A New Teaching System: The Serve: Technical Elements

[gzhpcu]

It is difficult because there are so many servers that have different styles and all serve well. Sometimes I have the impression that the more one thinks of it, the tougher it gets. I envy naturals who just do what comes naturally, and do it really well.

[stotty]

It is difficult because there are so many servers that have different styles and all serve well. Sometimes I have the impression that the more one thinks of it, the tougher it gets. I envy naturals who just do what comes naturally, and do it really well.

No that's not the difficulty. Most coaches recognise a good serve when they see it regardless of style. It's more fault finding and correction that can be a conundrum.

[don_budge]

The Serve...An Upside Down Golf Swing

I must say despite all the years I have been coaching I find the serve immensely complex. To me it's all a bunch rotating segments, pulleys and levers that at times take a great deal of fathoming and understanding.

It is difficult because there are so many servers that have different styles and all serve well. Sometimes I have the impression that the more one thinks of it, the tougher it gets. I envy naturals who just do what comes naturally, and do it really well.

It is an extremely complex motion to teach. It is a bunch of this and that and it does take a tremendous amount of knowledge and understanding. Then you have to reduce it all to its simplest terms and communicate it to the student in the lowest common denominator state.

As for the variety of motions...I often find this to be amusing. If you watch the professional golfers they all basically look the same. Some of them may have their own individual nuances in their motions but by and large they all look pretty much the same. The same cannot be said for service motions of the professionals. But that being said I am constantly amazed at the really bad motions on tour. There aren't too many teaching models out there. John chose Roger Federer...the other day I mentioned the beauty of Martina Navratilova's motion as a possible teaching model.

John has done a good job in taking the service motion in a piece by piece sequence. Grip, setup, backswing, trophy position, forward swing and follow through. But how do you put it all together to the student for them to have a chance to comprehend the whole complicated business. Demonstration is a big help here. If you have a perfect motion yourself it is a huge advantage as a teacher.

It is in the delivery of the teacher...at least much of it is. Sure the nuts and bolts are of tremendous importance but it is a different proposal to actually get them to do it. So there is the danger of overkill in trying to get them to understand...and if it is possible you try to lead them into something that resembles a natural motion.

I tackle both the overhead smash and the serve together. I move the student quickly to and fro between these two shots...shots that are hit over the head. But I am always talking about beginners or rather students in general in my methods even though I coach the more advanced student in much the same manner...which may be why some question my methods. But I am a firm believer in fundamentals...as John is...and there is a fundamentally sound way of hitting overheads as well as serves.

It certainly helps to have a golf background as well. It's complicated but the teacher that can keep it the simplest has the best chance of success with any given student.

Basically it is a matter of aiming at a target from the very beginning in the setup position and then it is a matter of keeping everything on line throughout the motion so that at the cataclysmic moment everything comes off without a hitch...with all of the appropriate energy dead on target. Taking dead aim...in the words of the great golf instructor...Harvey Penick.

[jeremy93]

Great! I did learn that the racquet should be perpendicular to the hips when the racquet is at the bottom of the racquet drop.

[doctorhl]

Three equal ability groups taught by one quality instructor- 1. one group live model visualization only, 2.one group variable speed video visualization only, 3.one group verbal instruction only, with all groups having equal service practice time. Sadly, no one can extract uncontrolled variables( many researchers have tried). Even though results would be meaningless, it would be interesting anecdotally to see the results with large number of subjects. The best coaches seem to know how to adjust percentage use of #1,2 and 3 depending on the learning style of the student and insertion/withdrawal at appropriate time in the development stage...an art form that takes years to develop —- expert eye, expert feedback language, expert timing of instruction delivery.