Serve Tip: Transform Your Serve Using A Water Bottle

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Keeping the palm and strings closed on the serve is extremely important and something a lot of players struggle with.
If you open the racket instead of keeping it closed, then it becomes impossible to come up on edge and pronate properly on your serve!
OTI Instructor James Ludlow has come up with a NEW creative drill that forces you to keep the palm closed...and all you need to perform this drill is a bottle of water!
So give this drill a try and let us know what you think!

[@normancook965]

Incredible - this video has allowed me to "feel" the correct motion more than any other video I've seen. If my serve is a little wonky on a given day, I do this drill to restore the motion and it works like magic.

[@aurelio6646]

Thk u for helping my daughter. She always opens the racket when she serves. Now she's trying to correct her service. Great drill!

[@nitinblue1]

Game changer dude. Drop is happening automatically. Pronation happening automatically and naturally bending knees to keep the knuckle up.. Cannot wait to implement this tomorrow morning

[@craigberg1942]

If you remove the bottle cap and do this drill you will definitely know if you are executing it incorrectly!

[@OnlineTennisInstruction]

haha i wish i thought of that when filming this video! Thanks Craig :)

[@darrensurrey]

Just tried it with half a can of beer. :D

[@bdwar2354]

Yeah should remove the cap.

[@LordStanley94]

@@OnlineTennisInstruction Tremendous. Fantastic. I have students who constantly open their palm or switch their grip to a forehand grip to "paddle/pancake" the ball. This is an awesome & creative idea. Thanks

[@PaulMacklinAmazing]

works perfectly for lag and snap on fhand and bhand too!!!

[@user-ep7qe4ko5u]

Great. Thanks so much.

[@cherijackson2454]

Brilliant!! What a simple drill to follow! Easy fix! Thank you!

[@AppeltVortex]

Really smart! My son opens his racket head when he serves, this will be the perfect exercise for him. Thanks!

[@OnlineTennisInstruction]

great to hear that :) the open racket face is very common, so we're happy this video helped you.

[@olafsrensen9578]

Never sen this drill before. Super great. It automatickly cure or helps curing the pronation problem nearly all beginers strugle with . Thanks alott.Olaf Copenhagen

[@artic0x]

This video 'fixed' my serve, thank you so much

[@robertgreenbaum8911]

Nicely done James! I did notice that at some point BEFORE the racquet drop, the hand will pivot at the wrist and the bottle will no longer remain fully upright. I believe slow-motion identification illustrating this occurring will benefit the audience.

[@OnlineTennisInstruction]

Thanks for the feedback Robert. Yes correct! When i supinate and get into the racket drop, the bottle will not be fully upright but the water will still remain in the bottom of the bottle...that's the key part. Thanks Robert!

[@watcher687]

The reason why the racket drops with open face instead of on edge is the subconscious thought that you will hit the ball with the racket face, not the edge of the racket as going on edge and pronating at the last moment is not natural to your mind. It’s very simple to prove and I did so: Practice serves and hit the ball with the edge of the racket. You will see the racket won’t drop with the face open anymore. It will be perfectly on edge like Thiem’s. Keep doing this and later try to suddenly change your mind and add the pronation to hit it with the strings. I was amazed at the results experimenting this while trying to fix my chronic open face racket drop issue. Just a reminder though, the best server ever Mr Sampras has an open racket drop!😀

[@patmosquera7877]

Love this tip!!!!!

[@mikekalbarczyk6245]

Simply, shortly and works perfect!

[@deschutesmaple4520]

Super helpful video, James is a great coach :-)

[@oreb05]

Nice tip thks a lot ! 👍

[@lisarao2060]

Very simple and effective drill! Thank you so much!

[@joseh899]

EXCELLENT TIP JAMES!! 👏👏👍👍👍🎾🎾🎾🎾 That's a common habit of many of us club players!!

[@OnlineTennisInstruction]

Thanks for the feedback Jose!! :) Yep this is something a lot of players struggle with.

[@g10s]

Great tip!

[@nelidymotizuki9613]

Nice drill. I've improved on court. I'm so happy.

[@UrsusColludens]

Excellent drill and video. Thank you! And now enjoy your water :)

[@bizou13]

Great tip James Guy

[@mirnesnuhanovic9597]

This is great video advice. I am playing tennis for 15 years and I am having a problem with opening a racket at serve.

[@zeinabal-tibi9145]

handsome, smart and helpful. thanks James

[@henrikasliubertas3042]

Nice drill and clever coach

[@PeterFreemantennis]

this is a brilliant video GREAT job!!! I love it...very creative and simple

[@cp_703]

Crunch Time Coaching I learned from a coach online that says pretend that you are taking a selfie

[@OnlineTennisInstruction]

Thanks for the feedback Crunch Time Coaching! :)

[@patatota]

Good tip. Vamos Rafa! ;-)

[@fairman1455]

Thanks for the tip

[@flestau]

I hope you too have a marvellous day :-)

[@sahiyoutubeshortssportscha4152]

Brilliant young men.

[@allankaram2633]

Your explanation discourages racquet displacement which creates racquet head speed and prevents the shoulder from external to internal rotation....?

[@matthewdallasgordonllc9874]

Great tip James!! Thanks! 🙂🙏 I’m amazed at how even though I think and feel as if I’m keeping the raquet closed, when I look at videos of myself serving, the raquet face is definitely wide open! I’m going to give this a try and follow your excellent advice!! Cheers! 🙂🎾🎾

[@OnlineTennisInstruction]

Exactly Matthew! :) these kind of drills are very effective since it gives you visual feedback to if you're doing it correctly. Thanks for your feedback! Let us know how it goes👍

[@TeresasSweets]

Good tip!

[@narsimha1089]

Do we need to bend elbow or move hand to bring bottle back to head while palm looking down?appreciate it

[@olafsrensen9578]

super . what a drill. Thanks

[@xaxabat1]

Excellent job thank you

[@FairwayJack]

good stuff

[@davidleesteel]

Great idea, Thank you!

[@Mickey_McD]

Clever idea!

[@alarson8355]

Great drill....I love it

[@JamesDavisakaRemguy]

I did not authorize my likeness for use as your avatar. You'll be hearing from my attorney, Mr. A.E. Newman, esq.

[@darkokolega1674]

Great!!

[@nathanmiller6051]

love it!!!! 🎾👍💯🙏

[@ABeTenis]

very helpful video .. thanks

[@lehestro]

I don't get it. Once the racquet is in his hand, his palm faces up once he crosses over his shoulder. Am I missing something?

[@asliceoftennis2535]

Great tip, I will use it :) thanks

[@ron2117]

I'll give it a try. I definitely open. Can you get any power from swinging with the back of the hand at the ball? I usually get to the top with the palm facing down,s but then it opens.

[@omstennis9198]

please tell us the next motion after you fold the elbow !

[@JamesDavisakaRemguy]

Hope this is helpful: 1. External rotation of the shoulder (as racket passes over head) 2. Leftward rotation of the torso (as racket drops) After that, it's basically an upwards throwing motion (towards the ball) Very helpful to try and watch the ball (then "empty spot") until serve completed

[@luiscarlostrotta8119]

genial el ejercicio!!!!!

[@dr.e.r.blomgren]

Nice technique.

[@OnlineTennisInstruction]

Thanks for the feedback! :)

[@brodaism]

Excellent tip! Can I use the same for overhead smashes? coz i usually turn sideways and go to "trophy position" where racket tip pointing upwards before hitting the smash. I understand that I don't get good racket drop

[@OnlineTennisInstruction]

Thanks for the feedback Shiva! Yes of course, the swing mechanics between the serve and overhead are almost identical. The overhead is more abbreviated, but you still get into the same key positions as you do on the serve. So yep, you can use this for overheads. Thanks Shiva :)

[@joeldecker4369]

I have been working on my racquet drop in which I "show" my butt cap to my toss. I also picked up one here in which it almost appears you are "brushing" your hair with the strings. Thanks for the visual!

[@OnlineTennisInstruction]

Awesome Joel! How's the work going with the racket drop? :)

[@JIBELITO]

I'm surprise for the grip racket...5 cm are between the hand & the end racket ? My idea for the hand position it's to short... But for the bottle water & the style exercise ?? I don't know , sorry

[@OnlineTennisInstruction]

Hey Jean. May i quickly clarify what you're referring to here? Are you referring to the hand being flush with the butt of the racket on the grip? Thanks Jean

[@JIBELITO]

@@OnlineTennisInstruction Hi for me, when I use the grip my hand are not on the grip middle but close to the "talon" grip last part. But it's just for this exercise for practice this service ? Sorry but I think my English are not correct for explain this ... ?

[@g10s]

I believe he checked up on the grip just for demonstration. Probably limited space in the room he is in.

[@JIBELITO]

@@g10s It's exactly just for démonstration , what I think, thank you

[@icyliciousblue]

bo'ol😉

[@josesanabre7226]

👍🤗🤗🤗🤗🎾💪💪😘gracias

[@OnlineTennisInstruction]

Thanks for the feedback Jose! :)

[@pacerdave7838]

Or you could just make sure you keep your wrist collapsed down

[@user-cu8ik4kn6y]

구독 좋아요 ^^

[@JamesDavisakaRemguy]

My thoughts exactly 내 생각과 일치 해

[@coolreflections9448]

Sorry, I cannot afford bottle of water