The Sampras Serve: The Rocking Motion

[marius hancu]

The rocking motion is the weight-transfer and rhythm-imparting motion Sampras and many other servers are executing during their preparation. IMO, it is crucial in attaining high ball speeds and good direction.

The rocking motion must be independent as much as possible of the place where you're throwing the ball.

Do you have a VCR with slo-mo (and even without)? Then I strongly suggest you purchase a recording of the Sampras Agassi 2001 USO QF. Sampras's serve is filmed there from various angles, including sideways. Check say the sequence at 1-1 in sets, first game.

Sampras's rocking motion has something very specific, related to his RAISED/ELEVATED LEFT TOE.



As mentioned in the literature:

The front toe is pointed at an angle to the baseline to allow the rotation of hips and shoulders. Sampras will turn the toe even more as he begins to rotate.
Virtually all the outstanding servers will start with the toe either pointed to the side or angled to the baseline. Then they turn the toe (normally pivoted about the heel of the foot) as they rotate the shoulder and hips. If this does not happen, it makes it difficult to get adequate rotation and may place stress on the front knee.
[World Class Tennis Technique, Roettert & Groppel, Eds, 2001, p. 209]

What's special about his rocking motion is the fact that he starts it with his weight mainly on the back (right) foot. In order to insure that, at the start of the toss (when both hands are low together with the ball and the racquet), his left foot is in contact with the ground only on his heel, while its toe is elevated.

He starts the rocking back motion putting even more weight on the back foot, which is slightly turned away from the baseline (say at an 30-45 degrees with it).

At the same time, he pivots his left foot on its heel, and makes it face a line say at 10-20 degrees away from the baseline and places it gradually on the ground. The fact that his foot is on its heel allows its pivoting motion, otherwise impossible because of the friction with the ground.

His knees continue their bending and thus he stores muscle energy in a platform with the two feet planted at the ground, both facing more (the back foot) and less (the left foot) away from the baseline.



From this platform he starts the rocking forward-and-up motion, which has him finally in contact with the ground only on the toes and then exploding up in the air towards the ball.

This relatively complicated left foot motion allows him to be in a perfect corkscrew/rotated position at the end of the rocking back motion.

[JullietteRogers]

But is it the raised toe per se? Or is it the angle etc when he puts it down and starts to drop his weight, turn, etc??

[marius hancu]

But is it the raised toe per se? Or is it the angle etc when he puts it down and starts to drop his weight, turn, etc??

The raised toe is just a small part of the "rocking motion".

[grass2004]

In fact Federer has recently dropped the raised toe, and actually moves the front foot a little back before going up on his toes to jump into the hit.

[johnyandell]

Marius,

Very cool explanation--see I finally understand what you meant by "rocking" motion after all those posts on TW. Thrilled actually at this use of the video--that sideways view you pikced is one of my personal favorites of Pete...

Thanks for the contribution.

John

[GimpyGrumpy]

Marius,

Do you think this "rocking" is actually some form of leaning or does it sort of come along with the weight shift?

Thanks.
GG

[marius hancu]

Do you think this "rocking" is actually some form of leaning or does it sort of come along with the weight shift?

Some say it's the weight shift. I'd say add some rhythm to it, and give it some direction. Then, I'd agree.