the middle of my feet making it difficult to get on my toes, and if I shifted my weight into the court a little more, I would go up on my toes automatically to maintain balance.

Thanks for the comments and your time, I am going to experiment with the drop first today, and see how that goes. It's pretty nasty weather so full speed will have to wait until tomorrow, but that is good since it will keep me slow and under control.

J

[J011yroger]

That is where I would have started...the set up position. Then the backswing...yawn. Hang in there seano. What a great court setup J011yroger...that court is in your backyard? Super bra!!! seano and J011yroger...what do you think of that hesitation in the trophy position. I realize that by tossing the ball so high you must wait somewhere and trophy position is as good a place as any.

You are really muscling that ball. You know...the serve is so much like a golf swing where we speak and aspire to effortless power. Guys do muscle the golf swing too. It can be done. But you lose some flexibility in your motion and ability to change the spin and pace I think. Philosophically we are on different pages with regards to the serve. I believe that it is more of a tactical weapon than a brute force bully. Although certainly pace is a major factor. Don't get me wrong.

Enjoying the videos and the discussion. I like a nice sort of languid backswing that works itself into a "lather" at the moment of impact. It's a bit more deceptive. I like deceptive. It's good to be able to bully your opponent too. It's great to bully him. It's better to be able to bully him and outfox him as well. You beat him on different levels. The danger of hitting full machine and focusing on purely speed is when a good opponent catches on to the speed and gets the rhythm. Anyways...not so bored but curious. Like you J011yroger I am not confined quarters and am eagerly awaiting the opening of the golf course next week.

I have completely changed things around with my swing due to better physical conditioning. The short game as well has seen some dramatic change. Never too old to adapt I say. In fact...you must adapt as you get older. Things begin to change around forty...earlier if you are playing competition. So one must adapt. Finessing the motion with a total lack of friction (hesitations) is easier on the body. I focus totally on the weight of my club to help me to determine where the friction is. I used to do the same thing with my racquet. Trying to take the easiest of backswing and then pounding it at the lines...here and there. I notice you are regripping that racquet while you are waiting for the ball to come back to earth.

I love service discussions. Golf swing discussions. Metaphysical images...concepts. If I was to critique your serve I would focus much on the rhythm...the coordination and height of the ball toss and the speed of the backswing so that the racquet head eases into transition a bit more at the top of the trophy. But it is all good. Yeah...just love that tennis court. Is all of that equipment yours? I see those Bancroft woodies in the corner. I had around 35 wooden racquets all strung with gut when I moved to Sweden and decided not to bring them. I really wish that I had. I could have put them all up in the barn or somewhere. Oh well.

Take care and stay safe. I wonder what the hell is really going on. Good to hit the tennis ball...the golf ball. The best therapy.

Hello, yes, I'm the head tennis pro at a country club and that's the pro shop. I'm pretty good with a wooden racquet, enjoy playing with them. I have 2 Bancroft and 2 Donnay Borgs but I play matches with a Jack Kramer. I have 4 in really good condition.

Our golf course is closed until at least 4/1. Likely longer. The tennis courts haven't even been done for the season.

The Academy where I work indoors is closed until further notice.

So I'm just hitting serves in the back yard.

J

[don_budge]

3) I would be curious to see if you would get more rear leg drive, if your right foot was just a tad closer/in-line with the left in the set-up. To me, your right leg looks just a little uncomfortable and as a result, your heel never really touches the ground. Your front foot is completely flat, while your rear foot is awkwardly on your toes. You even take a couple steps with your front foot just before driving up, in an attempt for balance.

Just a bored guy at home, with a lot of free time

SeanO

That is where I would have started...the set up position. Then the backswing...yawn. Hang in there seano. What a great court setup J011yroger...that court is in your backyard? Super bra!!! seano and J011yroger...what do you think of that hesitation in the trophy position. I realize that by tossing the ball so high you must wait somewhere and trophy position is as good a place as any.

You are really muscling that ball. You know...the serve is so much like a golf swing where we speak and aspire to effortless power. Guys do muscle the golf swing too. It can be done. But you lose some flexibility in your motion and ability to change the spin and pace I think. Philosophically we are on different pages with regards to the serve. I believe that it is more of a tactical weapon than a brute force bully. Although certainly pace is a major factor. Don't get me wrong.

Enjoying the videos and the discussion. I like a nice sort of languid backswing that works itself into a "lather" at the moment of impact. It's a bit more deceptive. I like deceptive. It's good to be able to bully your opponent too. It's great to bully him. It's better to be able to bully him and outfox him as well. You beat him on different levels. The danger of hitting full machine and focusing on purely speed is when a good opponent catches on to the speed and gets the rhythm. Anyways...not so bored but curious. Like you J011yroger I am not confined quarters and am eagerly awaiting the opening of the golf course next week.

I have completely changed things around with my swing due to better physical conditioning. The short game as well has seen some dramatic change. Never too old to adapt I say. In fact...you must adapt as you get older. Things begin to change around forty...earlier if you are playing competition. So one must adapt. Finessing the motion with a total lack of friction (hesitations) is easier on the body. I focus totally on the weight of my club to help me to determine where the friction is. I used to do the same thing with my racquet. Trying to take the easiest of backswing and then pounding it at the lines...here and there. I notice you are regripping that racquet while you are waiting for the ball to come back to earth.

I love service discussions. Golf swing discussions. Metaphysical images...concepts. If I was to critique your serve I would focus much on the rhythm...the coordination and height of the ball toss and the speed of the backswing so that the racquet head eases into transition a bit more at the top of the trophy. But it is all good. Yeah...just love that tennis court. Is all of that equipment yours? I see those Bancroft woodies in the corner. I had around 35 wooden racquets all strung with gut when I moved to Sweden and decided not to bring them. I really wish that I had. I could have put them all up in the barn or somewhere. Oh well.

Take care and stay safe. I wonder what the hell is really going on. Good to hit the tennis ball...the golf ball. The best therapy.

[seano]

J011yroger - 3 points

1) I agree with keeping the racquet head vertical just prior to the racquet drop. During the early phase of the racquet drop, remember to keep the racquet "ON EDGE" as it passes your head. Your racquet head acts like a "halo" and is pointing down towards your head and ground. You do a nice job of internally rotating your arm in the "trophy position" but after that there's too much wasted motion. Just keep the racquet on edge as you drop, keep it simple.

2) Notice your body position at contact, way to bent and leaning to your left. Try to stay more sideways at contact and land in the direction the ball is going. A drill that works well, I find, is to serve, land on your front foot in the direction of the hit and continue to hop on the same left foot a couple times continuing in the direction of the hit. That should get most of your energy moving in the correct position.

3) I would be curious to see if you would get more rear leg drive, if your right foot was just a tad closer/in-line with the left in the set-up. To me, your right leg looks just a little uncomfortable and as a result, your heel never really touches the ground. Your front foot is completely flat, while your rear foot is awkwardly on your toes. You even take a couple steps with your front foot just before driving up, in an attempt for balance.

Just a bored guy at home, with a lot of free time

SeanO

[J011yroger]

Video taped my serve today, in no position to critic anyone else. seem to have a forward entry where the racquet head goes past your head in the racquet drop and not a total 180 degrees of ISR.

Thank you for pointing out the forward entry, I studied it as best as I could today, and tried to work out some stuff in front of a mirror.

It seems like at trophy most elite servers have a good amount of ulnar deviation, and my wrist is basically neutral, then just before I initiate the drop I have some wrist flexion and a little elbow flexion getting temporarily <90 degrees.

I think that keeping the racquet tip vertical just before the drop should cure the forward entry, I will try to work through it tomorrow weather permitting.

Will have to force myself to go slow as of course when I try to go normal speed I will revert to the old habits.

J

[J011yroger]

Great racquet. Been a fan, follower and user of the Prestige since I was 14. What a frame!

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Delray Beach
SETS Consulting

Loved them forever, but used the Wilson 90s for about 10 years until I switched to the prestige full time maybe 6 years ago. I have a bunch of the older generations hidden on the wall at the shop.



I haven't switched to the new ones for sure yet so I keep them separated in my bag so they don't fight.



J

[klacr]

Great racquet. Been a fan, follower and user of the Prestige since I was 14. What a frame!

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Delray Beach
SETS Consulting

[don_budge]

No man...it's great. Everything you need to see. You are looking for the missing link. The ten or fifteen percent your body is telling you is missing in your delivery. I agree. More like 25% if you want to factor in the rest of the intangibles. But I hesitate...J011yroger.

You see...I believe in perfection and I believe that pursuit of perfection to be the only quest we are put here on this earthly plane for. Obviously you are pounding it. What do you care for aesthetics and a friction free motion. My eye can only focus on the details...the perfect motion. My God...you are swinging so good and making such good contact, you are nearly forty years old. Why would you listen?

I have some ideas. You deserve a bit better. You have the talent...why not shoot for the stars?

[J011yroger]

The weather was crummy and the lighting poor, but I did the best I could. Sorry for the vertical camera, but I had to.

Regular Speed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBf30y9qLsc

The first 4 felt ok, I mishit the 5th.

Slow Motion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLq40bUuKuQ

I mishit the 3rd and 4th, rest felt pretty clean.

J

[J011yroger]

I think I got some ok video, gotta fix my divots and I'll post.


J

[J011yroger]

Hopefully my highly sophisticated filming apparatus is up to the task!



J

[J011yroger]

Thank you, I'm going to try to get a rear view now before the rain comes.

Light isn't as good as yesterday but hopefully still ok.

I'd sell my soul for Tsitsipas' serve or forehand!

J

[stotty]

I really like the motion overall. Nice base...just the right amount of knee bend...lovely swing path...great drive up to the ball. Just that Tsitsipas-type hitch around the trophy position (though not as bad as his) is the only real anomaly I can see thus far. I'll keep looking.

[J011yroger]

Now it's not supposed to rain until noon so maybe I can get another video in if it warms up a bit.

J

[J011yroger]

One other idea for a video shot...since we have all this time on our hands. Why not? Right? What have we got to lose...as Donald Trump was saying. Since you toss is disappearing somewhere in the clouds with the camera angle...let the ball bounce a few times so we have an idea how far into the court you are tossing the ball. Thanks J011yroger.

About 12-18" inside the court right in line with my left toe.

J