So yes, your second serve in matches should be just a slow flat serve. Since each hand grabs the bat handle from a different direction, the force from the respective arm and shoulder that it is generating on it will also be . Stability can be improved by strengthening these groups of muscles. 18. Could you please tell me if there are significant differences between the extended version and the one which I just bought a few weeks ago? There isnt much to know about Golfers Elbow but here is a good overview of the injury. Starting from the trophy pose in Figure 3a, below, with the racket arm in the L position, as the racket begins to drop behind the back, the right upper arm and perhaps more noticeably, the right elbow, starts to rise upward. I am so grateful for having found your website which consists of so many useful videos and professional coaching particularly helpful for a tennis player who are self-taught most of the time. Tomas: do you principally recommend the same serve technique with power move and racket head position in the OH smash? The tricky thing about the stretch principle is that you must actually RELAX in order to allow your muscles to stretch, which is a very counter-intuitive thing to do just as youre about to hit a fast serve. Shortly before hitting the ball is the wrist still bent in order to add power to your stroke or does the wrist form a straight line with the forearm ? Best wishes, This volley is used on both the forehand and backhand side and involves players punching through the ball. 1. trying to think (and want) to serve to the opposite side of the court while keeping the same stance, position and body/raquet orientation Its like its a not a full pronation after contact. Search July 2013 I have a flexible shoulder but I rush the serve which ends up with the waiter tray. Most tennis players make the mistake of tensing their muscles in this phase of the serve thinking that strong muscles will help them hit a strong serve. the one with the player in yellow polo (i do not recall the title of the specific lesson) the follow-through is more large and at the end of the run, the edge of the racket finishes more parallel to the net. In both cases, though, we are using the principle of transfer of momentum which happens only when we decelerate the body. For the longest time I had a poor serve. 5 What are the muscles used in tennis serve? None of them are actually correct serve technique! The next synovial joint that will move in Tennis is the hinge. Good morning Tomaz, Both points you mention are good ones but so are another 50 or so that I share in my Serve Unlocked course and many other free videos here. Thanks for the Black Friday promotion! The tennis serve is one of the most complex movements in regards to mechanics. The muscles responsible for this part of the tennis serve are the lateral rotators of the spine and their names are the Multifidus, Rotatores Spinae and External Abdominal Oblique muscles. If that works for you, then keep doing it. (affiliate link). July 2018 The muscles in the arm are used to grip the racket and the muscles in the shoulder are used to swing the racket. Core strength can be built by doing crunches and sit-ups, as well as back extension exercises. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Joints, actions, and muscles used during the post-propulsion phase of the tennis serve Important Muscles Some of the primary muscles used during these three phases are the deltoid anterior, biceps femoris, tibialis anterior, semitendinosus, and the triceps brachii. The SlideShare family just got bigger. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Table 1. Thank you very much and really appreciate your help. Freely movable (synovial) joints are most abundant and include six types: pivot, hinge, condyloid, saddle, plane, and ball-and-socket joints. August 2018 Despite I am novice in playing tennis (Ive started about seven months ago at 37 years old and never held a raquet before in my life! Therefore, having stronger core muscles can influence how you coordinate your legs and arms movements. Methods In a controlled, semi-court laboratory setting, 14 elite male junior players served eight flat . Golfers Elbow, aka medial epicondylitis, is a pain or tenderness on the front side of your elbow. The toes of the back foot are also roughly aligned with the heel of the front foot because you need to be stable in all directions once you initiate and execute your full service motion. Tomaz, Take The 9-Minute Running Speed Challenge! January 2015 If youre having troubles mastering the toss, look into my ServeUnlocked course that dedicates an entire module to an integrated toss which happens simultaneously with the backswing. These major types are: the flat serve which requires limited spin; the slice serve which requires side spin, either left or right; and the topspin serve, also referred to as the 'kick' serve, which requires topspin, springing upwards into the direction of the receiver (Kovacs &Ellenbecker, 2011). Now focus your attention on the knees and ankles though the progression of images, Figures 4a through 4d. Well, I am still working on it, trying to keep some of you advice like a Mantra in my mind. Clavicle, Scapular and the Upper Humerus (shoulder): Needed to pivot and for serving. magnus effect a top spin shot will drop faster and a backspin shot will make the ball be in. In the racket drop position, Figure 5a below, the shoulder is placed in maximum external rotation, so that the internal rotators of the shoulder can be stretched. This video on serving with very clear instructions even covering well justified reasons for the right way of doing the proper serve is really appealing. With the amount of force required to generate power from the ground up, it is truly a movement that requires the full kinetic chain. The backswing transitions us from the stance position seen in Figure 2a, below, to the trophy pose position seen in Figure 2d. Yes, the shoulder can hurt when serving, it is under stress. Bruce Lee Fastest and Quickest Athlete Ever? Part 1: Backswing and toss and catching the ball in your hand. So in order to keep the information digestible for one single video article, I need to focus on just some of the keys of the serve. August 2017 Improving: The best surface to improve as a tennis player. Another major component of the shoulder while throwing is the rotator cuff. ), Ive found great usefulness and significant improvement thanks to your videos and all the suggestions, drills, crystal clear explanations that you share with us. Why this Crucial Running Speed Muscle is Ignored? Thank you very much for this very easy to follow technique. But, as you look closer, especially in slow motion, you realize that the swing towards the ball and movement of the forearm after the contact are not in the same line. Eureka moment on seeing the two angles separated by 45 degrees in the hitting section. But your instructions are really clear and it was surprisingly easy to swing the racket first leading with the edge, and then turning it as the ball contacts the racket. I foun your Tennis serve tutorial course Who wrote the music and lyrics for Kinky Boots? Its time to say thank you for all your good advice. Experiment with the height of your toss to see if you like a different rhythm and timing that happens because of that. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Instead, its simply the inertia and relaxation of their body and the serving arm that swings the racquet in that direction. In the learning stage when the player is performing the movement consciously then I teach to point the strings to the back fence. My own view is that it should never be practiced without simulating your backswing. Finally, the last muscles used in the kinetic chain are located in the arms. He developed the speed training method that uses resistance bands with an isometric training strategy to help athletes run faster starting way back in 1996. The muscles responsible for this part of the tennis serve are the lateral rotators of the spine and their names are the Multifidus, Rotatores Spinae and External Abdominal Oblique muscles. The knees straighten out which is a function of the Quadriceps muscles and the ankles begin to plantar-flex, or point down, which is a function of the Ankle Plantar-flexors. Knee The very common toss drill where you place a target or even your own racquet in front of you on the ground and try to make the toss hit it is, in my opinion, not very effective if at the same time you are not getting into the same serving position as you would in reality. Follow through Other than the preparation, all three phases consist of important biomechanical principles which strongly influence both the speed and accuracy of the tennis serve. Joints, actions, and muscles used during the post-propulsion phase of the tennis serve Important Muscles Some of the primary muscles used during these three phases are the deltoid anterior, biceps femoris, tibialis anterior, semitendinosus, and the triceps brachii. Weve updated our privacy policy so that we are compliant with changing global privacy regulations and to provide you with insight into the limited ways in which we use your data. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. A proper tennis serve grip technique is to hold a continental grip. Hi Tomaz, I began playing tennis in the past June try to forget everything I have already used in the past (i played about 30 years ago but not good). Performing exercises that encourage proper hip rotation also strengthens this set of muscles. Activate your 30 day free trialto continue reading. July 2017 Transition #2 From Racket Drop to Contact With the Ball, Movement #1: Internal Rotation of Racket Arm Shoulder. . It is arguably the most important group of muscles in tennis as it aids in keeping you balanced as you sprint from one end of the court to the other. Yes, the stomach and torso, the legs, lats, the triceps, the forearm, and even some muscles in the hand are all active in the serve - they have to be otherwise you wouldnt be able to hold your racquet or move your arm. The joint is wrapped with a thick fibrous capsule. what joints are used in a tennis serve. The Tennis Serve consists of three main phases: 1) the backswing, 2) the forward swing and 3) the follow through. You can of course also use the ball on the string or the famous trick with a couple of tennis balls in a long sock. The Edges drill where you always lead with the edge as you swing your racquet.