90% Of Your Serve Power Comes From This - Tennis Lesson

[@ITOWords]

The tip you give about projecting the leading hip out is really useful. I've heard plenty of times about bending the knees and adopting a'trophy pose,' but they always felt unnatural. I tried your hip advice yesterday whilst practicing my serve and all of a sudden it came together. My shoulder dropped and my knees bent without me contriving to incorporate both these actions. I hit faster and more consistent flat serves than I have done before. Great piece of advice.

[@Playyourcourt]

@his1old, love to hear you were able to successfully put the tip into action! Thanks for the feedback! 🍻

[@camlendrim7609]

This shoulder over shoulder info is a game changer. This key serve concept has never been mentioned during any, of many 💸 tennis lessons. Thanks guys.

[@Playyourcourt]

@Cam Lendrim glad we could help! Thanks for watching and the kind words! 🤙🏼

[@dottiewiencek4527]

Loved the video. I use to do pizza serve and now feel comfortable with pronation serve The elbow up really helped me. I am 75 and a 3.5 player. My strength on the court is my serve. I hope to see more.

[@Playyourcourt]

So happy to hear the instruction helped Dottie! Thanks for watching!

[@lcervantes8505]

So the point then is throwing the hip out as this causes the back shoulder to drop plus the knees to bend. Genius!

[@Andy-xb5qg]

Lots of people try to explain it, but you could demonstrate it very nicely and clearly. Well done!

[@Playyourcourt]

Andy thanks Andy, much appreciated!

[@compoundingpacfair612]

That tip about shoulder over should is the most significant one I have ever received. I previously thought it was about bending the back. I went out and served my best set of tennis in a decade.

[@Playyourcourt]

Thanks for the feedback, love hearing the instruction helped your serve!

[@thomasluhman6317]

Can you relate the shoulder over shoulder to the wonderful notion you described of how Federer's back swing move connects to the shot put motion. Those two ideas are the best I've seen and far better than trying to throw the racquet.

[@Playyourcourt]

Hi Thomas, thanks for the kind words, they are much appreciated! The two concepts certainly complement one another and when combined effectively the results can be very impressive. Once we've entered the loaded position on the serve if we fire from the ground appropriately (Rear foot fires back hip to initiate the kinetic chain) we will naturally fire up with the chest. (Shot put method) As the hitting arm accelerates the non-hitting arm will decelerate creating the shoulder over shoulder motion. We are releasing instruction very soon with a in-depth look at these bio-mechanics so stay tuned :) Thanks for watching!

[@CJZM7777]

Shoulder over shoulder is great advice and it has to be combined with rotation of the hips and shoulders.

[@Playyourcourt]

100%

[@mariners_platter]

another analogy I like is the Olympic Shotputter, and how they load all their weight and energy on the right side (for right-handed players)

[@raultennis5904]

Yes, very important to keep that tilt... Often rec players will drop the front shoulder too early and never get that shoulder-over-shoulder benefit.

[@gregbishopmav]

A lot of people bagging on you for the percentage you threw out there. My doubles partner and I implemented this in our matches yesterday and we probably gained an effortless 10-20mph (I'll make up numbers too!) Point isn't the exact number, point is that this is the most easily digestible quick tip for improving serve power that I've ever seen. Thanks again guys!

[@Playyourcourt]

GB love the language you used there! “Easily digestible quick tip” although this video is part of a series on the serve, we’re ultimately not trying to give a full break down on a particular stroke in one video. Our goal is to provide a quick, stripped down, actionable tip and maybe sprinkle some humor on it. Really appreciate the testimonial as to how the tip helped you and your partner. 🍻🤜🏼💥🤛🏼

[@donovanblizzard]

Hey guys. I just subscribed. As a coach who’s still new to teaching who struggles with serving and teaching serve this really helps. Been coaching 3 years and you guys have some really great lessons.

[@Playyourcourt]

Michael Alan thanks Mike, always happy to help a fellow coach! We appreciate the support. 🤙🏼

[@laurencecorray]

Brilliant advice. Shoulder over shoulder. Simple execution and you get a lot of pop and Control

[@Playyourcourt]

Thanks Laurence, glad you found the instruction helpful!

[@MrRahluv357]

Nice video. I also have a torn labrum in my left hip, which they said I need a hip replacement. Did you have one?

[@Playyourcourt]

I did not but I did go through some pretty extensive PT and still maintain a weekly regiment. I fortunately didn't have any arthritis in the hip but the Docs did suggest that if the hip does become arthritic I would need a replacement. Hope this helps!

[@MrRahluv357]

@@Playyourcourt yea I have little osteoarthritis also in my hip

[@juicetest]

oh coach iwas goofing ,no wonder i couldnt connect upper body with leg drive.thanks

[@MichaelNzeogwu]

Love your coaching style Thanks

[@Playyourcourt]

I appreciate that! Thanks for watching

[@kaimustermann5984]

Very, very good video! Thanks for that.

[@Playyourcourt]

Always happy to help!

[@elijahs.1429]

Great video, very informative, should help my serve a lot. Really appreciate these free coaching videos.

[@Playyourcourt]

Elijah Saxton Always happy to help! If you enjoyed the vid and have found you receive value from our channel check out the link below where you can get get access to all of our resources to help your game including, unlimited vids, and other great tools to help your game such as practice partners, challenge matches lesson & gear discounts, and more.. 🤙🏼 bit.ly/youtubePYC Thanks for watching!

[@robertaugustynowicz3841]

Nice video and contribution to the topić of tennis serve. You probably did not go full power on those serves but was wandering anyway what was the approx speed ?

[@Playyourcourt]

Thanks Robert, glad you enjoyed it. My guess is 110-115. Hard to say without a radar gun.

[@willkittwk]

My takeaway is shoulder over shoulder....good!

[@isaiahjohn8703]

Very good analysis. I agree with what you have said about Andy Roddick. I admired his short version compact hit of the ball, but Roddick's posture with butt outward was not the right way. Bending knees and shoulder to shoulder were excellent techniques.

[@antonioettorre5892]

I don't undestand what Is wrong with roddick's serve. It is very similar to kind of serve that can see in video

[@Playyourcourt]

+Antonio Ettorre Roddick’s serve is one of the best the game has ever seen but it was unique to him and his unbelievable athleticism. The deep knee bend that he managed is simply not repeatable for the average recreational player. My reference to him wasn’t to imply anything was wrong with his serve, just to point out that loading that deep will give wear and tear to the body (and also give you a 145mph serve 😉)

[@antonioettorre5892]

@@Playyourcourt i undestand now. I suppose some trouble on shoulder with this motion and don't think to già Deep knee bend.

[@twinwankel]

Although I heard this explained before, I thank you for reminding me how important this is. Nate, your explanation, as usual, is very succinct and well communicated. Well done.

[@Playyourcourt]

@Wally Friend Thanks for the kind words Wally! Glad you enjoyed the instruction. 🤙🏼

[@jameshenderson3192]

I play virtual tennis on my android phone. Does that compare that I can serve 90% on my android phone in virtual tennis Scott or Nate? Answer please.

[@doravinerier1329]

OMG! Thank you! ☀️ ☀️ ☀️

[@Playyourcourt]

You are so welcome, glad you enjoyed the instruction!

[@halalan2706]

Awesome video Nate! Another one-liner from Nick for the flat ball is "crack the egg"; think of it often when hitting for the center T. Thanks for your videos and their light-hearted and relaxed tone. Tennis is a game, for most of us, and should be and is fun!!!

[@Playyourcourt]

@hal alan we couldn’t agree more. At the end of the day tennis is a game played for enjoyment so it’s gotta be FUN. Love the “crack the egg” reference. I spent some time with Nick at IMG as a kid. Dude is one of a kind!

[@Lance54689]

For Rec players, I would go further about the legs, and I say that using lots of legs, jumping, is counterproductive, it reduces effectiveness. While a leg drive can add power, for the vast majority of players I've seen lots of legs gets in the way, and actually subtracts from other, more important areas. Remove complication, concentrate on the part that generates almost all the power, and do that part well, is my motto. A motto that I sometimes fail with!

[@jochooi6870]

They did preface the video saying this is for higher level players NTRP 4.0 and up (0:37)

[@capricornmagic63]

I agree with you. Wawrinka has barely any knee bend and look at the power he gets on his serve!

[@JamesZJi]

very helpful for 3.5 - 4.5 player

[@Playyourcourt]

James Z. Ji thanks for watching!

[@peterknowles7540]

Great advice thanks

[@Playyourcourt]

Glad it was helpful!

[@pastisi]

Thanks

[@truckerjoseph3949]

Great video practice this technique for a few hours today. It feels like a sling shot, definitely had a lot more power!

[@coffeedude2024]

Great video guys! Nailing the SOS technique properly takes a lot of practise and requires good thoracic flexibilty to get most range with a vertical chest position but if you can do it, it will transform your serve👍

[@Playyourcourt]

Well said Grant, love the mention of thoracic flexibility. Great addition to the instruction! Thanks for watching.

[@molteni3]

Nate, good video. I've been studying a lot ot the pro's service motion and definitely see what you mean. The old school "down together up together" advice on the service is dead. The only guy out there that still does this I think is Stan Wawrinka. Everybody else I see gets the tossing arm up before the racquet starts moving up and that I believe enables you to get that shoulder tilt and SOS thing going. Stan still gets good pop on the serve but I wonder how much better it would be if he hit it like all the others do.

[@Playyourcourt]

Vernon Gibson thanks 🙏🏻 appreciate the feedback my man, as always thanks for watching!

[@jchangesqlawcenter]

I noticed the same thing watching Wawrinka. Hyeong Chung also serves like this too, and I've heard that his serves are just as deadly as Wawrinka's. I'm sure there's merit to that way of serving, though I have yet to fully understand the SOS method.

[@Playyourcourt]

Jacob Chang thanks for the feedback. The majority of power comes from the kinetic chain being powered from the ground up from the legs out to the arm and wrist much like a bull whip. SOS simply elongates the lever. Imagine a long whip vs. a very short whip. Thanks for the feedback and thanks for watching!

[@molteni3]

@@jchangesqlawcenter After watching Wawrinka's performance against Tsitispas who am I to criticize his serve? All I can say is WOW!

[@eg2540]

This video made my serve way better and faster, it is awesome but my shoulder hurts, i would like to know if i am doing something wrong. Please help because i really want to keep using this technique!!

[@Playyourcourt]

E G sorry to hear your shoulder has been bothering you. Make sure you’re avoiding shoulder impingement. This can be caused by tossing the ball to close and swinging without allowing your arm to operate away from the body. Some biomechanics can cause shoulder pain as well. Hard to say without seeing your serve. Is there a particular serve it hurts on predominantly?

[@BJRodgers2010]

Hey my name is Ann Marie Rodgers I have Down syndrome navy captain daughter so I play tennis 18 years I was a 14 year old I watch your video is so incredible

[@Playyourcourt]

Glad you liked it! Thanks for watching and happy hitting 😊

[@robertmitchell7357]

Awesome. I have a big serve and I find that forgetting to extend my left hip takes a lot off of it and keeps me from going shoulder to shoulder rotation. Thanks so much for the reminder. Why compare your ratings to USTA? Be bold. Stick to your own system. You guys are great..

[@Playyourcourt]

Robert Mitchell thank ya sir, much appreciated! Early on we used the Usta rating system to help the viewer understand how it relates to our system. Moving forward we will only be using the PYC rating system. Glad the SOS vid helped, thanks for watching!

[@robertmitchell7357]

@@Playyourcourt Hey Guys, played yesterday using the left hip extension on the serve, keeping the closed sholder on the backhand, and catching the racket in my left hand on the forehand. It all works like a charm, even at 4.5......You guys are great. Stay inspired. Keep having fun.

[@Playyourcourt]

Robert Mitchell love it, appreciate the feedback. Always thrilled to hear when tips help and more importantly when they are put into action and executed! 💯 🤜🏼💥🤛🏼

[@robertrivera667]

Fun and very informative technical video! Subscribed 👍🏼

[@Playyourcourt]

Robert Rivera welcome to the PYC team. Thanks for watching 🤜🏼💥🤛🏼

[@yussepig6629]

Love you guys …but…For some reason this technique doesn’t seem to work well for serving down the line, esp. on ad side. Not sure why, can’t seem to find that side of the box comfortably. Any tips?

[@Playyourcourt]

Thanks! Try aiming for the deuce court and slowly work your way over to the add court. Let me know if this helps. Thanks for watching and the support!

[@lalameinc]

Very good stuff Nate! Thanks! Do you think it would simplify this to focus on keeping the tossing arm up as long as possible? Do you agree that when you keep the arm up the shoulder over shoulder alignment will happen more or less automatically? The second part on the elbow, did you hear of "elbow the enemy?" If you think about keeping the tossing up and elbowing with your hitting arm an imaginary guy behind you it will give you a good shoulder alignment for power? I agree you have to add the knee bend in but that can come after you get the shoulder alignment.

[@Playyourcourt]

The tossing arm along with rotation of the hips initates SOS so focusing on the tossing arm will def help. Careful not to toss the ball too high though. About the length of a racquet is adequate, that way you keep moving through trophy position and SOS. Loading the body from the ground up, specifically the back hip and leg is critical to make SOS happen, so the real focus should be emphasized on those components along with keeping the tossing arm up. Thanks for the feedback Glen!

[@lalameinc]

I totally agree height of the toss is critical, thanks for pointing that out.

[@h4rms]

Great point Nat. I tried the hip thrust forward the other day and couldn't believe the extra power I created. Little tweaks can improve all players 👍

[@Playyourcourt]

@h4rms glad you found the tip useful. Make sure you focus on loading the back hip from the ground up, this will make the front hip push out effortlessly. Keep cranking those serves! 💪🏼🤘🏼

[@harryherman5371]

How do you such good archers pull on that hitting arm? I’ve got an issue with my hitting hand above my head

[@Playyourcourt]

Hi Harry, focus on tossing with the shoulder and allowing the tossing hand to continue up towards the ball. The body weight shifting forward will assist in accentuate the motion. Hope this helps!

[@somekindofmixt5307]

Stan should watch this

[@zackiinu7194]

Great video. Thanks!

[@viscioushattermaid4410]

My friend had a sip of beer every time he said ‘shoulder over shoulder’ and now he’s drunk and has to Uber home

[@Playyourcourt]

Viscious Hattermaid he’s welcome? 😉

[@IraklyShanidze00X]

When I was a kid, my coach explained it by drawing an analogy between a toss and shooting an arrow out of a bow into the sky. Indeed, when one flexes the bow aiming into the sky, the body inevitably turns sideways, and shoulders align into the shoulder-over-shoulder position.

[@Playyourcourt]

Irakly Shanidze I’m a big fan of that analogy and still use it on court quite often. Thanks for the feedback Irakly!

[@ahmeddmild]

Thanks guys

[@dropshot118]

shouldn't the elbow be pointed straight back instead of dropped? ( on the raquet take back) or is that personal preference? The main thing is getting the shoulder back to transfer forward?

[@Playyourcourt]

The shoulder should be back as it initiates the swing and then once it enters the power position the elbow will be facing towards the ground. It can come down to personal preference or style but for optimal serving there is a preferred standard. The SOS is really about transferring energy through loading and then pulling the tossing arm down as the hitting arm moves as a lever over the tossing arm. Hope this helps. Thanks for watching!

[@CooperDrums]

How fast do you think your were serving on the ones without your legs?

[@Playyourcourt]

Hard to say say really..100 mph using just the upper body and more using a proper kinetic chain. Just to clarify, we do want you to use your legs, specifically to load energy on the serve. We just wanted to share that jumping isn't necessary to hit a big serve. Jumping helps with trajectory but only helps power by 5-10%. Storing energy in the legs and core combined with the SOS is where the big power lies. Hope this helps, thanks for watching!

[@CooperDrums]

@@Playyourcourt Wow it seemed a faster than 100 mph! Yes I am definitely aware that I should be using legs :). The SOS is very important though!

[@Little12drawings-]

Very good video, it will help!

[@antonyliberopoulos933]

Thank you

[@juliolagarini]

Great advice guys thanks

[@Playyourcourt]

Julio Lagarini thank you sir, appreciate you watching!

[@agradina]

90% of my serve power came from the beans i eat before.

[@Playyourcourt]

agradina fair enough, these beans for sale?

[@JamesDavisakaRemguy]

agradina: Man, where exactly are you putting the ball?! Update: Tried this, works great (!), but kinda difficult to see the return when bent over and facing the back fence.

[@TheDelcin]

The continuous swing of the racket and the fluid circular motion is more important than this jerky motion. Law of inertia dictates that fluid motion means more power. You want to talk about the serve of Sampras look how fluid his motion is. The motion of the racket head is the 90% reason for power in all tennis shots.

[@pierredaher9590]

Excellent just excellent!

[@Playyourcourt]

Pierre Daher appreciate the feedback sir. Thanks for watching. 🙏🏻😃

[@francisdavy6485]

really good. thanks

[@Playyourcourt]

Francis Davy Thanks for watching! If you enjoyed the vid and have found you receive value from our channel check out the link below where you can get access to even more including customized video for your skill level and other great tools to help your game such as practice partners, match finder, the challenge league, lesson & gear discounts, and more.. 🙌🏼 bit.ly/youtubePYC

[@charlesowens6341]

Confused. Is shoulder over shoulder used for every serve? Confused. So, from the load position, is the next move directly into the shoulder over shoulder or is there rotation then shoulder over shoulder?

[@Playyourcourt]

@Charles Owens Soaring Hawk is on it! Rotation starts first and then as the tossing arm goes up and the hitting arm drops you will enter the loaded phase or the trophy position as it is commonly referred to. At this point swinging up to the ball and finishing SOS is where you will find maximum power. This all happens from the ground up so the force of pushing from the ground is essential. Focusing solely on jumping however will create a disruption in the kinetic chain. Thanks for the question sir! 🤜🏼💥🤛🏼

[@jerrychristner9146]

"When the legs go down, the racquet goes up. When the legs go up, the racquet goes down.

[@HT__00]

Excellent training.A+

[@Playyourcourt]

HollywoodToronto thanks for watching! 🤙🏼🙏🏻

[@alexhe1987]

question: Do you lead or initiate the whole serving motion with your left shoulder and the knees ? Thanks

[@Playyourcourt]

Supernovasia you got it! The tossing arm is what initiates the launch sequence. Something special happens at the feet as well to help with timing and tempo. Check out the link for more info.. kzbin.info/www/bejne/o6rSmqaoe9Gof9k

[@alexhe1987]

@@Playyourcourt Thank you again. Watched the link. As to Roger's rear foot moving, there is another theory that by placing the foot slightly different can affect the openness of the shoulder which affects whether it's a flat serve or a kick serve.

[@joakimster8431]

@@alexhe1987 I notice I get more shoulder rotation=more easy power by placing the foot parallel to baseline. After that I noticed a lot of pros start foot 45 degree, but move their foot parallel while tossing, feks Thiem

[@PapayBmet]

I have been experimenting serving like I’m a baseball player pitcher. I practice my arms and shoulders by throwing a ball against the wall. I tried it today and seems to feel more natural and fluid feeling at least for me. Position of the legs is different from a typical service. At the base line I face out to the sides, my right leg forward in front of me bent while my left leg straight behind me. As I set the ball my left leg curls inward and then out towards the court as I hit the ball. Wonder if someone else does this. So far I am able to generate more power I think.

[@Playyourcourt]

Thanks for the feedback Papay. Checkout the linked vid on how pitching can be implemented on the serve. kzbin.info/www/bejne/laXFlax9Zc6VbZI

[@phengyang2639]

Great instructions! But keep in mind these techniques are used by players WHO are fit. If you do not have a fit body your hips and shoulders will be more prone to injuries from pulling those muscles into awkward positions even if it will yield more strength.

[@progressivedemagogue8480]

I’ve had a problem with my hitting hand being above my head, even with elbow aligned with shoulders. Do you think this tilt will be my solution?

[@Playyourcourt]

Quite possibly, the shoulder over shoulder position works like a lever so the two points will operate on the same plan but wont have the ability to occupy the same space. Definitely give it a try and let us know how it goes!

[@vp82vps]

I believe most of the power in this video is coming from the racquet head speed rather than shoulder over shoulder. It would be interesting to see a video of shoulder over shoulder with 20% of racquet head speed you have in this video. I will really appreciate if you made a video with lowering your racquet head speed. I understand shoulder over shoulder is great to have on a serve but I suspect that 90% of power comes from this method. Thanks looking forward to reply and a video. Thanks again.

[@julianpenfold1638]

As I understand it, the effect of shoulder over shoulder is to increase racquet head speed.

[@dr.bagelmaker3686]

Those serves at 2:45 are about 130mph, btw. Can you show that technique (no legs and everything) but for a second serve; from the ad side to the T, body and wide? Don't care if it is a kick serve or not. Thanks for the great lesson!!!

[@Rick-si2fj]

awesome video

[@Playyourcourt]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@AirGuitar]

Great video! I have a problem where my racquet opens up too early right when I start to go up to the ball (so this is right after the "trophy pose"). The racquet face is not on edge when going up to the ball which means I'm not getting power from pronation (which adds so much more racquet head speed). Any tips?

[@Playyourcourt]

Air Guitar ahh the dreaded waiters tray! It’s very common so you’re not alone with this problem. We have a video all about it coming out very soon. Stay tuned!!

[@AirGuitar]

@@Playyourcourt the thing is, I have always used (and still use) a continental grip. The "waiter's tray" is occurring from my wrist opening up, not from how I am gripping the racquet... Do you have a tip for this?

[@AirGuitar]

​@@Playyourcourt the problem is I have always used (and still use) a continental grip, so the issue is regarding my wrist opening up, not the grip I am using. Any tips?

[@JamesDavisakaRemguy]

​@@AirGuitar Your problem is repetitive posts. ​ Air Guitar Your problem is repetitive posts.

[@AirGuitar]

James Davis ok cool I’ll work on that lol

[@MoLetalis]

90% of serve power comes from the speed of the shoulder over shoulder movement.. which is basically the power of your serving shoulder. Summary: the power of your serve comes from the power of your arm and shoulder.

[@Playyourcourt]

MoLetalis and the wrist snap, which we cover in the another part of the series on the serve. Without the wrist, the whip like motion wouldn’t be possible. Thanks for watching!

[@tironejo]

I like the way you present instructional material in a concise and defined way and in a short period of time. I find this material helps my game especially today lesson with the shoulder turm setup. I would like to know or be shown the correct way to strike a serve on the ball is above your hear.... i.e. is the racket on a 45 degree angle when you try to hit a kicker or is it more horizontal when you strike the serve, lets say at 7 to 1.... and just what is the correct angle you would like to see on the serves. I can see both you players have some nice form to watch and learn from in your service games. Lastly, (I know alot of questions) I would like to see the angle and the face of the racket and how you think it should finish after the ball strike... i.e. on the right side or does it carry over to the left side depending on the type of serve you want to hit (flat, kicker etc). Thanks and keep up the great instructional video's.

[@daikayll1897]

"WHAT" ?

[@Playyourcourt]

@john Tirone thanks for the kind words. We would be more than happy to address your requests in future videos. Thanks for the feedback! 🙏🏻

[@MyekalBenham]

Watch this at 0.5 speed to make sure you get all the info.

[@devyanikharwadkar5442]

How to measure the serve speed

[@anantkgupta]

Thanks @Nathan for this wonderful tip and video. I tried it today during my match and saw immediate improvement in serve and felt my 1st serve lot heavier than usual. Can this done on kick serve too ? Pls make a similar video for the kick serve i.e to add more momentum to 2nd serve.

[@Playyourcourt]

Hey Alok, so glad to hear the tips helped! Yes SOS is definitely incorporated on the kick serve as well . I've linked a vid below on how to develop a high level kickserve and the proper mechanics including instruction on SOS. Hope it helps. Thanks for watching! kzbin.info/www/bejne/eJPQlmCOmsydjqM

[@MrXltennis]

It's good.after contakt vs ball were Left arm go?

[@Playyourcourt]

@Kozlov Tennis, the left arm often tucks into the midsection but as you see with Dominic Theim and Murray’s serve the left arm can also be used as a lever to help ensure full rotation and balance. In that example you will see the left arm out and away, behind the body.

[@jerrychristner9146]

Think of an ice skater. When the arm tucks in, the rotation goes faster.

[@tennistron588]

Sounds like great advice! Can't wait to try this at next community tennis session. Subbed and liked :)

[@Playyourcourt]

Shahed Uddin happy to help! Thanks for watching and the sub! 🤙🏼

[@andyiswandy1955]

Thanks,

[@Playyourcourt]

andy iswandy thanks for watching Andy.

[@laxraman5742]

Very good

[@JeffLewistennis]

I was under the impression that tilting your body upward was just to ensure that you were swinging forward and up on the ball. Isn’t the kinetic chain or uncoiling of the linkage system where all the power comes from? I might not be understanding the video properly 🤷🏻‍♂️.

[@Playyourcourt]

Jeff Lewis The SOS technique is just one component of the kinetic chain. This video is part of a larger series where we discuss each component. Perhaps out of context it was a bit confusing. By no means are we suggesting it being the sole contributor to power. In other videos we talk about the importance of the loading phase with the nuclear power source being the loading of the back leg and hip. The arm simply acts as a conduit to transfer this power. All of these things combined along with extension and solid contact from the snap of the wrist is where power comes from. We put more emphasis on this video, simply because there’s too many people trying to find power from jumping. Focusing on the thrust up and lengthening the lever of the arm, as SOS does will give you easier access to some pop. Thanks for the question & thanks for watching. 🙏🏻🤙🏼

[@JeffLewistennis]

@@Playyourcourt Got it! Thanks for the reply!

[@NN-rn1oz]

"If you're not familiar with the PlayYourCourt rating," [insert cruel words]

[@Playyourcourt]

Just joking around, having some fun. We truly hope it doesn't come across offensive and apologize if it does!

[@jackspradlin4183]

by serving shoulder over shoulder are you automatically serving in a circular axis, what else do you need to do to serve in a circular axis which you mentioned?

[@Playyourcourt]

Hi Jack, the combination of the hips coiling and the shoulder of shoulder action is were the vast amount of power can be found. The cadence of the knee bend loading the energy through the ground is critical for properly firing all the components of the serve. Hope this helps, thanks for watching!

[@WestCoastAce27]

At about 2:38 he admits ‘with rotation’ - so debunks his original theory. Agree about legs. If you ever get in a slump (low 1st serve % in) limiting leg action to simplify the overall motion is a great idea.

[@Rick-ou6wy]

Hi Scott and Nate, what string and tension do you guys use?

[@Playyourcourt]

@Rick C I use Babolat Rpm Blast and I keep several racquets strung st different tensions varying between 52-57lbs. -Nate P.S. Scott should change his string tension after talking about it for an hr after taking a L ;)

[@jerrychristner9146]

Babolat Team strings give you decent topspin, but easier on your arm than the Rpm Blast.

[@christianbrattstrom9567]

Hi guys. If you look at sampras serve his elbow is way further out which creates a lot more power. I struggled many years with lack of power and lots of doublefaults, then i just noticed in a vid how close my elbow was to my back. Same with rafa. Great extension with elbow.

[@jerrychristner9146]

That's called "Elbow your opponent" technique.

[@christianbrattstrom9567]

Jerry Christner ok. Why is that?

[@Playyourcourt]

@Christian Brattsrom it’s simply a term used to reference the distance of the elbow from the body when entering the trophy position. “Elbow the enemy”, “elbow the mugger” all the same moniker. Imagine someone trying to sneak up behind you and with your hitting arm you throw an elbow up to said attackers chin. It’s the same position for optimal power etc on the serve. Hope this explanation helps. Thanks for watching. 🤙🏼

[@counsela9240]

Scott looks like Jack Sock😁

[@dinethaltmann9582]

If Sock was stoned, he'd look exactly like Scott lmaoo

[@Playyourcourt]

🤣

[@nicholo1]

Is shoulder over shoulder to say front shoulder higher than back shoulder? I don’t understand the use of the word “over”... wouldn’t that mean one is on top of the other ?

[@Playyourcourt]

nicholo1 yes the front shoulder starts higher than the rear shoulder. As the back leg and hip fire from the ground up this initiates the kinetic chain. Ultimately this should cause the rear shoulder to raise higher than the front shoulder. Imagine how a cartwheel works. Similar mechanics. Thanks for the question. 🤜🏼💥🤛🏼

[@nicholo1]

@@Playyourcourt thank you!

[@omarsultanov362]

Great tip! Very Thiem like. 👍👋😊

[@Playyourcourt]

Thanks for watching Omar!

[@aezazi]

I get a great shoulder tilt and I get my hip out. But I have a huge problem with a low elbow during the swing. Any tips/drills on how to fix this?

[@Playyourcourt]

aezazi a low elbow on the trophy position and through the swing can definitely be a problem, but it’s a problem that we see quite frequently. A quick tip to fix it is when you enter the trophy position try to keep the strings of your racquet over your head as if you’re shielding yourself from the rain. It’s tough to know where your racquet is through the swing but this will help ensure the racquet stays on edge and can perform appropriately. Hope this helps. If you enjoyed the vid and have found you receive value from our channel check out the link below where you can get unlimited access to all our vids, and other great tools to help your game such as practice partners, challenge matches lesson & gear discounts, and more.. 🤙🏼 bit.ly/youtubePYC

[@aezazi]

Thank you. Not sure I understand exactly. You’re not suggesting that I actually tip the strings into a horizontal position as if I’m holding a magazine or something like that over my head, that would not make sense I don’t think. If you’re saying I should think of holding the racquet as if I’m gripping the handle of an umbrella and holding it over head, that I think is a relatively correct cue for an elbow high position.

[@MyBabybuddha]

How/where can i get that exact babolat t shirt?

[@Playyourcourt]

@MyBabybuddha For a small price, say a kidney I’ll be happy to sale it to you 😉 It’s actually a T-shirt I received from an ambassadors program with Babolat. They give them to their team members. I’m honestly not sure if they are sold to the public unfortunately.

[@tennisedit]

the only thing i see wrong with this serve, is that your landing behind baseline, top atp players can go up to 1 metre inside baseline from serve.

[@Playyourcourt]

Totally fair assessment. A the time I was suffering from a hip injury making landing on an extended left leg difficult. Thankfully the hip is healthy (ish) and the problem has been resolved. Thanks for watching and the feedback!

[@natlin0677]

super

[@christopherfung2573]

absolutly Genius work！i succeed in improving my serve into 100mph！

[@Playyourcourt]

@Christopher Fung Let’s gooo! That’s incredible. Happy to help my man.

[@michaelscoots]

Roddick is actually a perfect example of shoulder over shoulder - he typically did not jump any higher than Fed. I'm a huge RF fan - just stating what I saw when Roddick played. He had a massive serve and I believe retirement had more to do with using a very stiff and extended (in length) frame coupled with the wrong fuel. If 90% of power comes from shoulder over shoulder, then 90% of injuries come from dietary factors. Once I changed my diet looking at things like Omega3/6 ratios, macronutrients as well as micronutrients, the injuries vanished.

[@halalan2706]

Hey Mr. Scoots, are you eating primarily a plant based diet since the injuries have disappeared. Many of us bring injuries to this great game from other sports, me high school arm wrestling and some bowling injuries, that have to be accommodated thru braces and playing doubles only. Thanks!

[@Playyourcourt]

@michaelscoots Totally agree Roddick is one of the best examples of shoulder over shoulder. He had one of the deepest racquet drops the game has seen. We hope it didn’t appear we suggested otherwise. Our reference to Roddick was in regards to his hip load and the height in which he jumped which was indeed much larger than most players. Roddicks injuries and retirement was due to a frozen shoulder. If I was to speculate I would guess it had to do with the unique flipping of the racquet he used while in the trophy stance. Love the tidbit on nutrition. The fuel we use dictates performance and injury due to the inflammation the wrong fuel can create. Thanks for the feedback 🤙🏼

[@michaelscoots]

hal alan Absolutely, whole food plant based for seven plus years. Got certified through eCornell and THEN my type two diabetic father finally listened to me 😜 First time in 30 years that he doesn’t need insulin! It’s shocking what little the top pros know with regards to proper (non industry funded) nutrition. When I see what Nadal eats it’s like a how to get inflamed campaign. Amazing.

[@vectorthurm]

Where are you guys?! I need lessons from you!!

[@Playyourcourt]

We are located in Virginia Beach, Va. As you can imagine our bandwidth with the platform is fairly limited so we take just one client a month. You can checkout the "work with Scott and Nate page" on our website for more information. www.playyourcourt.com. Thanks for watching!

[@thomasrebotier1741]

Super useful, but the 80-90% seems very incorrect to me. The largest contributor to your serve power is the whipping effect at the wrist. Get a radar, and try serving with just forearm and writ movement, you will be surprised to reach 80% of your top speed.

[@Playyourcourt]

@Thomas Rebotier totally agree with you, the wrist is the key piece of anatomy that allows our arm to act as a whip and create incredible leverage over the ball. With us all sharing that anatomy we all have the same access to power but that power is limited without the rest of the kinetic chain. Most players can reach 80-100mph on the serve, but why can advanced players reach speed in excess of 100mph? It is the loading of the kinetic chain from the ground up that allows the arm and wrist to act as a conduit for the built up energy. This video was one in a much larger series, so out of context it may have been misleading. The other vids will be out soon. Thanks for the feedback, and as always thanks for watching! 🙏🏻🤙🏼

[@tommwarneke396]

Fastest serve in mens pro tennis in 1985 was contributed to wrist snap! It created all the magic.

[@nanananan6501]

I’ve watched tons of KZbin vids. And none has given me the results this one did.

[@Playyourcourt]

Thrilled to hear the instruction helped! We appreciate you watching and leaving us the feedback.

[@Mysteryboy0007]

As a basketball player and a tennis player I can Def say you're concept of leg drive not being useful is wrong. I'm hitting 120mph serve and it's all coming from the legs jumping into the ball.

[@Playyourcourt]

Mysteryboy0007 by no means was our intent to convey a message that the legs were of no use. In fact you can clearly see in the demo just how much of a leg drive is being used. We simply wanted to offer another manner to help obtain power when the legs are used incorrectly. This is often due to age / injures etc. The SOS and wrist snap allow for considerable power but ultimately the legs still have to push off the ground to initiate the kinetic chain. The momentum through the legs connecting to the rear hip is the nuclear reactor that allows the SOS and hitting arm to work like a conduit. How high someone jumps however doesn’t necessarily have a correlation to power when the kinetic chain isn’t firing correctly. Sorry for the confusion. Keep using those legs on both courts and maybe add the SOS technique for additional power and a world class serve! 🤘🏼💪🏼

[@nicholassaephanh4407]

I'm extremely disappointed he said catapult instead of trebuchet. Everyone knows it's a far superior siege weapon. Other than that, decent video.

[@Playyourcourt]

Haha..well that’s ironic. We actually had a “discussion” as to use the trebuchet as the example vs the catapult. Catapult won due to assuming more people would understand the reference. I agree the trebuchet is a much better tool for the reference and a siege! 😉

[@lgeiger]

Just because you're not jumping doesn't mean you don't use your legs. You did get your feet off the ground and moved into the court by the way... You can clearly see quite a lot of knee bending action and leg extension every time you served there. That's where the power actually comes from. Try to keep your legs completely still and you'll realize that you'll have no power at all. The chain of motion starts in your feet and goes up to your wrist. Without any leg movement, you will have no power at all.

[@Playyourcourt]

Solid insights but you may have misinterpreted the piece regarding the legs. We completely agree the legs are the nuclear power source. Specifically the back leg and hip. The arm is merely acting as the conduit. We were simply saying the emphasis of jumping is over rated. The shoulder over shoulder technique is just one of many important pieces in the kinetic chain but one that is often over looked. This video is one of several in a series so it may appeared a bit out of context with out the other vids. Check out the website if you’d like to see more. Thanks for the feedback L. Gyger. (Big fan of the 🏍)

[@tennis1993]

Wow

[@foxyonthrottle690]

90% from shoulder OVER shoulder :):):) i will turn my sholders horizontal and still hit 70% of the speed you hit ; so your numbers are not so good if you ask me. rhythm rotation is for me me main important thing

[@hehehehehahahaha2025]

Good video otherwise, but a bit misleading when you demo the "no legs" section, because you're clearly still bending the knees and pushing off the ground with your legs, you're just not going airborne. Pushing with the legs is what gives you the natural acceleration to the shoulder rotation. Also, should you really consciously drop the tossing arm? I've heard many coaches say the serve is initiated with the legs and the tossing arm drops as a natural consequence of the leg drive leading to your shoulders rolling.

[@Playyourcourt]

Hehehehe hahahaha fair observation my friend. Indeed it’s rather difficult to execute a serve with zero leg involvement due to hip rotation. The loading phase was obviously extremely abbreviated which we hoped drove the point home. Encouraging the non dominant arm to assist in Sos is extremely advanced and we wouldn’t recommend it to most recreational players, specifically if they have issues with their tossing arm. In high level players who have dedicated time on court it can assist in power however. We appreciate the feedback. Thanks for watching!

[@hehehehehahahaha2025]

@@Playyourcourt Thanks for the informative reply!

[@Playyourcourt]

Hehehehe hahahaha our pleasure!

[@Playyourcourt]

Want to meet new players & play more tennis? Try PlayYourCourt for free here: bit.ly/2HjZ0Gj Want to win more points with your serve? Grab our Serve Mastery Course for free here: bit.ly/2FNSMhG Want to work with Scott & Nate? Check out upcoming live events and workshops here: bit.ly/36UGkXV

[@FundamentalTennis]

Hey all, I usually don’t comment on others KZbin videos however I felt i needed to as the information about throwing your hip out is dangerous as it can certainly lead to injury as it has for many in the WTA. It’s not that it doesn’t happen because there certainly are some good servers out there that have there hip a bit forward during load but this happens as a byproduct of loading back and down with hip twist rotation. If a player is told to throw there front hip forward they will not load properly and more importantly it can certainly cause injury. Also the 80-90% deal is extremely inaccurate. Can you post some studies that back that up? Sorry to be a “troll” but the videos inaccurate content bothered me. Please study Mark Kovacs stuff to learn about what I have discussed. U guys are good talkers. Much better then me 👍

[@Playyourcourt]

@Jeremy Malfsit We’re aware SOS is just one component of the kinetic chain. This video is part of a larger series where we discuss each component. Perhaps out of context it was a bit confusing. By no means are we suggesting it being the sole contributor to power. In other videos we talk about the importance of the loading phase with the power source being the loading of the back leg and hip. The arm simply acts as a conduit to transfer this power. All of these things combined along with extension and solid contact is where power comes from. Regarding the hip, it was made clear the knee bend along with the rotation of the hips organically causes the front hip to push forward. Essentially ever player on the ATP and WTA use these biomechanics. Yes we know Mark and have a great deal of respect for him and his contributions to the Usta and the game of tennis. As a fellow USPTA teaching professional in the Mid-Atlantic I’m happy to have a discussion with you anytime. Cheers, Nate

[@lowgascostsorangeman2688]

aMZING TEACHING, BRO. TKNS A MILLION! Like your beards...hope you guys are doing Jihad except on the tennis ball....chuckle chuckle...