The Serve Blasters!

[markus_vafaan]

Hello,

I have found these numbers:

#01. Andy Roddick ---- 155 mph
#02. Chris Guccione ---- 154 mph
#03. Taylor Dent ---- 153 mph
#04. Greg Rusedski ---- 149 mph
#05. Ivan Ljubicic ---- 145 mph
#06. Joachim Johannson ---- 144 mph
#06. Marat Safin ---- 144 mph
#06. Fernando Gonzalez ---- 144 mph
#09. Ivo Karlovic ---- 143.75 mph
#10. Agustin Calleri ---- 143 mph
#11. Mark Philippoussis ---- 142.30 mph

Can anyone confirm this information?

To me the two most important things in the serve are:

1. Hip rotation and leg push off
2. External Arm Rotation

Any thoughts about big servers and what they have in common?

Cheers/ Rasmus

[llll]

my guess would be extreme racquet drop position and the ability to get in and out of the drop position faster than the rest. rick macci commented on this ability of roddick in his article.

[johnyandell]

I think you put all the elements together as well as you can and see what happens.

Racket Drop--this includes the rotation backwards of the upper arm
Ball Position on Toss
Hand and Arm action going to ball and thereafter
Stance
Knee bend
Relaxation!

[maverick1]

John, I know you are a big proponent of Racquet drop, but I am not sure whether the goal should be just getting the racket vertical or also get the racquet head as low as possible.

I have seen you comment that someone's racket is still not quite vertical at the end of their racquet drop. I have also seen you praise someone's racquet drop because the racket tip is down all the way to the level of the knees.

I have interpreted you to mean that the first goal is to get the racquet vertical, and an advanced goal is to develop enough arm and back flexibility to let the racuet drop drop to the level of the knees.

[johnyandell]

That's pretty much exactly it. Vertical and then lower if possible.