I just started to play tennis in the park at the age of 40 and You pushed me forward with this video 2 years :) :) :) Thanks. Many aces are landing against novice mates. Amazing video. Thanks
Michael Biggins same here, i watched the other day the serve drill using half full water bottle. I love it, can hardly wait to start practicing these drills!
Yes I agree 100%, I see a lot of coaches fail to explain these details fearing too much information. I believe every player is different, some require detail and some may pick it up faster with less detail. I'm the detailed type, thank you for the excellent detail and practice example! James you are awesome at this!
Throwing "only the elbow" with the rest of the arm coming along for the ride instead of throwing the "whole arm" has been a major factor in improving my serve. And this critical aspect has mostly been de-emphasized or omitted by most other instructors. Thanks.
worked on this today.my serve didn't go in a lot.stuck with it for the second set oh what a difference a first serve makes.James you rock man.thx so much for your marvellous skills. best Haydyn
This video has helped me with the right to left movement perhaps more than any other video. I hadn't realized that the elbow begins bending and leading forward as the racquet is over the head, and I had instead been allowing the racquet head to travel past the left side of my head which produced an awkward movement nothing like what I see gracefully executed in the videos. Thank you.
James, thanks for another really interesting video. Big kudos for making the vid short and to the point unlike so many others who talk talk talk with only a minor part of the vid allocated to the actual demonstration.
I noticed my tennis partner with the misconception of the right to left move bending at the wrist instead of the elbow and sent your perfect explanation and drills. Thanks again lets hope he doesn't start serving me of the court.
Going to try this tonight, looks like a great tip to help keep that optimal angle of the arm! I know I tend to get lazy and drop my elbow too low. I'm ignoring the comments from the wanna-be coaches who can't seem to grasp this is one tip to help a certain aspect of the serve, if you want to go into depth regarding the total biomechanics and kenetic chain etc. get the OTI service course.
The 2 videos I watched from you explain in detail the mechanics and progression of movement of the service motion so much better than anything else on the internet, even the ones from professional level instructors. Thank you so very much. I'm 52 years old 5 foot 7 and I can now crank out 100+ mph serves with ease.
I’ve watched 100 videos on serving. I still don’t get the racquet drop loop thing. I can do it it all day without tossing a ball. The minute the ball is part of the equation my brain locks up. Your video gives me hope. I’m hoping I can get it now. I’m 70. I’ve been playing steady for 30 yrs. So I have a lot of bad muscle memory to change. What’s funny is I’ve been happy with my serve till 5 yrs ago. I videotaped my serve and I was shocked how horrible I looked. It’s like thinking your face is beautiful. Then you look in mirror and your totally disfigured. Wish I never had looked in mirror.
Please send me an email at florian@onlinetennisinstruction.com and I will give you something very important to help with your serve transformation free of charge!
This video is exactly what I needed to see. I love the way it's broken down to the most basic form. You completely answered my question about the starting position with the serve. Thank you so much, I know it will help my serve .
Thank you so much for posting this video. I took the 10 day serve and return challenge; it completely changed my serve game. I can’t wait to get back on the courts and show off!! This was a great follow up to the 10 day challenge. I love OTI!!!
Great tips James. We are quite often rained out of lessons here in Atlanta, but I am going to tell my students to do this practice next to the wall at home on rainy days. You are right; the mechanics are easier to learn off the court and will eventually be a habit that carries over to the court with the proper technique.
Really well done video! I think Jeff Salzenstein had a similar idea called "elbow the enemy", but I don't think even he realized that the tip helps not only with keeping the upper arm level with the shoulder, but also to keep the upper arm in a straight line with the shoulder line.
Hi James... Mick here... met you on an OTI weekend in Abingdon a few years ago. Great vid Mate... very useful. The water bottle one is fab too. Cheers!
Oh my gosh thank you so much! I'm a futbol (soccer) player trying to keep my tennis player daughter in shape. I know nothing about tennis so your instructions are so helpful and clear and I can easily work with her on this. Thank you from Hawaii!
Fantastic Video, think you saved my elbow, been serving the wrong way for a long time, and it was causing elbow problems. Much more power now with less effort. Thanks
I've been trying to undo my abbreviated takeback for a few months, but my focus has been on the racquet head, not the elbow. And I've been trying to fix this on the court. This exercise should really help me memorize the elbow position I've been unable to achieve doing hundreds of practice serves. Great job. Thank you.
Awesome insight on the serve! I was one of those player who drop the elbow to my body for 30 years. However, this tip will help me overcome my terrible habit that I have engrained in me. Wonderful tip!
Thank you. This works. After practicing, I went out and used it on the court today and I could feel the difference in the motion and the speed of the ball. love it.
Hey James - nice to see you in front of the camera. I’m worried about my serve deteriorating during the pandemic - this is a great drill to help me keep grooving on key fundamentals. Thanks for posting!
Thank you. I subbed. It is easier to follow the motion you describe without a racket than with one. Good job to break it down into the two "bite size" elements.
Sorry Dr Ken...This instruction is 'TOTALLY'" wrong for execution of the serve.. As you know ..If some one had held a Hammer as flimsily as this guy holding a racquet...one would THUMP their THUMB 9 of 10 times..!
@@braxtonshrianandan2438 If I wasn't shut in at home, I'd go out immediately and try it. Everyone's biomechanics are a bit different. My question has been when do I begin to move the elbow forward and he seems to have answered that.
fantastic explanation... i wud love this guy to also suggest a drill to improve ball release from the left hand. wud be really nice and useful indeed !
This is great instructional video for the hardest thing in tennis i.e. serving. However, sometimes getting beginners to concentrate on more than one thing at a time can be confusing and just too technical to remember. Great for more advanced club players but difficult for beginners to learn and grasp the nuances. The best basic instruction I've seen for 'beginners' to learn the service motion (for the racquet hand) is essentially to just throw a tennis ball as if you were throwing it as fast as you can but with a loose arm as this motion virtually replicates (but not totally) what the racquet hand should be doing in the service motion (not including the other key aspects like, the throwing hand, foot placement, body pivoting, etc). Simple I know but quite effective. A more advanced version of this is to go to the park with an 'old' tennis racquet and essentially just throw the tennis racquet (on grass and without hitting anyone!) forward as you would if you were throwing a ball. Try it it really does work.
Happy to have found your videos. You have a clarity and simplicity that goes a long way. Can't wait to try the swing up and elbow motion tips! Thank you!
I am trying to improve my 1st server. I used to be with my body, with 45 degrees to the court. I am 64, for me is dificult to corret. But I keep on trying. I did not use the momentum, before. But one thing I notíced is that my right leg, as I begin to move my elbow and twist my body, goes in the direction of the other leg. Before my legs stayed in the same position. I am doing more mistakes, but I am looking foward to improving my first server. I liked your tips. Studing and practicing.
Your serves are so much better than mine although my swing is faster, I have a jump and more forward movement. I've been trying to get this right for years and done lots of the online courses including the OTI serve blueprint. But.. it just ain't happening. My fast serves just hit the next, my top spin is too fluffy. Do you offer private lessons? I could do with spending a day with you !!
Good morning! English is not my native language as my name can not hide. So maybe I make some mistakes. First of all, very good, excellent. I'm trying to improve my serve. But you could talk about the bent of the pulse also. And also grip the racket more far from the head. Good tip. I'm trainning like kata karete. I have broken some vases yet. I subscribed.
Thanks for the feedback Pedro :) May i quickly clarify your question, when you say 'bend of the pulse', do you mean the bend i have with my wrist? the way it is bent forward. please let me know. Thanks :)
@@OnlineTennisInstruction , good morning! As I told you, I do not have a good English. I came from Brazil. So I am refering to 00:51. Notice that your wrist is bended down in a relative position with your arm. I maked a mistake. I used pulse in estead of wrist because in Portuguesa the word "pulso"" means pulse and wrisrt. My apologies.
@@OnlineTennisInstruction, watching the vídeo again, I am quite sure that you refered to this bend. I tought on 3 the arm with the shoulder, the elbow and the wrist. So sorry.
I just started to play tennis in the park at the age of 40 and You pushed me forward with this video 2 years :) :) :) Thanks. Many aces are landing against novice mates. Amazing video. Thanks
This is the second video that I've watched, from this young instructor - practical, understandable, easily doable; thanks so much!
Michael Biggins same here, i watched the other day the serve drill using half full water bottle. I love it, can hardly wait to start practicing these drills!
Thank you Michael! :)
These are the things that I´ve always missed and none explained to me .... thank you :-)
No problem Fernando! :) We're happy to help!
Yes I agree 100%, I see a lot of coaches fail to explain these details fearing too much information. I believe every player is different, some require detail and some may pick it up faster with less detail. I'm the detailed type, thank you for the excellent detail and practice example! James you are awesome at this!
Throwing "only the elbow" with the rest of the arm coming along for the ride instead of throwing the "whole arm" has been a major factor in improving my serve. And this critical aspect has mostly been de-emphasized or omitted by most other instructors. Thanks.
Elbow drop is my problem. This is an incredibly useful drill and great instruction. Nicely done!
worked on this today.my serve didn't go in a lot.stuck with it for the second set oh what a difference a first serve makes.James you rock man.thx so much for your marvellous skills.
best Haydyn
Awesome Haydyn! :) Thanks for your feedback, much appreciated!
This video has helped me with the right to left movement perhaps more than any other video. I hadn't realized that the elbow begins bending and leading forward as the racquet is over the head, and I had instead been allowing the racquet head to travel past the left side of my head which produced an awkward movement nothing like what I see gracefully executed in the videos. Thank you.
James, thanks for another really interesting video. Big kudos for making the vid short and to the point unlike so many others who talk talk talk with only a minor part of the vid allocated to the actual demonstration.
Great video! We can finally play singles in the UK today.. will try this with my clients. Cheers 👍👍
Brilliant demo, great idea to separate the mechanics from the actual court experience
This is very helpful for my servers thank you :)
Great to hear Tristan! Thanks for the feedback :)
I noticed my tennis partner with the misconception of the right to left move bending at the wrist instead of the elbow and sent your perfect explanation and drills. Thanks again lets hope he doesn't start serving me of the court.
Great video, James! I tried it and found it super helpful! By the way, those were some awesome serves you hit!
This is what I'm looking for, thank you! Can't wait for lockdown to be over so I can practice those serves more.
Going to try this tonight, looks like a great tip to help keep that optimal angle of the arm! I know I tend to get lazy and drop my elbow too low. I'm ignoring the comments from the wanna-be coaches who can't seem to grasp this is one tip to help a certain aspect of the serve, if you want to go into depth regarding the total biomechanics and kenetic chain etc. get the OTI service course.
Great George! Let us know how it goes :)
This technique as explained and demonstrated is reproducible! Thank you for breaking it down to the most simplest elements.
That's great to hear! :) Thank you for your feedback!
The 2 videos I watched from you explain in detail the mechanics and progression of movement of the service motion so much better than anything else on the internet, even the ones from professional level instructors. Thank you so very much. I'm 52 years old 5 foot 7 and I can now crank out 100+ mph serves with ease.
I do not believe you
I’ve watched 100 videos on serving. I still don’t get the racquet drop loop thing. I can do it it all day without tossing a ball. The minute the ball is part of the equation my brain locks up. Your video gives me hope. I’m hoping I can get it now. I’m 70. I’ve been playing steady for 30 yrs. So I have a lot of bad muscle memory to change. What’s funny is I’ve been happy with my serve till 5 yrs ago. I videotaped my serve and I was shocked how horrible I looked. It’s like thinking your face is beautiful. Then you look in mirror and your totally disfigured. Wish I never had looked in mirror.
Please send me an email at florian@onlinetennisinstruction.com and I will give you something very important to help with your serve transformation free of charge!
I appreciate it Together with the other video of James . I think these are pillars for the serve.
Thanks James
Thanks for the feedback Rudy! :)
This video is exactly what I needed to see. I love the way it's broken down to the most basic form. You completely answered my question about the starting position with the serve. Thank you so much, I know it will help my serve .
No problem Michael! :) We're happy to help!
Thank you so much for posting this video. I took the 10 day serve and return challenge; it completely changed my serve game. I can’t wait to get back on the courts and show off!! This was a great follow up to the 10 day challenge. I love OTI!!!
Awesome Bonnie!! :) Thank you for your feedback, much appreciated!
Can I ask, what is this 10 day challenge? I can't find it anywhere
this is the second video by this young and talented instructor that i watched. i love it, can hardly wait to start practicing these serve drills!
Great! Let us know how it goes Cristian...thanks for the feedback! :)
Great tips James. We are quite often rained out of lessons here in Atlanta, but I am going to tell my students to do this practice next to the wall at home on rainy days. You are right; the mechanics are easier to learn off the court and will eventually be a habit that carries over to the court with the proper technique.
Really well done video! I think Jeff Salzenstein had a similar idea called "elbow the enemy", but I don't think even he realized that the tip helps not only with keeping the upper arm level with the shoulder, but also to keep the upper arm in a straight line with the shoulder line.
Hi James... Mick here... met you on an OTI weekend in Abingdon a few years ago. Great vid Mate... very useful. The water bottle one is fab too. Cheers!
Oh my gosh thank you so much! I'm a futbol (soccer) player trying to keep my tennis player daughter in shape. I know nothing about tennis so your instructions are so helpful and clear and I can easily work with her on this. Thank you from Hawaii!
No problem Melissa! :) It's great to hear that these videos help you and your daughter. Let us know how it goes when trying out this drill
Just wonderful! This drill help me a lot.
That's great to hear Henri! :)
Fantastic Video, think you saved my elbow, been serving the wrong way for a long time, and it was causing elbow problems. Much more power now with less effort. Thanks
Awesome Sanj! Mastering the role of the elbow can be very difficult for players. We're very happy to hear that this drill helped you :)
I've been trying to undo my abbreviated takeback for a few months, but my focus has been on the racquet head, not the elbow. And I've been trying to fix this on the court. This exercise should really help me memorize the elbow position I've been unable to achieve doing hundreds of practice serves. Great job. Thank you.
Awesome insight on the serve! I was one of those player who drop the elbow to my body for 30 years. However, this tip will help me overcome my terrible habit that I have engrained in me. Wonderful tip!
Thank you very much, I will put in practice both tips !!.I appreciate so much this videos and very clear concepts for a young pro!! Congratulations!!
No problem Roberto! Thank you for your feedback! :)
Thank you. This works. After practicing, I went out and used it on the court today and I could feel the difference in the motion and the speed of the ball. love it.
Awesome!!! That's great to hear :) Please keep us updated on your progress
Excellent and beautifully explained!
Hey James - nice to see you in front of the camera. I’m worried about my serve deteriorating during the pandemic - this is a great drill to help me keep grooving on key fundamentals. Thanks for posting!
Thanks Mark! You're feedback is much appreciated :) We hope you're doing well and staying safe during these times
Enjoyed the video and can't wait to see if I can do it on the court.
Great Eugene! :) Let us know how it goes
Your PhysioT. will love it.
Thank you ! Will try on Sat
Thank you. I subbed. It is easier to follow the motion you describe without a racket than with one. Good job to break it down into the two "bite size" elements.
Exactly! It's very beneficial to break it down and isolate the motion when learning any new technique :) thanks for the feedback
very pragmatic exercice from James. Keep Posting this kind of information in future.
Great! Thanks for the feedback Stephan :)
Wow! Fantastic presentation James! The clearest and most detailed info on the serve motion I've ever seen. And a way to practice it, too! Brilliant.
Sorry Dr Ken...This instruction is 'TOTALLY'" wrong for execution of the serve.. As you know ..If some one had held a Hammer as flimsily as this guy holding a racquet...one would THUMP their THUMB 9 of 10 times..!
@@braxtonshrianandan2438 If I wasn't shut in at home, I'd go out immediately and try it. Everyone's biomechanics are a bit different. My question has been when do I begin to move the elbow forward and he seems to have answered that.
This drill is so helpful. It is helping me smooth out my motion and get a bigger motion,
Very good tip!
Thanks Oscar! :)
fantastic explanation... i wud love this guy to also suggest a drill to improve ball release from the left hand. wud be really nice and useful indeed !
This is great instructional video for the hardest thing in tennis i.e. serving. However, sometimes getting beginners to concentrate on more than one thing at a time can be confusing and just too technical to remember. Great for more advanced club players but difficult for beginners to learn and grasp the nuances. The best basic instruction I've seen for 'beginners' to learn the service motion (for the racquet hand) is essentially to just throw a tennis ball as if you were throwing it as fast as you can but with a loose arm as this motion virtually replicates (but not totally) what the racquet hand should be doing in the service motion (not including the other key aspects like, the throwing hand, foot placement, body pivoting, etc). Simple I know but quite effective. A more advanced version of this is to go to the park with an 'old' tennis racquet and essentially just throw the tennis racquet (on grass and without hitting anyone!) forward as you would if you were throwing a ball. Try it it really does work.
Yes Yes and Yes! I needed this!
Happy to have found your videos. You have a clarity and simplicity that goes a long way. Can't wait to try the swing up and elbow motion tips! Thank you!
Very good video with simple instructions and progression techniques.
Thanks for the feedback Warren :)
Top teacher 👍
Here of the Brazil
Thanks Thiago! :)
outstanding great drill because it so simpel and clear. Simplified Federe swing. Thanks a lot.Olaf Coach Copenhagen.
I really love this video. Thanks very much
Wow, great information! And it's great that we can on these things while we are at home.
Great explaination, things are so much clear in my mind after watching your video. Will try this dill today. Many thanks
Outstanding presentation. Thanks.
Thanks for the feedback Jon! :)
Good tip. Similar to the technique of throwing a ball. You get max power that way
yes exactly :)
Very interesting and very helpful video! I’m very happy that I come across this drill of yours. Thanks heaps! Cheers!
Thank you Jose! :) We're happy that this helped you
Such a great video and advice!
great instruction
thank you Ray :)
Very nice lesson, congrats...👏👏
thanks Luiz!! :)
I am trying to improve my 1st server. I used to be with my body, with 45 degrees to the court. I am 64, for me is dificult to corret. But I keep on trying. I did not use the momentum, before. But one thing I notíced is that my right leg, as I begin to move my elbow and twist my body, goes in the direction of the other leg. Before my legs stayed in the same position. I am doing more mistakes, but I am looking foward to improving my first server. I liked your tips. Studing and practicing.
Excellent tip. Its very useful for me. Thanks
Great Gilberto! :) Thanks for the feedback!
what a great video! This is so helpful!
Thanks for the feedback Mientje :)
Great video! Thanks very much !
Thanks Guillermo! :)
Fantastic tips.
It is great advice and it worked for me. It is exactly the tip I was looking for. Thank You!
That's great Paul! :) Thank you for your feedback!
Super excercise!
Thank you Anthony! :)
It's just fixed my serve back swing problem, thanks.
Great Sanyi! :)
Good
Tnank you for great tips! The wall is a good idea. I can practice anywhere.
no problem :) thanks for the feedback!!
excelente video!!!!!! muy didáctico!!!!!!!
Thanks Luis! :)
Muchas gracias por el video!!👍🤗🤗💙🎾💙
Can't wait to try, thank you for your such wonderful explaination!
Let us know how it goes Zhao :) Thanks for your feedback!
Amazing!!! It will help me not to use de forehand grip to serve and kepping continental!!! Thank you, from Brazil!!!!
No problem Luiz! :) Thanks for the feedback
Thank you James! I learned a lot from this video! And great serves! 🙂
This was great! Hope to see some other helpful drills we can practice in quarantine.
Thanks for the feedback Eric! :)
Fantastic I’ve always had problems implementing the elbow properly
Yes Paul, the role of the elbow is very difficult to master. It's great to hear this video helped you! :)
great tip (s)..thanks...this will help me a lot as I tend to drop my elbow too much
Great Chris! :) Yes, dropping the elbow is very common. Hopefully this helps you!
My club just reopened. I'm going out to practice this today, James.
That's great Kenneth! :) Let us know how it goes
Very nice! Congrats.
Thanks for the feedback Carlos :)
James. Nice job. A little behind on my emails. This is a great drill to add to the information from the serve and return program I was part of.
Thanks for the feedback Steven! :) Keep us updated on your progress
Valuable content
Vielen Dank !
Thanks for the feedback! :)
Holy shit amazing drill
Get him a OTI shirt ..
Helpful. When do you initiate the ball toss?
Thanq
Smart guy very nice and say what you talkin about very beautiful explanation thank you very much will
Thanks for your feedback Vladimir! :) Much appreciated!
Well presented and makes a lot of sense. Thanks.
Thanks for the feedback Michael! :)
good tip
Excelentes consejos y muy buen la explicación de cada uno
Nice one.
Muito bom!!!
Instruções didáticas e super aproveitáveis 👏👏👏👏
Absolutamente certo
This works! Thank you
great Sylvan :)
very good thanks.
Thanx James
Thanks Gustavo! :)
Your serves are so much better than mine although my swing is faster, I have a jump and more forward movement. I've been trying to get this right for years and done lots of the online courses including the OTI serve blueprint. But.. it just ain't happening. My fast serves just hit the next, my top spin is too fluffy. Do you offer private lessons? I could do with spending a day with you !!
Great!! Thank you very much!!!
No problem Paulo...thanks for the feedback :)
If you do this , shot timing gets impacted
Good morning! English is not my native language as my name can not hide. So maybe I make some mistakes. First of all, very good, excellent. I'm trying to improve my serve. But you could talk about the bent of the pulse also. And also grip the racket more far from the head. Good tip. I'm trainning like kata karete. I have broken some vases yet. I subscribed.
Thanks for the feedback Pedro :) May i quickly clarify your question, when you say 'bend of the pulse', do you mean the bend i have with my wrist? the way it is bent forward. please let me know. Thanks :)
@@OnlineTennisInstruction , good morning! As I told you, I do not have a good English. I came from Brazil. So I am refering to 00:51. Notice that your wrist is bended down in a relative position with your arm. I maked a mistake. I used pulse in estead of wrist because in Portuguesa the word "pulso"" means pulse and wrisrt. My apologies.
@@OnlineTennisInstruction, watching the vídeo again, I am quite sure that you refered to this bend. I tought on 3 the arm with the shoulder, the elbow and the wrist. So sorry.
good stuff
Cool, thanks for the tips
今天下午我試了這招，相當受用👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Great stuff!!