Your Strokes: Paul Goldstein: Serve Part 2

What does it take to really make a change work at the pro level? In the previous Your Strokes article, we looked at Paul Goldstein's wind up, racket drop and body turn. (Click Here). We saw how using an "overcompensation" to lengthen and expand his wind up led to an increase in his racket drop, and also paved the way for an increased body turn, and better weight distribution in the knee bend. One of the fascinating things about working with a tour player is the opportunity to see him actually implement significant changes right there on center court with the TV cameras rolling. That takes commitment and a significant amount of courage. Having worked with a lot of players at a lot of different levels, it never ceases to amaze me how elite players will seize on a change and absolutely own it--once they are convinced it's in their interest. It's inspirational. Sure there is an incentive--anything that yields a small improvement on the tour could be the difference in winning a close match, or moving up a few precious spots on the computer. A few more free points on the first serve: a little more speed and a...