The Myth of the Wrist: The Serve

If I were to identify the single most common piece of technical advice on the serve-and possibly the world’s most common “tennis tip,” it would be “snap your wrist” to get power and spin.

It might be familiar advice, and thousands of recreational players may try it everyday, but Advanced Tennis high speed digital video shows that the “wrist snap” is a myth. In reality the role of the wrist is “passive,” and the emphasis on wrist snap obscures the true bio-mechanical keys to developing a sound swing path on the serve.

When coaches talk about the alleged action of the wrist on the serve, they describe it in two ways. First, as a “snap” in which the wrist breaks forward in the so-called “wave bye bye” motion.

Second, they describe it as a “carving” motion in which the wrist moves the racquet head around the side of the ball to impart slice.

High speed video shows that neither is an accurate description of what actually happens to the wrist in the service motion of the best players.

There is no wrist “snap” at contact. Any forward movement of the wrist occurs long after the ball is off the racquet.