Sensitizing the Elbow
Today's iteration comes from fooling around with an Isner-like serve. John Isner gets his elbow back, out, and up to the right. When he bends his arm then, keeping elbow still, the racket tip heads into the court on his left side. Have seen this in other giants serving as well. And when I tried it, the motion felt great but I served into the net.
Sure! Good! Why not? You see, I'm 6' 4" not 6'9". So, into the net makes perfect sense while showing that I may be on the track of a great motion, i.e.,
the longest, slowest, purest, most natural crossing behind one like Bea Bielik.
Here's what I decided on next: To open the racket a slight bit-- duh. Okay
but where or more specifically when?
My decision on this point was affected by exposure to a pair of service ideas, first, that to simplify the loop behind one's back one can open the racket face when it is down passing by the right leg, and second, that to improve toss one can minimize hitting arm motion just then in whatever way is possible.
The philosophy of this second point has to do with a little recognized principle of physiology: that tossing arm goes up less smoothly and predictably when right arm is doing a lot at the same time-- a very far cry from the old "down together, up together."
Decision then: Just turn the racket out a desired small amount while keeping hand low. Continuous motion is preserved but twisting hand stays in one spot.
Then, during body bend, fold arm to the conventional right angle same as always while simultaneously lifting elbow to about where Isner has it when he turns on the power.
This arm wind-up from two joints instead of one feels less mechanical, more organic, more right brain, more like a powerful throw since the enlivened elbow is about to rise a whole lot more anyway.
One does want the elbow to get still but why so early as before? I can't see that the early stillness with hand behind the neck got me anything, not at least the way it does in a cylinder serve.
No, this is a bow serve where anything and everything can go.
Today's iteration comes from fooling around with an Isner-like serve. John Isner gets his elbow back, out, and up to the right. When he bends his arm then, keeping elbow still, the racket tip heads into the court on his left side. Have seen this in other giants serving as well. And when I tried it, the motion felt great but I served into the net.
Sure! Good! Why not? You see, I'm 6' 4" not 6'9". So, into the net makes perfect sense while showing that I may be on the track of a great motion, i.e.,
the longest, slowest, purest, most natural crossing behind one like Bea Bielik.
Here's what I decided on next: To open the racket a slight bit-- duh. Okay
but where or more specifically when?
My decision on this point was affected by exposure to a pair of service ideas, first, that to simplify the loop behind one's back one can open the racket face when it is down passing by the right leg, and second, that to improve toss one can minimize hitting arm motion just then in whatever way is possible.
The philosophy of this second point has to do with a little recognized principle of physiology: that tossing arm goes up less smoothly and predictably when right arm is doing a lot at the same time-- a very far cry from the old "down together, up together."
Decision then: Just turn the racket out a desired small amount while keeping hand low. Continuous motion is preserved but twisting hand stays in one spot.
Then, during body bend, fold arm to the conventional right angle same as always while simultaneously lifting elbow to about where Isner has it when he turns on the power.
This arm wind-up from two joints instead of one feels less mechanical, more organic, more right brain, more like a powerful throw since the enlivened elbow is about to rise a whole lot more anyway.
One does want the elbow to get still but why so early as before? I can't see that the early stillness with hand behind the neck got me anything, not at least the way it does in a cylinder serve.
No, this is a bow serve where anything and everything can go.
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