Interactive Forum February 2023 Holger Rune Serve

[John Yandell]

Good suggestion. Will try.

[captain771]

Yes to Holger. But PLEASE ALYCIA PARKS! I’m breathless over her serve! Mary Williams (Captain 771)

[don_budge]

Interactive Forum February 2023 Holger Rune Serve

Holger is in the top 10 now and his serve is one of the reasons. I like his platform stance, the timing of his racket entry into the backswing—thanks Brian Gordon—and his extension and hand and arm rotation—at least on most serves. In this footage I had a hard time telling first from second serves. Did I get most of them right, or?

What else do you guys see?

Per ususal...this is a very ugly motion. Modern serves lack in any sort of elegance or aesthetically pleasing form. When a serve is lacking in this sort of frictionless motion there is sure to be lacking in the subtleties of the "game of serving". But of course he generates a lot of power...or rather speed. But he leaves a lot on the table in terms of real power...the combination of speed, spin and placement. There isn't a single player on the circuit now that has the sort of serving game that I find to be aesthetic. Roger Federer was the last of the subtle servers. The kind of server who wins his service games in under a minute without relying on speed alone. I don't like this service motion one little bit starting from his setup position. He leaves way too much potential on the table.

If I remember correctly his serve sort of let him down late in the match against Rublev in the Australian Open.

[stotty]

Not too much to dislike. One thing I am not too keen on are serves where the racket head points up throughout the early part of the wind-up, which Rune's pretty quickly does. Not quite so extreme as Alcaraz but not far off. I prefer the opposite, where the racket head points more towards the ground in the early part of the wind-up...rather like Roger. I like the racket head to 'trail' somewhat. It's a small detail but as a coach it's something I prefer.

[jimlosaltos]

Watching Rune at the Australian Open I was surprised by two things.

First, I knew his second serve was quick, but I didn't realize how flat he hits the 2nd. Doesn't seem to miss a high amount, though.

Second, I had earlier thought his first serve was pretty effective, particularly from Paris, which he won. But at the AO, Rublev was just brutalizing it. Taking big, forehand cuts and hitting them almost on the baseline. Picked up a bit later.

[John Yandell]

Interactive Forum February 2023 Holger Rune Serve

Holger is in the top 10 now and his serve is one of the reasons. I like his platform stance, the timing of his racket entry into the backswing—thanks Brian Gordon—and his extension and hand and arm rotation—at least on most serves. In this footage I had a hard time telling first from second serves. Did I get most of them right, or?

What else do you guys see?