DON'T Drop Your Racket On Your Serve

[@equsnarnd]

Loved, loved, loved that you included exercises to loosen the muscles.

[@lcervantes8505]

Nice. Racquet drop as a product of forward rotation and not a seperate motion. Good stuff.

[@svlagonda7417]

Excellent series of instructions.

[@TheTennisMentor]

Appreciated

[@alfsearching]

The absolute best explanation I've ever heard; thanks.

[@TheTennisMentor]

Vamos!

[@erikstam1]

It’s really noticeable when a player does the racquet drop as a deliberate motion compared to when it’s intuitive i.e as a result of natural serve motion.

[@TheTennisMentor]

It is once you understand it. The difficult part is to think less!!

[@TheFourSatoshis]

I think I do that tbf 😂

[@jonathanchen1026]

I have this problem

[@erikstam1]

@@TheTennisMentorindeed! I served great in a match the other day. Then I started to think about serving in a more fluid motion and that I should think about not thinking. Needless to say my serving turned to shit 😂

[@Sladovsky1]

@@TheTennisMentor Think less, practise throwig balls or something more. As a kid, we used to throw stones, or anything else we had on hand. Now, all you have to do is add the leg drive and Bob's your uncle. Great explanation!

[@TheFourSatoshis]

What a video, I do this and never really thought about this much

[@Javi_C]

Thanks Ashley. Have a great weekend!

[@TheTennisMentor]

You too Javi!

[@TuNguyen-py7xo]

I struggled with racket drop for years, but these drills solved the problem instantly. Great coaching.

[@frankpiccione8571]

I have heard for years- let the racquet drop naturally. Well I have a continental grip and I can throw a baseball and football - American style. I have been playing tennis for about 20 years and my racquet does not drop naturally....

[@TuNguyen-py7xo]

@@frankpiccione8571 The concept of wrist lag on the forehand and racket drop on the serve share a common principle. Maintain a relaxed grip to facilitate a pulling motion, akin to pulling a rope rather than smacking it. For the forehand, when you're in the early preparation position, the butt of the racket should be facing the back fence (or the ground). As you uncoil, you pull the butt of the racket forward toward the ball. On the serve, when you're in the trophy position, the butt of the racket also faces the back fence (or the ground). As you uncoil upward, you pull the butt of the racket upward toward the ball.

[@fmtien]

Excellent instruction!

[@TheTennisMentor]

🙏🙏

[@bailadorr]

Thank you! I`ll try in my next tennis practice

[@bartoszderecki4861]

Best so far for me. Tried to fully picture it for years. Thanks for excellent explanation.

[@TheTennisMentor]

I’m so glad you found it helpful!!

[@tonykarannn]

One of the best tennis lessons ever ❤

[@TheTennisMentor]

Thanks so much Tony

[@kerryminich6782]

Fantastic video!!!

[@stephenericwalsh]

Well explained.

[@TheTennisMentor]

Thank you

[@stephenericwalsh]

@@TheTennisMentor As always, by the way.

[@coyoacan2]

great tips and insights Ash, cheers

[@TheTennisMentor]

Thanks buddy 🙏

[@francisremedios2530]

Great video! How do you deal with upper shoulder shoulder trap dominance?

[@TennisAddict83]

As always great content! Greetings from Germany

[@TheTennisMentor]

Thank you 🙏😁

[@vectorthurm]

Yes but sometimes people need to take progressive approach to learning to serve. Having a “natural” racquet drop will not be something most learners will do, what they will do in all likelihood is the waiter tray. These are great drills, but the racquet does drop and sometimes it’s good as you are learning to segment it and then use these drills to put it together IMO. Thank you so much for the great content!

[@mario17-t34]

Wow, video is super, was scared firs by its title. Big thanks.

[@TheTennisMentor]

Glad you liked it

[@sonnyyombo2230]

Thank you

[@quintinmaseyk6975]

Thanks a lot!

[@TheTennisMentor]

Thanks for watching!

[@jfdube6669]

Awesome tip.

[@TheTennisMentor]

🙏🙏

[@omg_tennis_siblings]

Nice video 😀👍🎾

[@DelZ3030]

I just applied the lessons from this vid to my serve practice and wow it paid dividends. My arm is way less fatigued than normal.

[@TheTennisMentor]

So glad to hear it! Thanks for sharing 😄

[@huuthonguyen3380]

Fantastic video, Ashley! Could you could help me clarify the racquet position one more time? I've heard that the non-dominant hand should be held parallel to the racquet. Is it therefore required?

[@TheTennisMentor]

As you toss the ball up on your serve, your tossing arm will be held up high, causing your shoulders to tilt and your hitting arm to drop. Your racket arm will still be bent at 90, but because of the shoulder tilt, will be lower than your toss arm (like a seesaw).

[@123Rockchild]

Why did you name your video as you did? You are instructing the racket drop (in conjunction with the leg drive). 🤔

[@Sladovsky1]

He probably meant don't think consciously about the racket drop as it happens naturally if you follow the guidelines.

[@123Rockchild]

Okay. I get it now. Thanks.

[@orangecoolius]

I've got a slight waiter's tray (with a continental grip) on my 4.5 serve that I can't get rid of. It's hardly noticeable and can only be seen in slow motion. When I shadow swing, my serve looks fine, but in the real swing I get wrist extension when I drive with my hips. Got any tips to make sure wrist stay neutral and doesn't extend back?

[@TheTennisMentor]

Without seeing your serve, it sounds like the waiter’s tray isn’t causing any problems. But, if you’d like to get rid of it, you could try facing your strings slightly more towards your head when in the ‘pre throw’ position. From there, let the lag happen by itself and report back to me.

[@EspenLonglands]

Hes in Portsmouth lol, play there a bit. Thanks for advice

[@TheTennisMentor]

Nice! Thanks

[@freeman038]

Another key here is to hold racket loose enough. Otherwise the over tense hand will hold racket too tight and prevent it from a natural drop.

[@TheTennisMentor]

Yes definitely

[@Roadrunner65553]

The serve is a throwing motion. The racquet drops without even paying attention to it. To ask a player to pay attention to that is like asking a pitcher to pay attention to how the baseball lags behind their back. Just throw the racquet at the ball. The power in the serve is from the torso not so much the legs.

[@knotwilg3596]

The serve is not a throwing motion. Only Americans with their intuitive reference to baseball are thinking and saying this. The serve is a striking motion.

[@Roadrunner65553]

@@knotwilg3596 Bullshit. The serve is a continuous throwing motion. Thats why Americans have the best serves. Striking motion? WTF are you even talking about?

[@123Rockchild]

@@knotwilg3596But don’t you want to feel the serve is a natural fluid motion like throwing a ball is?

[@knotwilg3596]

@@123Rockchild There are many fluid motions. That doesn't make them good models for each other. Throwing a ball and serving have similarities but they are dissimilar enough to teach them in isolation, not as two of a kind.

[@Sladovsky1]

The power comes from both the torso and leg drive, my friend.

[@The2011Focus]

Which type of Adidas trousers are you wearing?

[@TheTennisMentor]

I think they were called Adidas yoga pants

[@kerryminich6782]

To loosen your grip while serving do you recommend holding racquet more with index and middle fingers or ring and pinkie fingers?

[@theeeonendonly26]

Hey Ashley been struggling with the 45 degree pre serve position, been having a straight arm like Qinwen Zheng. Any tips?

[@TheTennisMentor]

Try serving from the correct position (skip the back swing) to get used to the feeling of having your arm at 90/90. The shadow swings in this video should also get you more familiar with the correct feeling

[@theeeonendonly26]

@@TheTennisMentor legend. Hopefully youre around at the australian open in a few months happy to shout you a beer 🍻

[@TheTennisMentor]

@@theeeonendonly26 I aim to be 🤞

[@rodrigomachado3678]

Is there any way to practice serve inside the house? Serve is so important, although it's a lonely trainning, and often requires a court...

[@TheTennisMentor]

Inside the house is difficult aside from stretching. But you can practice the shadow swings and throws outdoors, and even better if you have a wall to hit against.

[@DavidNelsonATX]

I was curious to see how you could hit a decent serve without a racquet drop (based on the videos title). As I expected you can’t,unless you hit a lame underhand serve…which isn’t really a decent serve.

[@knotwilg3596]

So how does your racket drop when you kick serve and don't rotate your torso into the court?

[@TheTennisMentor]

This is a great question! Your legs still drive your hip and body up to the ball, just with less rotation. The depth of the ‘drop’ comes from the drive UP and having good flexibility (especially in the upper back for the kick serve). You’ll see all the best kickers point their chest up to the sky!

[@transklutz]

"Throw your racquet into the ball"... I haven't been thinking about it like that. I've been thinking more about the ball than the racquet.

[@TheTennisMentor]

(Just don’t let go of the racket 😅)

[@Sladovsky1]

@@TheTennisMentor Or make sure there's nobody around when you do it ;-D

[@lynx4444]

Sunday is training day. Make a guess what I will try to focus on when it comes to the serve 😅

[@TheTennisMentor]

Vamos! Please report back!

[@jpg6113]

I think about my racket drop on every single serve i make it's become extremely annoying and i can't seem to get my serve to be any better

[@TheTennisMentor]

Have you tried the drills on this video yet? They should really help

[@jpg6113]

@@TheTennisMentor Will try it today actually, i have practice at 4pm (Paraguay time) thank you!!

[@jdfdjalsjgwet23]

Thanks for the great tips. When I let the racket drop naturally, I have another problem that my wrist will be open up if I fully relax, so that it will have some waiter serve. How can fix my wrist ?

[@TheTennisMentor]

Are you using the continental grip? And are you getting into the same ‘pre throw’ position I mention with your strings pointing to the side (or slightly downward)? If so, don’t worry too much about the waiters tray. The problem comes when you force the racket to drop or when you drop too early. Keep the racket up until you drive up to the ball!

[@jdfdjalsjgwet23]

@@TheTennisMentor Yes, I use the continential grip. I will try to not drop so early and see if it getting better. Thank you so much !

[@marijagroselj]

in which tennis club do you mostly take lessons

[@TheTennisMentor]

The Avenue, Hampshire

[@Lucian86]

It's like a baseball pitch

[@TheTennisMentor]

Very much so, just upwards!

[@ScentsOverSense]

I'll be doing about this today! The racket drop is the only thing I think about on my serve 😂 whoops

[@TheTennisMentor]

Let me know how it goes!

[@srdjantomasevic9067]

GTH - GREAT Tip for Hip ! I actually tried this out with your practice steps and this really worked for me... I finally managed to find the ritam and loose arm for proper racquet drop and speed 😊😊😊 Thanks Ash, you are real Tennis Mentor !!!

[@TheTennisMentor]

So great to hear, keep it up!

[@twinwankel]

Good video. Title is a bit of click bait but video makes up for it. Thanks.

[@TheTennisMentor]

I’m glad you think so, thanks 🤝

[@howiespancakeshack]

100k by the end of the year i reckz.

[@TheTennisMentor]

That would be nice 😁 currently on path for the end of next summer… it’s a long (but fun) process 🐌

[@srdjantomasevic9067]

​@@TheTennisMentor Don't worry...We'll make a "couple of" recomendations for your work 😊

[@TheTennisMentor]

Hero

[@ClaudioPrado-k4f]

I don t get what tou mean, because every player drop the racket always.

[@TheTennisMentor]

Did you watch the video?

[@harryharrison4749]

That's really useful, thanks Ash 👍

[@TheTennisMentor]

My pleasure Harry 🤜🤛

[@mario17-t34]

Didn't watch whole video yet, afraid of its title, does it mean that all my training went into the drain ? Is this video scary ?

[@TheTennisMentor]

😆 nothing’s gone into the drain… your training so far has made you the player you are today! Maybe this could take you up another level?

[@mario17-t34]

@@TheTennisMentor Thanks Mr.Neaves ! Will proceed carefully , will watch it 1min/day, I was so focused on producing drop for last 3 month.-)

[@jillwaters2912]

*forward. Not “forwards “

[@TheTennisMentor]

Thanks Jill 😊

[@Sladovsky1]

"Forward" is an adjective or adverb and "forwards" is an adverb, right? What is this correction in relation to?

[@andryvosenco3322]

You have a gross mistake, the racket is open on the swing☝️like beginners🤣,learn to close like Raonic and Berrettini, the serve will be more stable and twice as strong

[@gregorhunziker7731]

Sorry, but this is NOT TRUE. look at Wawrinkas Serve in Slowmotion, there is a massive racket/underam drop well before leg or hip movement happens..

[@TheTennisMentor]

I’m watching the original footage that I have in super slowmo and it shows exactly what I explained… the leg drive and racket drop happen simultaneously

[@gregorhunziker7731]

@@TheTennisMentorOk. i am just saying, there seems to be at least one top player which has an racket drop independet from leg and hip drive.

[@TheTennisMentor]

Let me know when you find one 🙂

[@gregorhunziker7731]

@@TheTennisMentor Wawrinka has a racket/underarm acceleration down before leg/hip drive, don't u you think? 😉

[@absolutelynothingtoseehere]

Title is clickbait.

[@Pascal270]

Oh my god! Are you sure that you're gonna heal from that?

[@TheTennisMentor]

Yes, the idea of the title is to tempt you to click. I hope you found the video useful?

[@Pascal270]

@@TheTennisMentor Excellent video as always, coach. What a great free stuff! 👍🙂