Interactive Stroke Analysis Roscoe Tanner's Serve

[GMann]

I am not sure Tanner's second serve was all that. I think the big bonus of a more orthodox (or should I say conventional) serve like Roger's over Tanner's is the deeper knee-bend and subsequent leg drive works much better for delivering a kick second serve.

Hi guys. As someone who watched Tanner close up on one of the side courts in person during his prime at the US Open in 1973, I can confirm that his second serve did not jump up high with a lot of kick. However, he did hit it with such tremendous force and sidespin that the ball was literally shaking in mid-air and it looked like it was going to burn a hole in the court when it landed. I've never seen anything like that in my life to this day. It was shocking to see, and I'll never forget it. Too bad that we couldn't measure RPMs in those days, but I can assure you that the reading would have been off the charts. So, he did use that tremendous racket head speed to generate tremendous spin (not just power), but it wasn't topspin so it didn't make the ball jump up high. I thought I'd share that observation and memory with all of you in case anyone was interested.

[gzhpcu]

I watched Roscoe Tanner live also on a side court in Wimbledon mid 70s. His serve was tremendously impressive. Compact movement, no frills. Toss barely up the ball was hitting the back fence.

[stroke]

Hi guys. As someone who watched Tanner close up on one of the side courts in person during his prime at the US Open in 1973, I can confirm that his second serve did not jump up high with a lot of kick. However, he did hit it with such tremendous force and sidespin that the ball was literally shaking in mid-air and it looked like it was going to burn a hole in the court when it landed. I've never seen anything like that in my life to this day. It was shocking to see, and I'll never forget it. Too bad that we couldn't measure RPMs in those days, but I can assure you that the reading would have been off the charts. So, he did use that tremendous racket head speed to generate tremendous spin (not just power), but it wasn't topspin so it didn't make the ball jump up high. I thought I'd share that observation and memory with all of you in case anyone was interested.

I agree. On a side note, Kyrgios seems to me to have an updated Tanner serve.

[don_budge]

Hi guys. As someone who watched Tanner close up on one of the side courts in person during his prime at the US Open in 1973, I can confirm that his second serve did not jump up high with a lot of kick. However, he did hit it with such tremendous force and sidespin that the ball was literally shaking in mid-air and it looked like it was going to burn a hole in the court when it landed. I've never seen anything like that in my life to this day. It was shocking to see, and I'll never forget it. Too bad that we couldn't measure RPMs in those days, but I can assure you that the reading would have been off the charts. So, he did use that tremendous racket head speed to generate tremendous spin (not just power), but it wasn't topspin so it didn't make the ball jump up high. I thought I'd share that observation and memory with all of you in case anyone was interested.

Thanks for sharing GMann. Somehow that serve is etched in my memory as well. I know guys from the midwest who faced off against Roscoe Tanner in junior tennis. A tremendous anomaly of a serve. A quick motion and a bullet like delivery. A heavy ball too...not just speed but tremendous inertia. Skidmarks where the ball hit the turf.

I really like your observation about the power of his serve. It wasn't just the speed but surely a combination of Speed, Placement and Spin. The elements of control. What is power? Control is power. Control the ball and you control your opponent...control your opponent and you control the game.

[klacr]

Tanner had a great serve. Not sure you would want to teach it to a student or attempt to replicate yourself.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[stotty]

What happened to Roscoe? I heard he had several brushes with the law and ended up behind bars on more than one occasion? Has he come good these days or is he incorrigible?

[johnyandell]

Klacr,
Agreed.
Stotty,
Don't know but probably the later.

[don_budge]

Roscoe Tanner..."God's Way"


Paul's letter to Philippians: “Don't be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to the Lord”.

https://www.tennisworldusa.org/tenni...-to-perdition/

"“When you're behind bars, when all your freedoms have been stripped away, and when you're suffering deprivation, your eyes are opened” he wrote on the last page. “I did things Roscoe's way for more than 50 years. Now I'm going to do things God's way."

Never change a winning game...always change a losing game.

[05sidespin]

This would change everything. What if the down-and-up-together rhythm were slightly changed to "Tossing hand and RACQUET HEAD together . . ."? This technique could be applied to all kinds of serving motions, from Sampras's to Andre Agassi. Personally, I'm using the old-fashioned roundhouse down-up backswing these days. Like Martina Navratilova's serve. But the racquet head and tossing hand go down and then go up together. Eliminates rushing your swing, which can cause no end of arm and shoulder problems.