Interactive Forum June 2011: Alexandr Dolgopolov: Serve

[gsheiner]

Agree totally --these are quirks as you called them.

[don_budge]

Golf footwork...

I agree that Becker's movement is slight. I noticed it and tried it and it is a different feel from what Sampras or Federer do. And, since much of tennis technique at the margin is what works for you, I just pointed it out.

I also noticed that Murray does something that strikes me as somewhat unique and again it's subtle, but he seems to roll his front foot inward as he rocks back.

http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/...ctionSide2.mov

Again, I'm not saying this is a major thing -- just a little subtlety that people may want to explore.

Cheers,

Glenn

Interesting observation...reminds me of the action of the front foot in a golf swing...where the pressure of both feet is in the inside part of the foot during the swing when the golfer is turning his body to the ball.

[bottle]

Ever read Jack Nicklaus on the role of heels in a golf swing?-- it's wonderful and subtle stuff.

I don't like the "quirk" and personal preference idea, much too emphasized, as if our natural curiosity has no reference to a back to basics and down to earth and more simple than thou kind of guy such as myself (and a really good person).

In fact, most persons are pretty glib, awful and dismissive a good percentage of the time. And athletic cycles don't permit space for quirks.

The study of art has shown that when something is good, every detail is organic and related to the whole, and if there's anything extraneous in the mix, the mix is second rate.

I think that stylistic "quirks" in great strokes require more study, not less.

Everything-- even what's up ahead-- affects everything else in a rowing stroke, golf stroke, swimming stroke, soccer kick, football punt, foul shot, tennis serve.

People who advocate basics may be the best teachers, but a few players who've been to the very top seemed alive to every nuance in the game of players other than themselves while being extraordinarily much in touch with their own game of course-- Pancho Gonzalez, Bobby Fischer and Ted Williams come to mind right now.

The William Butler Yeats stance is attractive: Believe first, disprove later.

[jimlosaltos]

Dog's Serve is a Weapon.

Of course, llll. Everybody deserves a thought...in my book.

All good points llll...but I think you must examine Alex's motives and ambitions here. On the whole his motion appears to be somewhat abbreviated, yet fluid as noted. I think he is basically interested in putting the ball in play and he is not so interested in doing wholesale damage to his opponent via his serve.
:

Not to be argumentative, but since you asked for thoughts:

Dolgo is a really aggressive server that goes for and gets lots of free points.

Dolgo has ranked high in aces all year, currently has 320, ranking him 12th overall, with 39 matches. That's more aces than Tomas Berdych, who has played 44 matches. He's got a weapon and is willing to miss to get free points. Dolog ranks 17th in first-serve points won. His first serve percent is pretty low, about 54%.

When you consider that everyone that has more aces is taller than him, most considerably taller, that's an accomplishment. Dolog is listed at an optimistic 5 ft 11 in, but I suspect that is when standing on a tennis ball. Off hand, I can't think of anyone else his size whose serve is as strong a weapon. Closest are Benjamin Becker, and who is the Lithuanian -- Richard Berankis.

When Dolgo beat Robin Soderling at the Auzzie, he regularly topped 130 MPH and reached 135 MPH.

Just one point of view

jim // www.fawcette.net/tennis

[don_budge]

Not to be argumentative, but since you asked for thoughts:

Dolgo is a really aggressive server that goes for and gets lots of free points.

Dolgo has ranked high in aces all year, currently has 320, ranking him 12th overall, with 39 matches. That's more aces than Tomas Berdych, who has played 44 matches. He's got a weapon and is willing to miss to get free points. Dolog ranks 17th in first-serve points won. His first serve percent is pretty low, about 54%.

When you consider that everyone that has more aces is taller than him, most considerably taller, that's an accomplishment. Dolog is listed at an optimistic 5 ft 11 in, but I suspect that is when standing on a tennis ball. Off hand, I can't think of anyone else his size whose serve is as strong a weapon. Closest are Benjamin Becker, and who is the Lithuanian -- Richard Berankis.

When Dolgo beat Robin Soderling at the Auzzie, he regularly topped 130 MPH and reached 135 MPH.

Just one point of view

jim // www.fawcette.net/tennis

Got me jimlosaltos and thank you...I was just going by what I thought I was seeing on the video. He does have a very nice fluid motion and the great thing about it is that he is banging it. The easy delivery disguises his ambition...to inflicting damage to get easy points off his serve. I like that. I have to confess that I knew nothing about "Dog"...or his game for that matter. The only thing I knew about him was his win over Söderling at the Australian.

I think that when a server has a deceptively fast serve...when the motion belies the speed, this is one of the greatest attributes of a good server...and an indication of an exceptional motion. Effortless power...like a great golf swing.

Dog fooled me...but apparently I am not the only one. Here is an interesting article on him from the ATP website.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/DEUCE-Tennis/DEUCE-Australian-Open-2011/Alexandr-Dolgopolov.aspx

[tennis_chiro]

How tall is he? Effectively?

It might be interesting to note that considering the 4 or 5 inches Dolgo is off the ground when he hits the serve, his contact point is probably comparable to anyone in the 60's or 70's that was 6'3" tall or less. (Probably pretty close to a much taller Stan Smith!) It would be interesting to do a comparitive study to try to figure out what the actual height of contact of servers was then compared to today's servers. We've started down that path before. I'm still working on it, but I haven't put any time into it lately. Phil, is there any data out there on contact point heights in the past?

don

[jimlosaltos]

Roddick: "sociopathic"

Dog fooled me...but apparently I am not the only one. Here is an interesting article on him from the ATP website.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/DEU...olgopolov.aspx

Got to watch him. Funky game.

Andy Roddick described Dolog's game as "So aggressive he's sociopathic."

Apparently, he grew up on the tour and had conventional strokes, then decided that was no fun; now every stroke is unconventional. Whips forehand almost straight up, backhand alternates between a hard "punch" and a severe hack. Loves drop shots that go higher than most week-end hackers' lobs

There is a video somewhere of him practicing his serve by bouncing the ball off the ground with his racquet instead of tossing it. Seriously, he bounces the ball up to the hit point and swings in one motion. Suppose that helps him be so quick with the snap.

Doubt Yandell teaches that

jim // www.fawcette.net/tennis

[westcoast777]

Roddick - no front foot movement

Ah, not so fast. Roddick appears to no longer bring the front foot back. Here is footage of his serve during the match versus Federer for Davis Cup.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gm4_YBtV3RM