The most interesting shot in the world? Is the one you want to add. Best addition

[GeoffWilliams]

Ever play a match and have someone notice, "If you only had a back hand top spin lob, you would have killed him?"

Best way to add a new shot: Decide to. Use video. Pay attention to unit turns, coiling, and energetic uncoiling. Decide which form is the best for that shot, and study video to emulate it. Shadow swing, using the new shot form, on dog walks. Practice it out of the basket, and with a ball machine, which is best used to replicate a new shot. Take great joy when you can add it dependably in a match. They come easily when you follow disciplined routines.

[GeoffWilliams]

For most, 70% gen pop go to pro teachers/coaches to learn how to serve. It's the hardest shot to add. Too many stages in the kinetic chain to go wrong. Most don't know how to create vicious whip lash. Leg drive. Snap off. Toss is not perfected. Ever see Sampras catch even one toss? No. And he contacted ball 3-4' out in front of baseline. Just try that once. I dare you.

So why can't most serve big? Kinetic chain is not taught, and most low budget pros don't serve well themselves, or they would be making money doing it. So why is it such a hard shot to learn?

Delayed trophy out of archers bow. If you know what that means, you know why.

[studini]

Hi Geoff,
What does it mean?

Dave

[bottle]

It means you gotta get out there and figure it out.

[studini]

Well I get out there as much as I can Bottle, I was out there for an hour and a half just now after working all night but I don't have big talent and I don't know what Geoff meant so I was hoping he would care to elaborate on it.

[bottle]

Maybe he will. I know he's successfully simplified things for me before.

In the meantime, since I see three huge topics here: 1) delay, 2) archer's bow and 3) trophy position, I'd put 2) and 3) into a search engine just to see what might come up.

Or go to Mark Papas at Revolutionary Tennis. He's very provocative on "archer's bow" and everything else.

Archer's bow is where you turn your whole body into an imaginary weapon from the movie King Henry V starring Sir Laurence Olivier. You stick your hips and middle of your body out like Roger Federer or Pete Sampras (see all the TP videos of these guys), which cocks your body in the longitudinal direction.

Of course there are more horizontal cockings one ought to do as well, and anywhere there is a cocking there should be a subsequent release.

For trophy position-- the introduction-- I recommend the instructional section of TP but particularly the serving articles of Scott Murphy.

As your fellow student, I wish you well.

[studini]

Thanks Bottle Revolutionary tennis has some very interesting stuff on the archers bow I think I've got it and I will be spending some serious time on that site. I had not seen that site before. Thank you sir.

David
Happy New Year

[GeoffWilliams]

If you lag your frame drop after you leg drive up, you develop more snap the whip lash. If you bow your front hip upwards, and curve your body backwards, before leg drive up, same. Fed lags, becker lagged, sampras lagged, which also allows a further down frame dip, below your rear, rather than the middle of the back. That's why Sampras lost to mac. His back was hurt, and he could not arch it during his serve games.

[stroke]

I certainly am no fan of McEnroe's on court demeanor, but the way he can still compete with these younger players is really something.

[studini]

Yeah, I missed that match, I came in and they were playing the last 2 or 3 points, I hope that replay it on tennis channel at some point

David

[jbill]

Pathetic role models

I totally agree with Stroke. McEnroe's on court behavior is pathetic. He's worse than a little child out there. Courier's isn't so great either at times. The guy is the Davis Cup captain and he won't even shake the chair umpire's hand after the match. What a role model for the kids!

Jim Bill