Tweet
This angle shows how simple the serve is, from a very useful angle. The full rhythm:
It shows how he sits down, while fully reaching back towards the net, and still fully coiled. It shows how much his back faces the net, while he reaches all the way back and cocks his shoulder with external rotation to the very max. It shows how his back faces the net, while he is just beginning his leg drive, and the frame has lagged, and not even reached vertical yet.
It shows how far left the toss and impact are. It shows the triple V formation of his elbow/frame, maintained until extension upwards, and then the V returns as the shoulder stops, and the forearm snaps over the top.
it shows just how far his hitting shoulder travels during the shot: starts 4' back from the eventual impact point.
It shows how he begins his leg drive, before his frame ever reaches vertical. It shows how he bows his body, into a curved arch. It shows just how far forward he contacts the ball into the baseline. It shows how his frame is pronated by his forearm, forwards, and only snaps down as a function of the length of his arm. It shows very little leg kick back. It shows his left hip extending out over the baseline, higher than the rear hip, due to the chong stance and separation of the feet. and angular driven "sitting down", weight transfer into the court before leg drive upwards. It shows just how far back he has to coil to balance the weight/hip/curved back as he bows out over the baseline. It shows how far out the left hip is, in front of all else, as he curves back to obtain a fully relaxed coil, using his curve to store energy. It shows the speed of the pronated forearm/snap off. It shows the frame square at impact, then the hitting bed faces the side fence, after impact, imparting a great deal of spin in the process. It shows just how much he arches his back, to obtain a higher elbow, and more coil. It shows how his shoulders are straight up/down when the toss arm is up, and just how fast they reverse position/up/down, as if he's jamming his shoulders into a parking meter slot sideways.
So what are the things most don't do? The full rhythm:
Reach back enough. External/internal shoulder rotation creating vicious snap of the forearm. Forearm pronation not there. Too light of a frame. Curve back enough against the forward hip out over the line. Stick the hip way out forward and balance back against it. Toss forwards enough. Relaxed rhythm, and weight transfer. Not enough bow/arch/elbow ht. Impact forwards enough. Speed of hand/forearm snap off. Accurate toss. Lag the frame drop until after leg drive. Leg drive up. Back arch/creating higher elbow.
Too the now generation: you guys don't even know this shot at all, having never seen sampras hit three aces in a row at love 40 as many times as he did. 1,000 aces/yr. at 6' tall. Study this clip if you want to learn to serve. It's not 20 separate things, it's one thing: aim for a small part of the ball and everything else is automatic.
How to practice it? HIt for rhythm/and form first, without caring about if it's in/out/slow/fast, and then finish by aiming for the small part of the ball that will send the ball to the lines.
Nicholson said to uncle Tony, "First teach him to hit the ball far down the fairway, and then teach him to keep it in bounds."
Comment