Having really struggled with putting meaningful power into my serve after only taken up the game 3 months ago, I have applied everything in this video and BAM! Everything just came together and I finally was able to generate pop into my 1st serve!
The key for me is the motion exploding upwards dropping the racquet back and I've found with the continental grip you will chop the ball and open the racquet face at the last second and then pronate after striking the ball anyway.
Using the word snapping has been one of the biggest myths when teaching how to serve. That word has done more harm than good, sadly enough too many pros still teach the serve using "that" word. Thanks for watching. Christophe.
Christophe, what is the proper way to develop a better power position as deep/extreme as Roddick's? Is it purely technical, or is it through better arm strength/flexibility? I have a very "shallow" power position, if that makes any sense, and I'm trying to change that part of my serve but I'm at a loss at where to start.
@W3nGalanG Do you serve with the continental grip and i mean not only begin with it but finish with it , because a lot of my students do that! Do you collapse your motion too soon? bc that could lead to a shallow power position... arm flexibility should not be an issue, send me a video of your serve privately thru youtube and ill take a look at it... christophe
The reason why a lot of your instructions are different to a lot of coaches, is because most coaches out there are rubbish. They really only teach kids that aren't ever going to make it and they don't coach at a high level.
Your videos are great. I really learn a lot from them.
when you talk of pronating is that what is used for a flat serve? or is pronation a part of the slice and kick serve too..or there a different style of pronation for these serves......it's confusing for me...
@candided The pronation takes place on every single serve regardless of the spin you put on the serve. The pronation "should" happen naturally if you use the proper grip (continental). Let me know if you need more help.
@scjtraveler A couple of tips to hit a better kick serve. Let the ball drop more before making contact and use your legs jumping up AS you are hitting the ball. Please let me know if i can help your second serve.
Great, great, great, great video!!! I am a tennis coach from Croatia (I am sure you know Ivanisevic, Ljubicic, Cilic, Ancic, Kralovic). Really methodic video and great explanation I will use it for my lessons with some my players. No copyright infregment intendent :D
Ok , Serve pronation. How can we pronate for a kick serve? Are all these videos about a flat serve or a first serve with a little bit of topspin?
I always lose all my momentom and accelaration just before I hit the ball when I want to hit a kick serve. How do pros. Swing as fast as a first serve for a kick serve?
I hope you could show us some video analysis about pronation on kick serves.
I watched 300 and 250 fps video of serve pronation by pros. Well it is there for real but how can they do it with a continental grip. Especially a true continental grip! Whatever continental grip even eastern continental grip. It really twists my arm and shoulder! Anatomically impossible! But yes I can see they do it ,I don't get it.
I've got to say..I just started to pronate my serves..and it puts such a spin on the ball that when I do it right, the speed, power and spin really combine to put in a good serve..but, the timing is the thing..it's not easy thing to time..but well worth it..my best serves have been when I pronate correctly.
Good video, I looked at my serve in slowmation and I do all these things without knowing it! I can upload a video if you want, cause many people are just talking.. not me...
It is misleading when you say racket has to point down and elbow up. Those things are going to happen anyways if you have right motion. The pros are not purposefully trying to put those parts of the body there.
Yes you are correct that if you have the right motion it will happen but a lot of my students do not have the correct motion and completely by-pass the power position (elbow up racquet down). Pro were taught to do this like I was and like I do today. So it is for that reason that i point out the common threads of the serve. This video breaks down the serve and all it's components that are crucial. Thanks for watching. C.
@xstf the serve is pretty much the same as a baseball pitch or overhead toss directed straight up, except with much more knee bend. I say to my students: pretend you want to toss a ball vertically in the air and overhand. Your shoulders will end up almost perpendicular to the ground, and everything else will fall into place.
@hypercarbon i don't see how breaking down the serve is been misleading. I am merely explaining one of the most overlooked part of the serve regardless if it happens naturally or not. I am not sure who you teach but most of my beginner or 3.5 students never drop their racquets in what i call the power position. Telling your students to throw a ball is one thing having them doing with a racquet is another since most people don't know how to throw hence the video to show them what happens. C.
@hypercarbon Fair enough my friend. Sorry I did not mean to be hostile. If you do 20 overhand throws to throw the ball vertically, and then give the student the racket and tell them to pretend they have to throw the racket vertically, with the proper grip and all, i guarantee they will not only have the necessary arm/shoulder forms, but they will also pronate. it is the natural movement.
@hypercarbon Thanks for the reply, i know what you mean, i have done that many times in the past (having then throw or pitch the ball upward) and showed then pictures of quaterbacks and pitchers after they release the ball to show then the natural pronation. The main issue is that most of my students come to me with the wrong grip so that alone is a challenge by itself so their motion is what i call the cocktail waitress no power position and no pronation. So i hope that the video is helpful. C
Great video. I notice when pro players (who are right handed) serve, they push off and land with their left foot in the court and their right foot kicks back. Any tips on how to get in the habit of doing that?
Try to begin with a wide stance and then bring your feet together as you toss the ball. When you bring your feet together keep all your weight on your left leg then as you jump forward your right leg should stay/kick back. Let me know if you more help.
Your reply was very helpful - pushing off more w/ my left foot as I hit up on the ball has been letting me land on my left foot. It helps with timing and I am hitting the ball with more pace! Great tip!
@hattrickster33 Well I call all my students grasshoppers, bc they have so much to learn, it's from the 1970 TV show "Kung Fu" where Master Po always called his student Grasshopper! Hope you learned something form the video! Cheers C.
I've got this down for a slice serve, does this also apply for a flat serve? I have tried it but the timing isn't right, I can't hit it flat. Of course I can hit a flat serve using an eastern forehand grip and using a "frying pan" serve it but I don't think that's what this video is showing.
first of all thanks for prepair to this video for you... ıts so helpful for me. but ı want to ask something. flat serve , spin serve , kick serve or american twist serve.... ı know a lot of the name of serve... but ı dont know what the different think of the serves. grip to racket? or footwork ?? can you help me.. =) ı want to thank you now for your reply.. ( I cant speak English well... Im sorry for this... )
I will reply in details to your request soon but Ill give you a quick ti for now. Regardless of the serve you choose to hit you must have the same grip, (the continental grip) for all serves.
i was disappointed that i couldnt find any tips from u on the 2nd serve
on 1st serves, i can ace good players with flat serves or the slice out wide on the deuce (im right-handed)
but i dont really know what to do on the 2nd except go for top and it's always weak comparatively unless I REALLY try to hit it hard
people have told me for years about looking at the ball like a clock but it never made sense to me (i.e. the kick serve) - only the flat (hit on the back of the ball) makes sense
I am in the process of finding footage to compare both first and second serves. I am just busy right now teaching and too tired when i get home at night!!! but as the season slows down here in Florida in the next month i will get to 1st serve 2nd serve analysis
great analysis, its funny how you did the video on pronation as yesterday i analysed federers serve in HD and realised why he was pronating, 'racket on edge' . Iv practiced it without balls in my living room without a racket and you do pronate
Having really struggled with putting meaningful power into my serve after only taken up the game 3 months ago, I have applied everything in this video and BAM! Everything just came together and I finally was able to generate pop into my 1st serve!
The key for me is the motion exploding upwards dropping the racquet back and I've found with the continental grip you will chop the ball and open the racquet face at the last second and then pronate after striking the ball anyway.
Thanks for explain
lavaman233 4 months ago
@lavaman233 Thanks for the kind words and you are correct the key is the continental grip, you can't really pronate if you don't have it. C.
xstf 4 months ago
Using the word snapping has been one of the biggest myths when teaching how to serve. That word has done more harm than good, sadly enough too many pros still teach the serve using "that" word. Thanks for watching. Christophe.
xstf 4 months ago
I thought the elbow and wrist kind of snapped down on the ball but they don't. It's more of a bowling motion.
byen8 4 months ago
Christophe, what is the proper way to develop a better power position as deep/extreme as Roddick's? Is it purely technical, or is it through better arm strength/flexibility? I have a very "shallow" power position, if that makes any sense, and I'm trying to change that part of my serve but I'm at a loss at where to start.
W3nGalanG 5 months ago
@W3nGalanG Do you serve with the continental grip and i mean not only begin with it but finish with it , because a lot of my students do that! Do you collapse your motion too soon? bc that could lead to a shallow power position... arm flexibility should not be an issue, send me a video of your serve privately thru youtube and ill take a look at it... christophe
xstf 5 months ago
DUDE THANK YOU,i just realize most of these pro players actually have their heels of the ground when at trophy position.....
alot of the intermediate and club players have their legs bended but with the heel contact on the ground,only to be lifted if they jump for the serve
metal4eva666 5 months ago
The reason why a lot of your instructions are different to a lot of coaches, is because most coaches out there are rubbish. They really only teach kids that aren't ever going to make it and they don't coach at a high level.
Your videos are great. I really learn a lot from them.
sultanabran1 6 months ago
@sultanabran1 Thank you so much for watching and for your compliments. C.
xstf 6 months ago
when you talk of pronating is that what is used for a flat serve? or is pronation a part of the slice and kick serve too..or there a different style of pronation for these serves......it's confusing for me...
candided 10 months ago
@candided The pronation takes place on every single serve regardless of the spin you put on the serve. The pronation "should" happen naturally if you use the proper grip (continental). Let me know if you need more help.
xstf 10 months ago
Awesome video. Really appreciate the effort you've gone to :)
Rams709 11 months ago
@Rams709 Thank you for your compliments keep watching. Christophe.
xstf 11 months ago
Safin's serve is a beauty from motion start to ball hitting the back wall..
rounick 1 year ago
i would also like to see some pros hitting a twist (or kick) serve. i've been trying to work on mine but I not getting enough action on the ball.
scjtraveler 1 year ago
@scjtraveler A couple of tips to hit a better kick serve. Let the ball drop more before making contact and use your legs jumping up AS you are hitting the ball. Please let me know if i can help your second serve.
xstf 1 year ago
Great, great, great, great video!!! I am a tennis coach from Croatia (I am sure you know Ivanisevic, Ljubicic, Cilic, Ancic, Kralovic). Really methodic video and great explanation I will use it for my lessons with some my players. No copyright infregment intendent :D
andydufresne87 1 year ago
@andydufresne87 I am glad to be able to contribute. Let me know if you need any help. Thanks for watching. Christophe.
xstf 1 year ago
Ok , Serve pronation. How can we pronate for a kick serve? Are all these videos about a flat serve or a first serve with a little bit of topspin?
I always lose all my momentom and accelaration just before I hit the ball when I want to hit a kick serve. How do pros. Swing as fast as a first serve for a kick serve?
I hope you could show us some video analysis about pronation on kick serves.
Thanks
CyrusTennis 1 year ago
I watched 300 and 250 fps video of serve pronation by pros. Well it is there for real but how can they do it with a continental grip. Especially a true continental grip! Whatever continental grip even eastern continental grip. It really twists my arm and shoulder! Anatomically impossible! But yes I can see they do it ,I don't get it.
CyrusTennis 1 year ago
federer's is just the smoothest...
animaanimaanima 1 year ago
I've got to say..I just started to pronate my serves..and it puts such a spin on the ball that when I do it right, the speed, power and spin really combine to put in a good serve..but, the timing is the thing..it's not easy thing to time..but well worth it..my best serves have been when I pronate correctly.
brofun 1 year ago
Good video, I looked at my serve in slowmation and I do all these things without knowing it! I can upload a video if you want, cause many people are just talking.. not me...
gravedigger02 1 year ago
It is misleading when you say racket has to point down and elbow up. Those things are going to happen anyways if you have right motion. The pros are not purposefully trying to put those parts of the body there.
hypercarbon 1 year ago
@hypercarbon
Yes you are correct that if you have the right motion it will happen but a lot of my students do not have the correct motion and completely by-pass the power position (elbow up racquet down). Pro were taught to do this like I was and like I do today. So it is for that reason that i point out the common threads of the serve. This video breaks down the serve and all it's components that are crucial. Thanks for watching. C.
xstf 1 year ago
@xstf the serve is pretty much the same as a baseball pitch or overhead toss directed straight up, except with much more knee bend. I say to my students: pretend you want to toss a ball vertically in the air and overhand. Your shoulders will end up almost perpendicular to the ground, and everything else will fall into place.
hypercarbon 1 year ago
@hypercarbon i don't see how breaking down the serve is been misleading. I am merely explaining one of the most overlooked part of the serve regardless if it happens naturally or not. I am not sure who you teach but most of my beginner or 3.5 students never drop their racquets in what i call the power position. Telling your students to throw a ball is one thing having them doing with a racquet is another since most people don't know how to throw hence the video to show them what happens. C.
xstf 1 year ago
@hypercarbon Fair enough my friend. Sorry I did not mean to be hostile. If you do 20 overhand throws to throw the ball vertically, and then give the student the racket and tell them to pretend they have to throw the racket vertically, with the proper grip and all, i guarantee they will not only have the necessary arm/shoulder forms, but they will also pronate. it is the natural movement.
hypercarbon 1 year ago
@hypercarbon Thanks for the reply, i know what you mean, i have done that many times in the past (having then throw or pitch the ball upward) and showed then pictures of quaterbacks and pitchers after they release the ball to show then the natural pronation. The main issue is that most of my students come to me with the wrong grip so that alone is a challenge by itself so their motion is what i call the cocktail waitress no power position and no pronation. So i hope that the video is helpful. C
xstf 1 year ago
Great video. I notice when pro players (who are right handed) serve, they push off and land with their left foot in the court and their right foot kicks back. Any tips on how to get in the habit of doing that?
MegaReemas 1 year ago
@MegaReemas
Try to begin with a wide stance and then bring your feet together as you toss the ball. When you bring your feet together keep all your weight on your left leg then as you jump forward your right leg should stay/kick back. Let me know if you more help.
xstf 1 year ago
@xstf
Your reply was very helpful - pushing off more w/ my left foot as I hit up on the ball has been letting me land on my left foot. It helps with timing and I am hitting the ball with more pace! Great tip!
MegaReemas 1 year ago
Grasshoppers?
hattrickster33 1 year ago
@hattrickster33 Well I call all my students grasshoppers, bc they have so much to learn, it's from the 1970 TV show "Kung Fu" where Master Po always called his student Grasshopper! Hope you learned something form the video! Cheers C.
xstf 1 year ago
@xstf lol...interesting, great vid though
hattrickster33 1 year ago
Incredible anaysis, extremely well done. Thank you
srmcg288 1 year ago
I've got this down for a slice serve, does this also apply for a flat serve? I have tried it but the timing isn't right, I can't hit it flat. Of course I can hit a flat serve using an eastern forehand grip and using a "frying pan" serve it but I don't think that's what this video is showing.
MegaReemas 1 year ago
Great Super vid... Grasshopper likes!
popoqwer 2 years ago
first of all thanks for prepair to this video for you... ıts so helpful for me. but ı want to ask something. flat serve , spin serve , kick serve or american twist serve.... ı know a lot of the name of serve... but ı dont know what the different think of the serves. grip to racket? or footwork ?? can you help me.. =) ı want to thank you now for your reply.. ( I cant speak English well... Im sorry for this... )
TopspinTennisForever 2 years ago
I will reply in details to your request soon but Ill give you a quick ti for now. Regardless of the serve you choose to hit you must have the same grip, (the continental grip) for all serves.
xstf 2 years ago
i was disappointed that i couldnt find any tips from u on the 2nd serve
on 1st serves, i can ace good players with flat serves or the slice out wide on the deuce (im right-handed)
but i dont really know what to do on the 2nd except go for top and it's always weak comparatively unless I REALLY try to hit it hard
people have told me for years about looking at the ball like a clock but it never made sense to me (i.e. the kick serve) - only the flat (hit on the back of the ball) makes sense
mephatboi 2 years ago
I am in the process of finding footage to compare both first and second serves. I am just busy right now teaching and too tired when i get home at night!!! but as the season slows down here in Florida in the next month i will get to 1st serve 2nd serve analysis
xstf 1 year ago
great analysis, its funny how you did the video on pronation as yesterday i analysed federers serve in HD and realised why he was pronating, 'racket on edge' . Iv practiced it without balls in my living room without a racket and you do pronate
farood5 2 years ago
great analysis of pronation. 5stars
jewbinson 2 years ago
can you recommend some drills on this? i'm having trouble on the timing during the pronation
caloyjp 2 years ago
practice, practice,practice...that's the only way you'll master it, unless you're a talent.
otherwise i could recommend the channel "FYB2007" to you, where you find great tutorials built up from the basics
guitarraper27 2 years ago
Thanks for the best tennis channel on youtube!
ribcat 2 years ago 2