The Serve: Synchronizing the Legs

[don_budge]

don_budge - I will reserve comment on the roller coaster analogy to the serve until I have a chance to read your piece. I'm embarrassed to say I have not yet - sorry - by way of excuse I'll offer I've been really swamped lately starting several projects. Pathetic, I know.

While we are young...Doctor. But no hurry. But you will be sorry if you realize that it is the most brilliant thing you have ever read. Or you might say to yourself...I waited all that time. For that? Roller coaster my you know what.

At any rate I am impressed that you have things to do. Important things like projects. Me...I am just cleaning five horse boxes every morning and then walking the dogs. I try to make those stalls as neat as a hotel room. You know...chocolate on the pillow and all of that. I feather in the edges of the wood shavings that make up their beds to fit the contours of their bodies. Sometimes I think of myself and even introduce myself as a poop engineer. Shoveling shit. No kidding. But in my spare time I dream of friction-free service motions that just get better when the pressure is on. Sort of like Roger Federer...know what I mean? Like a roller coaster. It sounds like...swoosh. Like a Nike swoosh. Swooooooosh. Frictionless free inertia.

[BrianGordon]

Bottle - the backswing I described is in a diagonal plane implying a combined forward contribution and lateral contribution. The forward contribution is provided largely by a 20-30 elbow flexion on backswing entry and the lateral contribution is provided largely by the external rotation - so both.

don_budge - I will reserve comment on the roller coaster analogy to the serve until I have a chance to read your piece. I'm embarrassed to say I have not yet - sorry - by way of excuse I'll offer I've been really swamped lately starting several projects. Pathetic, I know.

[don_budge]

Synchronizing the Legs…Dr. Brian Gordon

Transcribed from the video below:

https://www.tennisplayer.net/members/biomechanics/brian_gordon/synchronizing_the_legs/

Again to be very, very clear, whether she comes into this continuously or whether she stops her racquet in a hesitation point, the leg drive should commence exactly as the racquet breaks into the backswing and conclude exactly as the racquet exits the backswing. That would indicate perfect timing. It’s very, very important that timing is correct because you may have noticed that in Kayla when I take her into this position of external rotation I’m basically having to crank her shoulder right out of her body.

That’s because you cannot really do that in a static situation. The only way that this can be done in a real way is if her shoulder is incredibly relaxed. The only way she can relax her shoulder is if this external rotation is being caused by something other than a muscular activity doing this. The action that will do it is if she pushes with her legs up a force will be applied to her arm here and because of the orientation that force to the racquet it will make the racquet essentially go down her back as a function of inertia.

inertia | ɪˈnəːʃə | noun [mass noun]

1 a tendency to do nothing or to remain unchanged: the bureaucratic inertia of the various tiers of government.

2 Physics a property of matter by which it continues in its existing state of rest or uniform motion in a straight line, unless that state is changed by an external force: the power required to overcome friction and the inertia of the moving parts. See also moment of inertia.• [with modifier] resistance to change in some other physical property: the thermal inertia of the oceans will delay the full rise in temperature for a few decades.

Perhaps the rollercoaster track for the track of the service motion is...perfect. It has to be perfect if you are aiming for the lines under pressure. We'll see what the good doctor says in this regard.

[stotty]

Answer: Inertia?

Yes another interesting thought...one tends to lead to another, doesn't it?

[don_budge]

Question: What keeps the rollercoaster car on the track?

Answer: Inertia?

[bottle]

Brian, could you please tell me whether you think it's better to have your racket go down behind your back from ESR or the two halves of the arm pressing together or both or anything else?

[don_budge]

Inertia.

Yes that part of Brian's video got me thinking too. I find inertia a fascinating part of tennis.

Question: What keeps the rollercoaster car on the track?

[stotty]

Who could hate Brian's work? Now hypocritical plagiarizers I have seen with my own eyes!

You would have to be ignorant to hate Brian's work. Question it by all means, but to hate it would seem really dumb. Brian has plenty of fans over the pond if it's any consolation.

As for plagiarisers, well, they're all over the place. In an annoying way it is a compliment when you think about it.

Inertia.

Yes that part of Brian's video got me thinking too. I find inertia a fascinating part of tennis.

[don_budge]

Synchronizing the Legs…Dr. Brian Gordon

Transcribed from the video below:

https://www.tennisplayer.net/members/biomechanics/brian_gordon/synchronizing_the_legs/

That’s because you cannot really do that in a static situation. The only way that this can be done in a real way is if her shoulder is incredibly relaxed. The only way she can relax her shoulder is if this external rotation is being caused by something other than a muscular activity doing this. The action that will do it is if she pushes with her legs up a force will be applied to her arm here and because of the orientation that force to the racquet it will make the racquet essentially go down her back as a function of inertia.

Inertia.

[bottle]

Brian's applied journey is stand alone to me, the end all be all of quantitatively describing what the best players in the world are doing out there. I can assure you that you have for the most part found an audience here that gets it.

I won't deny or denigrate your discipleship, but in the meantime if you don't mind will continue to work on my trick shoulder serve.

This will involve considerable information gathered from both Dr. Gordon and other compatible sources.

[johnyandell]

Who could hate Brian's work? Now hypocritical plagiarizers I have seen with my own eyes!

[stroke]

Hi Folks - again thanks for all the kind sentiments. Nickw I think the spirit of your post was self-evident and I appreciate you pointing out the importance of the many aspects of the leg drive on the serve.

Sean - yes, the extent of external rotation is the factor that determines the rotational availability of internal rotation. The muscular conditions of the external rotation are a separate but related issue that define the coupling towards the goal of attaining SSC enhancement. The degree to which the internal rotation achieves it's goal of moving the racquet head depends on the segments configuration near impact. Very challenging question as usual

Don_budge - thanks again for putting the video into writing - I appreciate the time you spend to do so and think it adds a lot of clarity to what I was trying to convey.

Bottle - I like nickw get your point. I think the kind words are more about the content and effort than the author and to be honest I appreciate that. The cyber camaraderie along with my long friendship with John and my admiration for his unrelenting diligence and effort in understanding this game is why I have spent the time to provide my insights on his site(s) for nearly 20 years now. Since I started this "applied" journey I've encountered far more detractors, haters and hypocritical plagiarizers than supporters so on some level it is nice to be somewhere where people are more open minded and thoughtful. But yes... please stick to the stuff.

Brian's applied journey is stand alone to me, the end all be all of quantitatively describing what the best players in the world are doing out there. I can assure you that you have for the most part found an audience here that gets it.

[nickw]

Thanks for your comments don_budge, bottle, and brian. I think we’re all on the same wavelength, in the sense of believing this place always provides high quality chat and debate with like-minded people who want to understand, to teach, and to keep learning.

[bottle]

You are welcome Brian. It really enhances the video to see it in writing also and it was my pleasure to do so...Sir. I don't mind saying so either.

It's very good. Helps one to quote from Brian's lesson too, whatever it is. I know I did so recently before I made my comment about hags.

[don_budge]

Don_budge - thanks again for putting the video into writing - I appreciate the time you spend to do so and think it adds a lot of clarity to what I was trying to convey.

You are welcome Brian. It really enhances the video to see it in writing also and it was my pleasure to do so...Sir. I don't mind saying so either.