Interactive Forum March 2012: Sam Stosur's Kick Second Serve

[DougEng]

Sam Stosur

I would classify it as an American Twist serve which is the older version of the modern kick. The difference between the two is the motion, not the spin (same spin type). The American Twist is more violent with a toss farther behind. Often the follow-through is also more to the right. Sam's distinct swing has the little hitch after the swing as she stops her racquet and pulls it back slightly which looks like a hitch at the end. Most players just relax and let the racquet stay out. If you play in regular speed it looks more dramatic.

Her stance is a bit too closed but that also promotes greater spin. Most unusual is that she starts with a wide platform and moves to what I call a narrow platform (the narrowest is a Roddick or Monfils). Most players who move the back foot come all the way forward to the pinpoint stance (two variations). Her variation still allows the body to stay sideways longer promoting spin and allows better driving action off the loaded back foot. A bit like Pete Sampras whom John Yandell pointed out was a foot dragger and neither truly platform or pinpoint. Sam is similar. In the coming years, we might be hearing more about, long axial rotation, kinetic chain node analysis and cocking actions. And less about pronation, etc as our understanding of mechanics improve.

Best,
Doug

[stotty]

The powerful mechanics put her off-balance. Otherwise, why would she take racket out to right again to compensate?

I admit she rebalances herself rather awkwardly after finishing the serve. Is this what you're referring to? Otherwise the follow through down the right side for a more prolonged period would be correct on a kick serve compared to a slice serve, wouldn't it?

By nature, the kick serve requires dramatic rebalancing at the end of the action because the ball is tossed to the left side of a player's body, and in order for the player not to keel over a considerable amount of stabilising must surely have to go on, somehow.

I'll go to the archive to study how other players rebalance...maybe some do it more fluently, more gracefully.

[bottle]

The powerful mechanics put her off-balance. Otherwise, why would she take racket out to right again to compensate?

[johnyandell]

Quicktime versions

[johnyandell]

Sam Stosur's Kick Second Serve

So here it is--one of the most requested motions on Tennisplayer--Samantha Stosur's kick second serve.

It's quite a physical event. So tell us what you think about her toss and her ball position at contact. And the racket path. Observe where the arm is pointing when the racket head turns over. AND what about that stance? Is that really a pinpoint? How does the stance relate to her body turn? AND what else are we not seeing that you do?