Serving Coronas.

[J011yroger]

I struck gold.

Soderling 140mph first serve down the T followed by 3 consecutive slow motions of the same serve from 3 different angles.

https://youtu.be/rcP1Fge4GPo?list=TL...MJ5qkuQ&t=1396

Should bring you right to the time, but it's at 23:16 if not.

J

[don_budge]

A Little Food for Thought...Setup, Backswing and The Twilight Zone

https://www.tennisplayer.net/members...ront1.mp4&new=

Sorry if I have been a little vague. I've been lost in thought. Corona virus statistics. Numbers running through my brain. My golf swing...the timing of the backswing transitioning into the forward swing. Your serve...muscling the ball versus swinging the racquet. It's enough to make your mind swirl. But then there was this gem posted by a poster on the forum:

https://youtu.be/ldi3EcACOb0

He was the guy I was thinking of the whole time I was writing all of those posts...obscurely referring to this and that. To tell you the truth you are so close to having a genuine howitzer it is scary. I think I heard you say after your slow motion video..."you know what I'm saying...at least three of them felt clean". A revealing comment. Let's clean up the motion a tad...shall we?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLq40bUuKuQ

First off...take a look at the Roger Federer motion in the above video. Click with your right arrow key to frame number 22 and 23. Here is "The Twilight Zone"...betwixt and between. This is the point in the motion that to me is the critical moment of truth. It is the same as with the golf swing. It is the point where the backswing transitions into the forwards swing. Roger is fully loaded and once his racquet begins to drop behind him it is his cue to begin the forwards motion. He does this by stepping on the accelerator. He doesn't floor it all at once...he depresses it somewhat gradually picking up steam as the racquet reaches the low point behind him.

Secondly look at that rascal Ilie Nastase's serve. Mr. Silky Smooth. Nary an inkling of any friction whatsoever in this motion. That Dunlop Maxply Fort is just a blur once he gets it going behind him. I love how Nastase has placed his feet. He's going up the middle. Look how he commences his swing...a little bob of the racquet head up into position and then immediate free fall into the backswing. He is swinging his entire arm with the racquet in such a relaxed motion with just enough energy in the arm to keep the structure integrity intact throughout the entire backswing. Muscleless...boneless. Then it is the same as with Roger Federer...once that racquet starts its descent behind him he steps on the accelerator.

Third base...how do we get you in this manner of flow? It's a simple game said the Yogi. Let's keep it simple. Number one...your toss in the slomo video goes beyond the highest electrical wire in the background and you make contact with the fifth wire going down. The toss is way too high. Toss the ball so that it falls at most a foot and preferably less than six inches. You made a comment that you didn't strike the ball cleanly in your video and think about it. It is harder to hit a moving target than a still target. When the ball is at its apex it is virtually standing still. When you toss it as high as you do it is accelerating the whole way down. No wonder you don't get a bead on it. Simplify the rhythm with a lower toss.

At the same time you can relax on the backswing a bit. Loosen up on your grip. Drop you pinky finger off the racquet for this sort of "feel". Now with the lower toss and the slower backswing work on timing that backswing to transition into the forward swing without the hesitation. Don't swing so hard at first. Just try to get that racquet head rolling through the transition..."The Twilight Zone". Everything you do after that is rather amazing. I can really hear the impact. Thud. But look at Ilie Nastase with that tiny little Maxply Fort and listen to his wallop. He is getting that racquet head through the ball clean as a whip. That is what I envisioned in your serve even before that poster posted Nastase.

Just some food for thought J011y. I see better than the 10-15% you long for in your service potential. I see big numbers in the combination of the technique and the tactics. This Nastase fellow was so clever with the tactics. He never gave you two in a row just the same way...and if he just so happened to that came as even a bigger surprise. His loose, FLUID motion enabled him to be that way.

Curious as to what you think. My head is sort of spinning with everything else going on. I'm working out in my office...it is me against the Corona Virus. I'm winning so far. I think that I will start taking zinc...just ordered it.

https://www.naturalnews.com/2020-03-...king-zinc.html

[J011yroger]

Just spent 5 hours applying for unemployment, going to go out and roll the court and practice some serves.

I think 15% is a lot, 5-10% would be amazing, but based on how I hit my forehand relative to my peers, I should be able to serve bigger I think.

I just want to work on the motion right now, once I am satisfied with that I can focus on spins, accuracy, tactics.

I will have basically unlimited time to work on accuracy and tactics once I am working again.

J

[seano]

J011yroger -

Sorry to hear about the unemployment, I feel for you. Good luck with your search. I was very fortunate, my former country club had private short/long term disability and was able to take advantage of it after my 3rd neck surgery.

[J011yroger]

Thanks, I'll be ok.

Catching up on a bunch of projects around the house, but I miss working.

J

[johnyandell]

J,
Post some serves from a back view. I will give you an opinion.

[J011yroger]

johnyandell the below is what I have posted in this thread, most recent rear view. The weather is supposed to get better this week and I will try to shoot more. It is too miserable outside now so I am just getting frustrated. Let me know if I can do any better with the angle or other camera tips, my only limitation is that the back court at the house is small so it is difficult to get everything in one shot.

Thank you so much!

The weather was crummy and the lighting poor, but I did the best I could. Sorry for the vertical camera, but I had to.

Regular Speed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBf30y9qLsc

The first 4 felt ok, I mishit the 5th.

Slow Motion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLq40bUuKuQ

I mishit the 3rd and 4th, rest felt pretty clean.

J

J

[johnyandell]

My first suggestion is to find a way to avoid that wandering around on the backswing.

[don_budge]

Just spent 5 hours applying for unemployment, going to go out and roll the court and practice some serves.

I think 15% is a lot, 5-10% would be amazing, but based on how I hit my forehand relative to my peers, I should be able to serve bigger I think.

I just want to work on the motion right now, once I am satisfied with that I can focus on spins, accuracy, tactics.

I will have basically unlimited time to work on accuracy and tactics once I am working again.

J

Great attitude. That 5 hours had to feel like a lifetime. I know what it is like to deal with the line in normal times...that must have been torture. I am a believer in your ability and see tons of potential which my dear old coach said was "room for improvement". Work on the motion...that is your first priority. I was talking about the rest as the fruits of an "improved" motion. Thanks for the opportunity to have this discussion. I find it to be very therapeutic. A wonderful distraction for me. Sorry if I distracted you.

Having a tennis court in your back yard in these extraordinary times is a game changer. I'm pulling for you...J011yroger! You can do it!

God Bless America.

[J011yroger]

My first suggestion is to find a way to avoid that wandering around on the backswing.

Thank you,

Time to fire up the smelter and burn away some impurities.

J

[J011yroger]

Great attitude. That 5 hours had to feel like a lifetime. I know what it is like to deal with the line in normal times...that must have been torture. I am a believer in your ability and see tons of potential which my dear old coach said was "room for improvement". Work on the motion...that is your first priority. I was talking about the rest as the fruits of an "improved" motion. Thanks for the opportunity to have this discussion. I find it to be very therapeutic. A wonderful distraction for me. Sorry if I distracted you.

Having a tennis court in your back yard in these extraordinary times is a game changer. I'm pulling for you...J011yroger! You can do it!

God Bless America.

Look at these three serves, so clean, so pure.

https://youtu.be/eKdk3ia8Ua8?t=124

Such beauty in simplicity, nothing extra.

J

[stotty]

For me, it's the hitch around the trophy position that's the most obvious problem. A serve can hesitate around the trophy position (according to BG) but it shouldn't stop and then dip. It looks like it oscillates a little also. I think as coaches we have lots of knowledge (thanks to Tennisplayer and learning from one another on the forum) but the bottom line for any coach is: 'can you fix it'. Now how are you going to go about 'feeling' the problem for yourself and then set about 'resolving' it?

I use a bamboo stick with my students (no, not to strike them with!). When the elbow dips, I tap them under the elbow to let them know they have crossed a threshold.

[J011yroger]

For me, it's the hitch around the trophy position that's the most obvious problem. A serve can hesitate around the trophy position (according to BG) but it shouldn't stop and then dip. It looks like it oscillates a little also. I think as coaches we have lots of knowledge (thanks to Tennisplayer and learning from one another on the forum) but the bottom line for any coach is: 'can you fix it'. Now how are you going to go about 'feeling' the problem for yourself and then set about 'resolving' it?

I use a bamboo stick with my students (no, not to strike them with!). When the elbow dips, I tap them under the elbow to let them know they have crossed a threshold.

The same way I've fixed everything in my life, by being incredibly persistent.

J

[johnyandell]

Look at Roger in high speed on the site from rear. Try physically modeling his racket position when his knee bend is full. Do it eyes closed and check yourself. Visualize getting there. If that doesn't work go to the position and serve a few from there.

[glacierguy]

Hey J011yroger, just a thought, but you could video yourself serving from the service line, aiming at the opposite baseline. The net doesn't really make much difference when practising the serve action. Only noticed this because in these lockdown times I'm whacking serves down my lawn without any net, and it's better than nothing.