Interactive Forum: Ivo Carlovic Serve

[EricMatuszewski]

This month we study the service motion of 6'10" Ivo Karlovic.

What advantages on the serve are there for someone so tall?

Consider impact height and racket speed, how are these influenced by Ivo's long skeletal system.

How does his body influence his tactics on the serve? Does Ivo need to generate as much of a topspin component as a shorter player? Or does it pay for him to hit with more sidespin or just be less concerned with spin in general?

What do you think of this big guys motion, is there some mechanical choice that may be more appropriate for him?

And finally, If you were Sam Querry's coach, (Interactive forum subject two months ago) what would you tell him to learn from Ivo?






Ivo Karlovic Serve


Front View



Rear View



Side View 1



Side View 2

[EricMatuszewski]

Quick Time Movies


Front View




Rear View




Side View 1




Side View 2

[kurtvanhook]

racket drop

if ivo had the racket drop of roddick or wayne arthurs...his serve would be unbelievably sick...sicker than it is, at least. We're talking 160 mph serves if he managed to drop the racket head a la roddick.

[jkfisch1]

Most players have a racquet pause when the racquet is just behind the head. But Ivo pauses at the bottem of his stroke. I think this causes him to speed the racquet head faster when taking it up and then his arm is so tired it he cant serve very fast.

[jeffreycounts]

Most players have a racquet pause when the racquet is just behind the head. But Ivo pauses at the bottem of his stroke. I think this causes him to speed the racquet head faster when taking it up and then his arm is so tired it he cant serve very fast.

I agree.

[jocabuzz]

If Ivo served with a wide base instead of bringing his right foot up to his left, he could probably put a few more ks on his serve.

[johnyandell]

It's an extreme platform stance. Some body rotation but not a huge amount.

Also note that his contact position is pretty far to the right compared to Roddick or Federer, or Pete.

This probably means the ball flatter or at least it has less of a topspin component.

I'm not sure about the physics of the contact height. Serves who are 6' 1" or so definitely have the ball leave the racket at a small downward angle.

I wonder how that changes for 6'10" and what that does for the bounce on the other side?