Question on the Sampras serve

[gzhpcu]

After impact, the elbow of his hitting arm remains high and his forearm breaks downward. Becker does this too. Other servers don't. Does the abrupt stopping of the elbow in a high position increase the whipping action of the whole arm?

[johnyandell]

Different version of the same question. I don't have a different answer! But I can say this. That motion occurs long after the ball is gone and the swing is in the deceleration mode. So it can't be "causing" anything having to do with increasing speed. Is it an effect? Possibly. Again I wouldn't worry about it. I think it is something most likely related to ball position and having a relaxed arm.

I checked out the video clip you sent and you definitely have the potential to make a big speed gain by doing something more basis--increasing your racket drop!

[gzhpcu]

Thanks for your email reply John. Will be trying it out this week, and will let you know.

Not to harp on this, but maybe formulated differently: does it mean that Sampras's arm motion on the serve indicates that he is throwing the arm (aiming) more upwards than forward in respect to other players? (also helping him get more spin?)

[stroke]

Phil,

Jim McLennan on Tennisone has always touted this "unique" position, elbow up, forearm/racquet head down, just after contact with the serve, as a integral part of how the best servers in the world produce their great serves. Sampras, Goran, Roddick, Becker, Ruzedski, Tanner(I bet), and so on, do it. I do think there is something to it, I do know someone like Agassi, who is a good server, does not dupllicate this position. I also strongly agree with John that it is not something we should really key on, it just is an effect of doing what they do, a pretty much perfect service motion. Keying on something like this just seems to do more harm than good to most of us. I do argree with John that it probably has something to do with their totally relaxed arm. Something else these great servers seem to do, it appears to me, is they have a slightly different hand position on their continental service grip. I think the very best servers tend to hold their service continental grip slightly more in their fingers than in their palm, which aids in their servere pronation, and possibly adding looseness and racquet head speed.

[gzhpcu]

Stroke,
I have Vic Braden's video on the serve, where there is a small sequence of Roscoe's serve (unfortunately on the upper body is shown). However, Roscoe's arm remains practically straight after the serve on the video. The racket does point down. The elbow is relatively high.

What I still find strange is that Sampras and co. have not only the high elbow, but the forearm bends downwards.

I know it all happens after impact, but it still seems to me that they are aiming their arms up and high, keeping the elbow high after impact, and the looseness results in the forearm and racket breaking downwards. The key seems to me: The direction of the follow-thru is aimed high, it brakes, and the link system causes a collapse of the components beyond the elbow.

[johnyandell]

When Phil asked this question the first time, (where was that in the Forum Phil?) I posted some videos showing Pete and Roger. The difference is pretty clear. I think part of the elbow effect (at least) comes from the left ball position on the toss. This causes the racket to move more forward and less to the right. I think that is an element to explaining the mystery as well.

Again this is an element that 9% of all servers should wish they could focus on creating...