Serve Tip: Fix Your Serve Rhythm

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In our serve clinics we often see players who struggle with their serve rhythm.
Most players make one common mistake here that can mess up your entire service motion!
This video is from one of our 1-day serve transformation clinics.
You see how OTI Instructor Gregg le Sueur helps a player fix this critical mistake with step-by-step progressions!

[@thomasmiller5063]

The student is ducking his chest down at the beginning of his motion. This ducking down motion starts his serve off poorly. It prevents the flow/ building of momentum, and an overall fluid motion. It drains a lot of power, too. I'd get student to eliminate the downward bounce at the beginning. Instead have him go straight back ( think: coil ) in a way similar to a forward swing unit turn that he ignored. This would simplify his whole motion, give him a better toss, and give him better rhythm/more power.

[@jimgilmore7391]

He doesn't seem to understand the concept of 'slow'!

[@transklutz]

He's trying to throw the ball like he's serving. Tell him to forget the serve and just throw the ball.

[@bpxl53yewz29]

This coach has a good eye.

[@BDGamingLP]

Awesome

[@transklutz]

I wish you could improve my serve :)

[@georgebasham2279]

Start out low and slow ... I like it!

[@terrydavidson4581]

Great to see 3 guys doing exactly what I do on my back terrace every day. Hey, I'm not alone! Thanks Gregg. The most misleading phrase in this whole exercise is 'racquet drop'. This is an elbow technique.

[@gregglesueur3224]

Excellent Terry! That's what it takes, practice, practice, practice =) if you relax the elbow as the racquet starts to cross past your head it will drop. kzbin.info/www/bejne/opaWlXePjaqLaZI

[@ivanivanovski4278]

I think that this guy have problem with the throwing motion, you can see that he is starting throwing the ball almost form the back, also when he throw his palm is open, his palm needs to be placed on his face when he throw the ball. He needs to fix racquet drop, his racquet is scraching his back which in my opinion is the reason of lacking power, he needs to learn the throwing motion and then start with progressions from trophy pose, also i think that he is to much tense and nervous when it comes to racquet drop. Good advice on shoulder turn but he needs to work on arm motion in my opinion. Good job. Keep it up.

[@gregglesueur3224]

Hi Ivan, thank you for your comments. I agree he needs to work on his open palm. I have found when trying to address too many things at once time it distracts the student from the main focus at that point, in this instance the turn/prep/rhythm, and complicates a movement which we try to simply for them. It took awhile to get the first part right, but then we build upon it and add more. From my experience when you get the beginning part working smoothly, getting into a good loaded position, combined with a good right to left (palm not open =) it then sets off a chain oreaction for rest of the serve in motion. Best, Gregg

[@rogerhill4571]

He never played baseball

[@chuckm1961]

“I’m going to start my service by contorting my whole upper body”. Stop doing that. It is destroying your service. You think it is helping, but it is not.

[@transklutz]

So what's your suggestion?

[@chuckm1961]

transklutz Stop contorting the upper body to start the serve. It’s a case of looking for power in the wrong place. Power comes from a smooth and steady acceleration, along with a good racquet drop. If I was working with this person, the first thing I would do is force them to serve from a steady, still position, with a smooth and consistent take back cutting off the toes with the racquet.

[@vanderszpak]

I'm gonna try it in 40 minutes

[@gregglesueur3224]

Great Vanderszpak! All the best, Gregg