Free Video Training Series on the Serve
Video #1:
Serve Technique
Video #2:
Serve Strategy
Video #3:
Serve Targets
Video #4:
Serve Plus 1
Watch the Serve Technique Video
Which of the 9 checkpoints is your weakest?
Tell us in the comments below…
Thx Jorge,
My biggest problems are 1) timing & 2) having a fluid swing. Launching from proper trophy position initiates the whole thing: racket drop, swinging up/out on edge, & LAR at contact. When I get this right…it’s awesome! A lot more “pop” with much less effort than when I just muscle the ball.
Loading (Trophy) is it for me. I was a baseball catcher, using a quick cocking of the arm so the ball was released quickly. I’m working to change to more of an outfielder’s throwing motion; my speed and consistency are improving.
I don’t get enough shoulder turn and tilt in step 2 and I don’t launch at the right time with the racket dropping as I straighten my legs and I don’t keep the tossing arm up long enough so that I’m hitting up not down. I also tend to rock rather than shift or slide my hips forward during ball release.
Keeping my eye on the ball through contact, launching my body inside the court to my left foot.
Yes… those are classics
That is wonderful explanation. I struggle most with the racquet moving Edge on and pronation at 11 o clock. I probate a little too early
Thanks Jemi, I’m glad it was helpful
I don’t lead with my elbow. I have to work on the full pronation of the wrist.
Yep.. that’s a common one.
Jorge, we met at a PTR seminar in Hilton Head a few years back. Now I am a big fan and have downloaded just about every one of your drill videos as well as taking the courses in the Lab.
I am a retired teacher and was “drafted” into coaching the HS tennis team my 2nd year as a teacher. I am also retired military and played quite a lot of racquetball during my 20 year hitch. I initially thought the transition from racquetball to tennis would be fairly easy due to the similarities of the two (racquets and balls), but was I ever in for an eye opener!!! I soon found out that the two sports are about as far apart as the Arctic and the Antarctic. After much study of videos (VHS tapes), books and a lot of time hitting by my lonesome, I survived. I am now a certified instructor at a local parks/recreation center (thanks to PTR) and a volunteer coach for the local HS.
My serve is adequate, but nothing special. I can teach it better than I perform it. Like Leah’s comment from 21 July, I have difficulty with loading and exploding. It just feels weird after all those years on a racquetball court, but I am very conscious of it every time I play. THANKS FOR THE TIP AND THE VIDEO.
Thanks for commenting Gene.
Is it possible for me to down load this video into coaches eye so I can compare my serve to this one by Federer
It’s better just to download a video of Federer off of YouTube. It’s much easier, and then you can compare yourself to him
I also moved from a pinpoint to a platform stance and struggle therefore with the weight transfer a bit. An instructor I worked with once had tremendous pace with no leg thrust-emphasis was on racquet head acceleration and staying loose and continuous through the stroke. I think I struggle most with the path to the staggered arms up phase or “trophy”. Another instructor had me imagine brushing the strings over my head whereas I see Roger’s racquet pointing toward the back fence with his arm nearly straight!
3)Ball Release- the weight transfer back to front foot
Great visual explanation of the Serve in particular the arm rotation checkpoint. This will be so helpful when analysing students serving. Personally I would say that would be my weakest – I shall video my own serve to see! Excellent video Jorge.
Great video, thanks for sharing. I love the bit on long axis rotation. I had heard the term from Mark Kovak once before but your explanation of it with the palm was superb. As for me, I move my back foot when I serve, I tried really hard to switch to a platform stance but my back foot still wants to move. I have a hard time in the LOADING phase and TOSSING phases. It seems like as I’m tossing, my back foot is moving and my loading is incorrect. Does tossing and loading happen simultaneously? All the videos available always demonstrate the loading in a platform stance but I have a hard time seeing in with a moving back foot. I’d like a demonstration and explanation with someone that moves their back foot. Thanks.
Jorge, thank you for sharing. I think these 9 checkpoints are easily captured on cell phone videos at normal frames per second without using apps like Coaches Eye, Dartfish, etc., so they should be beneficial to a lot of people wanting to improve their serving technique. From launching through contact to arm rotation checkpoints we try to identify other sports movements that clients/students can fall back on or relate to. Leading with the elbow is not the way one throws a baseball, so that is sometimes awkward and confusing for some. It’s a little bit more like throwing a football (more low to high motion), so we use soft, smaller footballs to incorporate. The actual ballistic movement is closer to an overhand volleyball serve, especially if you tell the students to serve into the back right corner, hitting the VB with heel of hand facing to that corner. When available, we take high schoolers and youth tennis students outside the gate to our astro turf practice fields and throw their racquets up and over the soccer goals. Every little bit helps, some tools more than some. Looking forward to the continuing series. Thank you.
Thanks Keith
Ok I would say most of my clients struggle with the “pronation “ check point. I only have them use this technique when hitting an American twist serve. I have them go half way on the pronation to hit a flat serve. Comment ?
Yes, very common
Mine is the loading position, I do not use enough power from my legs to explode up.