Interactive Forum: Sam Querry Serve

[johnyandell]

There has been a lot of good insight here and I'm going to add my two cents worth.

I like how fluid and free his motion is. The windup is abbreviated but Sam doesn't get the same level of drop as Pete or Andy, although it may be equal to Federer or a little greater.

He also hits the ball a little flatter than all those guys, I'm guessing, based on his ball position at contact which is a little more to the right. But at his height that might just be the way to go.

If you've read my articles you know I'm a fan of platform stances, and someone noted Sam opens up pretty far at contact, which is more characteristic of the pinpoints. He brings his back foot up but not around, and is tilted pretty far to the side at contact, another characteristic of mnay players with pinpoints.

I'll stick with my opinion but in the upcoming issue check out the new article from Brian Gordon. His 3D work is giving us a way to understand the pluses and minuses between the stance variations in a way that is completely new--or at least to me.

One thing I've been at a loss to explain is why so many players especially women use the poinpoint--is it completely wrong headed or are there some payoffs?

Read Brian's article for the start of a new explanation.

[badvolley]

John,

I have limited experience. and I use the platform, but many of the pinpoint players tell me they think it helps them get more hip motion into the ball. They tell me they have a feeling that they they can jump higher and swivel harder by bringing the back foot up.

Has anyone tested the jump height of the same player using the two stances? I have about a 26" standing vertical jump, so I don't feel any need to bring the back foot up in order to hop into the air a little.

[johnyandell]

Check out Brian Gordon's article in this issue.

I think that it's true that the pinpoint players open earlier. But not sure that is a good thing. See the Sampras (Tour Strokes) and Roddick and Federer serve articles (Advanced Tennis). You also want to read Myth of the Pinpoint in Advanced Tennis.

I think Brian's work is going to help understand some of the technical differences. What I see is usually less knee bend and less total (but earlier) rotation with the pinpoint players.

[carvalho]

Up, staright or down?

When hitting a topspin serve, does the ball leave the racquet going up (forming an arc) going forward (paralel to the court) or on a downward trajectory?

[johnyandell]

First of all there is no such thing as a "topspin" serve. A 30% topspin component is massive.

In the heavy ball studies we did of Sampras and Rusedski, the ball left the racket at a slight downward angle.

This is the same I believe as found by Stanley Plagenhoef in his pioneering wrok.

That doesn't mean you try to hit down. In fact the opposite. It's just what happens at the contact, at least at 9 ft plus contact heights.

[carvalho]

Kick serve?

John, thanks for the answer. If there is only a max of 30% component of topspin on a serve, does this mean that the ball rotates much more on a topspin groundstroke than on a kick serve?

[johnyandell]

Not necessarily. Serves in pro tennis start at 1000rpm and can rotate up to 3000rpm or more on first serves and 5000rpm pluse on second serves. The rest of the spin is sidespin.

Groundstrokes can be more or less than a given first serve--it just depends, but usually not as much as seconds, and in general have more topspin component. Some of the numbers are spelled out in the heavy ball articles, check them out.

[lukman41985]

John,
I'm really interested in the topspin component to groundstrokes. My feeling, completely anecdotal, not based on scientific data or film study, is that groundstrokes are mostly sidespin. I feel this is the case even with the claycourters--famed for their topspin they might be, they still, I feel, hit mostly with sidespin. Nadal's forehand definitely jumps up high off the court, but also is remarkable for the way in which it kicks sideways--usually away from his opponent's backhand. All in all, it makes for a lethal ball. Anyways, in reading the heavy ball articles, there wasn't information on the topspin/sidespin component of groundstrokes. Any information you can provide with regards to this subject would be appreciated--thanks in advance.

-Lukman