Serena’s Serve and Venus’s Two-Hander

As told to the New York Times, Serena’s serve and Venus’s backhand–two major weapons in women’s tennis. On Saturday July 3rd, the day of the Williams sisters Wimbledon final, I had the privilege of sharing a few analytic thoughts about Venus and Serena in the sports section of the New York Times. The Times sports editors asked me which stroke I thought was the most effective for each player and why. I picked Serena’s serve and Venus’s backhand. So, if you missed it in the Times, or even if you didn’t, here are some (slightly expanded) thoughts from that article with some Tennisplayer animations to illustrate the arguments. Serena’s Serve Most observers of women’s tennis think Serena has one of the most effective serves in women’s tennis. But the consensus is also that she has one of the best technical motions. (Unlike her sister who at times seems to serve well inspite of her motion.) And I agree. Let’s take a look at some of the elements in Serena’s serve and see why. Like most great servers, Serena has a very flexible shoulder and a great, deep racket drop. She has a classic semi-circular wind up that delivers her racket…