Okay, I've watched probably 200-300 hours of tennis videos since taking up the sport during COVID at age 50. On my own, just last week, I finally figured out what you just showed in the video, which turned out (for me) to depend on one small adjustment to the way I was gripping the racket. Regardless, I will tell you that having watched many serve videos, I can say this is likely amongst the best explanations of the serve generally, and more specifically the balancing art between the two vectors of pronation and spin that I've seen. In fact, I'm sure it's the best. The bounce drill showing the difference between spin/pronation is something I've never seen and helps one see what's happening without reverting to actually trying to show someone by doing two slow serves, which are hard to "see" for a beginner. In short, man, you really thought all this through. Much respect! Separately, for me, holding the racket with my index finger a bit less tight made all the difference in both pronating on the serve and in getting more topspin on the forehand. Pronating with a fist-tight grip created some wrist issues and I knew something was wrong but didn't know how to solve them, but I must have remembered one of the videos I saw about keeping the index finger a bit away from the other fingers and that did the trick for me, easy to get pronation. I had even just gone to very weak, 90% spin serves so as to avoid more wrist pain. Now, of course, I can serve without pain and decent pronation/penetration and with the spin I want. Still not totally sure about a kick versus flat serve but I'll have to review more videos, so if you have any recommendations, great. Otherwise, I wrote this because I wanted to pay respects to a good instructor. Bravo to you!
With that many hours of RUclips videos under your belt, I’d be afraid to face you. Like you,I found a tighter grip hurt my serve, but even though the serve is the only stroke we can totally control, I wanna carry a cheat sheet to remind myself to breathe, stay loose, pronate, coil etc. 😎
This video is incredibly helpful. Love the pronation exercises with the various ratios explained. One of the few channels I don’t speed up and in fact watch more than once. 🎾🎾🎾
The difference between this channel and other tennis channels is that you always end up with some drills to practice by your own after watching the video, starting with some really basic movement all the way to the full technique. This is the only way of learning that works for me. Thank you again!
At least for me, by far the best explanation i got on youtube and also easy to understand. I have a feeling that with these tips in my mind i will get a boost on my serve and i will recommend the video to anyone who is looking for answers regarding serve. I will come back with some feedback after i apply it. Thank you for sharing big things for mortals like me :)
As a newcomer to the game of tennis (mid November of 2021), my serve has been the hardest part of the game to get even half way right. I watched this video last night and then again this morning before going out to the court to give the concept a try. Bravo to you Kevin for making this easy to understand and it was also easy to implement. I increased my in-play serve percentage by over 17%. That's huge! Now I can focus on adding in the full serve motion and include the kinetic energy to really help my serve.
This is a great explanation. I think I finally understand pronation. I’ve always heard it as ‘a wrist snap’ which somehow adds power. But you are saying it’s as much about changing the face of the racquet putting more into drive than spin. Very cool. That demonstration of the ‘L shape’ versus ‘fully extended’ is where it really clicked. Not sure if you can do slow mo, but that would help too. Thanks much. Subbed.
Fantastic video, thank you. both in clearing up some areas where i had to guess, but also the first time ive heard "do not keep the hand straight". I certainly did that when trying to reach higher. I'll get out on the court now, incorporate this and get to dealing with all the other known flaws and those that uncover from this change. little by little :). Mamba mentality! Thank you, Ed
I just understood how important is the full pronation on the service a few months ago. It is not very well explained by coaches and is even more difficult to be understood by students. It takes some time to train your muscle memory but once you do it the rewards are incredible.
My serve has always been a weapon for me but I’ve been trying to figure out pronation for over 25 years. Served the best and most consistent I have in my life first time out after watching this. Thank you.
hi thanks for your great videos ..it is helping a lot :) little question : how do you pronate and finish your follow through on the left side of your body? in the example you finish on the right side because of the pronation but when you show a normal serve you finish on the left side , thanks
I am missing a third variable in addition to the amount of spin and the amount of pronation and that is the point where to hit the ball. Is it directly in the middle, more on the right side for a spin serve or on the lower left side like for a kick serve? Variation in the hitting point allows variation in the type of serve without changing too much of the arm movement or reducing the amount of pronation. I like this concept a lot. Kevin, what do you think of that? Beside that, this is a really great video, very well explained and this makes all completely sense to me.
The point where you hit the ball does not relate to spin; it relates strictly to directional control. I can hit the exact same point of the ball on both a flat and spin serve. *Serve 1:* Contact the right side of the ball for a flat serve wide on the Deuce. *Serve 2:* Contact the right side of the ball for a slice serve wide on the Deuce. In both cases, I am *contacting the exact same point on the ball* and producing both a flat or spin serve. In other words, if you paused the video at the moment of contact, it would look exactly the same. Whether the serve is flat or spin is determined by early or late pronation. On the flat Serve 1, the pronation occurs earlier than on the slice Serve 2 , where the pronation is delayed. But in both cases the contact point is the same. On the right side of the ball.
Very informative. One qu. It seems pronation adds easy power. However does more pronation add or reduce consistency? Ie is 90% pronation more consistent than 50% pronation?
He said something to that at 10:12 or so. He missed one with too much drive/pronation, so he said he’d add more spin/control by using less pronation. My serve sometimes drops down into nothing but spin. When I’m spinning them, they are consistently going in, that’s it. But, from his explanation, if I use too much pronation, I will get more pace, but not as many in. I need to add pace via pronation, but watch for the balance/ratio. So, my understating, if by consistent you mean getting them in, 50% pronation would be more consistent than 90%.
@@markoshun thanks..that was my understanding too. It seems the more pronation and the less spin you add the less consistent (hitting your spots and serve in %) by definition? Hence need the balance. However often in tennis a certain motor action will ADD consistency when going for more (eg unit turn and low to high racquet path for topspin before swinging hard through a forehand) hence wondered if pronation added an element of that or is it purely just for easy power?
@@rohitpratap4174 Right.. I have definitely heard that advice. With your forehand example, low to high is adding more spin to control, especially on a harder, faster shot. When you want to flatten out a forehand to put it away, you swing more straight through. I think when I practice serve, I’ll start there. Use pronation to flatten it out. Start with spin and adjust the pronation till I lose control and then back off. Too cool around here again this week, but hopefully get back out there soon.
Pronation is not necessary for a powerful tennis serve. There is something called the neutral wrist, which I'm sure you know nothing about, but you could learn and profit by. The neutral wrist is not a wrist action, but the starting point for the 6-actions of the wrist, which come in synergistic pairs. If you want to pronate on the serve, then I suggest you supinate the wrist on the backswing and then power-pronate on the forward swing using supination as the power source for pronation. Pronation in itself, slows the arm as it moves forward, but tennis instructors are largely ignorant about this and much, much more concerning the biomechanics of throwing and swinging mechanisms.
With all due respect I don’t think it’s the amount of pronation as in 10%, 80% etc but it’s the angle of racket face at contact with still the same amount of pronation for any type of serve you’re hitting.
Okay, I've watched probably 200-300 hours of tennis videos since taking up the sport during COVID at age 50. On my own, just last week, I finally figured out what you just showed in the video, which turned out (for me) to depend on one small adjustment to the way I was gripping the racket. Regardless, I will tell you that having watched many serve videos, I can say this is likely amongst the best explanations of the serve generally, and more specifically the balancing art between the two vectors of pronation and spin that I've seen. In fact, I'm sure it's the best. The bounce drill showing the difference between spin/pronation is something I've never seen and helps one see what's happening without reverting to actually trying to show someone by doing two slow serves, which are hard to "see" for a beginner. In short, man, you really thought all this through. Much respect! Separately, for me, holding the racket with my index finger a bit less tight made all the difference in both pronating on the serve and in getting more topspin on the forehand. Pronating with a fist-tight grip created some wrist issues and I knew something was wrong but didn't know how to solve them, but I must have remembered one of the videos I saw about keeping the index finger a bit away from the other fingers and that did the trick for me, easy to get pronation. I had even just gone to very weak, 90% spin serves so as to avoid more wrist pain. Now, of course, I can serve without pain and decent pronation/penetration and with the spin I want. Still not totally sure about a kick versus flat serve but I'll have to review more videos, so if you have any recommendations, great. Otherwise, I wrote this because I wanted to pay respects to a good instructor. Bravo to you!
With that many hours of RUclips videos under your belt, I’d be afraid to face you. Like you,I found a tighter grip hurt my serve, but even though the serve is the only stroke we can totally control, I wanna carry a cheat sheet to remind myself to breathe, stay loose, pronate, coil etc. 😎
@@paddlepower888 Ha, all those hours of video and still I was terrible, so my guess is you would be fine! Cheers!
This video is incredibly helpful. Love the pronation exercises with the various ratios explained. One of the few channels I don’t speed up and in fact watch more than once. 🎾🎾🎾
Easily the best video on serving. Very good explanation on the fundamental physics and mechanism!
The difference between this channel and other tennis channels is that you always end up with some drills to practice by your own after watching the video, starting with some really basic movement all the way to the full technique. This is the only way of learning that works for me. Thank you again!
At least for me, by far the best explanation i got on youtube and also easy to understand. I have a feeling that with these tips in my mind i will get a boost on my serve and i will recommend the video to anyone who is looking for answers regarding serve. I will come back with some feedback after i apply it.
Thank you for sharing big things for mortals like me :)
Great detail explanation Kevin! That bouncing the ball to the ground turned on the light bulb! Great job!
You are very smart thank you for the explanation
As a newcomer to the game of tennis (mid November of 2021), my serve has been the hardest part of the game to get even half way right. I watched this video last night and then again this morning before going out to the court to give the concept a try. Bravo to you Kevin for making this easy to understand and it was also easy to implement. I increased my in-play serve percentage by over 17%. That's huge! Now I can focus on adding in the full serve motion and include the kinetic energy to really help my serve.
Great tips, as a lot of people need to focus on coordonation, body awareness, breathing, momemntum and pace.
Best serve video by far
Good coach as usual, from Korea. Thank you for the lesson.
This is a great explanation. I think I finally understand pronation. I’ve always heard it as ‘a wrist snap’ which somehow adds power. But you are saying it’s as much about changing the face of the racquet putting more into drive than spin. Very cool.
That demonstration of the ‘L shape’ versus ‘fully extended’ is where it really clicked. Not sure if you can do slow mo, but that would help too. Thanks much. Subbed.
Fantastic video, thank you. both in clearing up some areas where i had to guess, but also the first time ive heard "do not keep the hand straight". I certainly did that when trying to reach higher. I'll get out on the court now, incorporate this and get to dealing with all the other known flaws and those that uncover from this change. little by little :). Mamba mentality! Thank you, Ed
you are a great coach. at 9:37 he hits the served near the baseline and said, missed a little bit :)))))
This video is very helpful. Thanks!
Such a great video!
Thanks for this video! Very clear and logical explanation.
Thanks for the tips
very helpful - thanks
Your so bloody awesome bro, thankyou….
Brilliant, will be using this info
Thanks coach!!
I just understood how important is the full pronation on the service a few months ago. It is not very well explained by coaches and is even more difficult to be understood by students. It takes some time to train your muscle memory but once you do it the rewards are incredible.
Went and really increased my pop!!
The key is pronation, thanks, good luck, how can it apply to the forehand stroke?
My serve has always been a weapon for me but I’ve been trying to figure out pronation for over 25 years. Served the best and most consistent I have in my life first time out after watching this. Thank you.
good video like always
A great lesson!
Five stars! #Brilliant! #MortalCombat
hi thanks for your great videos ..it is helping a lot :) little question : how do you pronate and finish your follow through on the left side of your body? in the example you finish on the right side because of the pronation but when you show a normal serve you finish on the left side ,
thanks
The more you practice these drills, the better you will get. I am determined to get more practice in at the end of this month.
I am missing a third variable in addition to the amount of spin and the amount of pronation and that is the point where to hit the ball. Is it directly in the middle, more on the right side for a spin serve or on the lower left side like for a kick serve? Variation in the hitting point allows variation in the type of serve without changing too much of the arm movement or reducing the amount of pronation. I like this concept a lot. Kevin, what do you think of that? Beside that, this is a really great video, very well explained and this makes all completely sense to me.
The point where you hit the ball does not relate to spin; it relates strictly to directional control.
I can hit the exact same point of the ball on both a flat and spin serve.
*Serve 1:* Contact the right side of the ball for a flat serve wide on the Deuce.
*Serve 2:* Contact the right side of the ball for a slice serve wide on the Deuce.
In both cases, I am *contacting the exact same point on the ball* and producing both a flat or spin serve.
In other words, if you paused the video at the moment of contact, it would look exactly the same.
Whether the serve is flat or spin is determined by early or late pronation. On the flat Serve 1, the pronation occurs earlier than on the slice Serve 2 , where the pronation is delayed. But in both cases the contact point is the same. On the right side of the ball.
Love This.
Good 👏👏👏👏
Is the fist usually "contracted"/hard at the point of contact??
Very informative. One qu. It seems pronation adds easy power. However does more pronation add or reduce consistency? Ie is 90% pronation more consistent than 50% pronation?
He said something to that at 10:12 or so. He missed one with too much drive/pronation, so he said he’d add more spin/control by using less pronation.
My serve sometimes drops down into nothing but spin. When I’m spinning them, they are consistently going in, that’s it. But, from his explanation, if I use too much pronation, I will get more pace, but not as many in. I need to add pace via pronation, but watch for the balance/ratio.
So, my understating, if by consistent you mean getting them in, 50% pronation would be more consistent than 90%.
@@markoshun thanks..that was my understanding too. It seems the more pronation and the less spin you add the less consistent (hitting your spots and serve in %) by definition? Hence need the balance. However often in tennis a certain motor action will ADD consistency when going for more (eg unit turn and low to high racquet path for topspin before swinging hard through a forehand) hence wondered if pronation added an element of that or is it purely just for easy power?
@@rohitpratap4174 Right.. I have definitely heard that advice.
With your forehand example, low to high is adding more spin to control, especially on a harder, faster shot. When you want to flatten out a forehand to put it away, you swing more straight through.
I think when I practice serve, I’ll start there. Use pronation to flatten it out. Start with spin and adjust the pronation till I lose control and then back off. Too cool around here again this week, but hopefully get back out there soon.
Pronation is not necessary for a powerful tennis serve. There is something called the neutral wrist, which I'm sure you know nothing about, but you could learn and profit by. The neutral wrist is not a wrist action, but the starting point for the 6-actions of the wrist, which come in synergistic pairs. If you want to pronate on the serve, then I suggest you supinate the wrist on the backswing and then power-pronate on the forward swing using supination as the power source for pronation. Pronation in itself, slows the arm as it moves forward, but tennis instructors are largely ignorant about this and much, much more concerning the biomechanics of throwing and swinging mechanisms.
With all due respect I don’t think it’s the amount of pronation as in 10%, 80% etc but it’s the angle of racket face at contact with still the same amount of pronation for any type of serve you’re hitting.
🎾🎾
That's my drill I teach, thumbs up thumbs down! Then doing same thing with racket!