Timing The Racquet Drop And Knee Bend When Serving
Dear Tomaz,
I am very happy with my subscription to your Web Page and I am trying to implement by myself some of the things I learn from it.
I have practiced what you say on the serve in the page on How to Play Tennis Videos and what you say in The Ultimate Topspin Tennis Serve Video Guide.
In the page on top spin you add the leg movement and it is in my timing of the racquet drop and the leg movement that I am having trouble.
I think I am bending my knees too soon at the end of the backswing, so that I lower or drop the racquet immediately after or while I do the backswing and bend my knees. I mean, I am getting into the racquet drop position while my knees are bent and my right shoulder is still down.
In the pictures of professionals I have seen in John Yandell’s page I see that they lower the racquet a bit later, while they are raising their legs and their right shoulder. But I am neither a professional nor a beginner. I have played for several years and I already have some muscle habits.
Is my movement I described a bad one for a good serve? Could I get more power by dropping the racquet while my legs and right shoulder are going up?
If so, I assume I should practice a variation of the last exercise on the serve (serving from the base line) , combining my leg movement with your two parts of the serve, so that in the first part I go from the backswing to the trophy position while I lower my legs, and in then the second part I drop and raise the racquet while I jump or extend my legs.
I’ve tried this new second movement and I find it backward, I seem to rush, not to have enough time to lower and raise the racquet to hit the ball while I am raising my legs, and sometimes I am late hitting the ball, hit it with the rim, etc.
So, my question is: Should I stay with my present movement, (in which I make my full racquet drop immediately after or while I do the back swing, and bend my knees,), or should I try to delay the racquet drop so that it is timed to go with the raising of the legs and right shoulder?
Even if it will be difficult to change my habits I have the will to repeat the above exercise or any one you may suggest to have a better serve.
Thank you for your help.
Hi and thanks for an interesting question.
1. Not all players bend their knees at the same moment related to their racquet drop.
So in your case I wouldn’t be too worried about getting it right. There are some variations of what is right moment.
Obviously is has to do with energy transfer from your legs upwards so there are some bio-mechanical laws that you need to follow.
But you don’t need to get it perfect, Rather I would say you need to get it “good enough” – especially for a recreational player.
2. Let’s say you want to correct it anyway. I see two ways of doing it:
a) The natural way: take a tennis ball and throw it far (like a baseball pitch) with your right arm. (no racquet) Just throw in the most comfortable and “normal” way that you throw the ball (slightly upwards).
When you do this, try to feel how the legs and arm work together. Remember the feel. “Aha, like this.” Don’t analyze.
Then take the racquet and pretend that you are going to throw it far. (If you have an old racquet, actually throw it far)
Try to remember the feel of throwing and how legs, arms and everything else works in harmony – together.
Then transfer this feel into the serve. Don’t aim into the service box for the first few minutes, just “whack” the ball fast in the most comfortable way.
Feel the whole body and legs working again. Eventually transfer this feel into your serve.
b) A more technical approach but still working on your feel would be to try and exaggerate the opposite mistake.
So if now you are bending your knees too soon, try to bend them too late.
That way you will disrupt / break your old pattern (muscle memory) and you’ll be able to make a new memory.
Try and do that for a few minutes and then try to feel (experiment!) at what moment of bending your knees it feels best – most comfortable and with most power (energy transfer).
These drills might take a few days or a few weeks to change your motion and give you a new experience – new feel – for the serve and when to bend your knees.
Take it easy and play with it. Experiment, try new things, don’t focus too much on how it SHOULD be.
If you can tape yourself and send me a video, I’ll be able to give you some more tips
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