Using Your Legs on the Serve – does jumping help?

Okay – the game keeps changing.  The racquets, the training, the speed of the game, and yes for sure the technique.

Once it was common, and even a rule, that the server would have to keep one foot on the ground during the delivery.  Then the rule was changed (though I am not sure when and think it was the late 1960’s) enabling the servers to hit the ball when off the ground.

The photo of Kei Nishikori now appears common – nearly all the servers are well up and off the ground.

The dialogue from coaches concerns whether this adds power to the delivery, or perhaps it has more to do with the angle of projection – meaning the height at which the ball is contacted.

 

 

 

 

Now, as ever, my age shows – for as a young student we learned to serve by standing in a grocery box.  Our coach Blackie Jones was teaching us about balance, serving on center and the importance of an accurate toss .

And from that era Pancho Gonzalez kept his feet on the ground and his delivery was more about continuous rhythm and though his legs were used – the modern excessive knee bend was no where to be seen.

My hunch these days is that coaches are able to emphasize the legs because they are large and easily observed, whereas the hitting action is a blur and it is hard to clearly see whether the server is whipping or pushing the racquet during impact.  And for better or worse there are quite a few examples on the WTA tour and even a few on the ATP tour who push the racquet head.  Yes they can still hit big first serves, but the limits of this type of delivery shows clearly on their second serves.

 

So in my work with students, and especially tournament juniors I see many examples of significant leg drive but lack of racquet speed and action on the hit.  And the kids are asked to do the following drill.  You can try this as well.

From the baseline can you hit 5 serves in a row with all the following three requirements ?

  • Hit all serves with sidespin (or topspin if that is your preference) – develops a leading elbow
  • All serves must cross the net – means to swing up not forward or down
  • Do not step across the baseline as you follow through – clarifies balance

Enjoy the following clip – and I believe it showcases a “different” approach to the serve

Rather than a massive knee bend, rather than hurling himself forward (ala Andy Murray), rather than an effortful grunt (ala Novak Djokovic) ……

Roger’s serves on Balance, with Rhythm, and Effortlessly – and your goal (one of these days) is to do the same and reinvent your serve using these same keys – B R E-

 

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15 Comments

  • Noushin

    Reply Reply January 8, 2019

    Many thanks for updates. Please keep going on. It’s really appreciated.

  • Richard

    Reply Reply January 7, 2019

    The liberal foot vault rule that allows players not to be in contact with the ground while hitting the serve (as long as they don’t touch in court prior to the ball leaving their racquet) came into effect in 1961. Players like Laver, Rosewall and Gonzales (Jim, you misspelled his name) never changed their motion, so you can see videos of them serving even in the ’70s while maintaining one toe in contact with the ground, so they land in court with the foot on the opposite side of the dominant arm. The newer generation, right after the rule change (e.g. Ashe), adjusted to the modern rule by developing a new technique that includes hitting while elevated off the ground and landing on the foot on the side of the dominant arm. Curiously, Boris Becker was one of the few exceptions of elevating but landing with the non-dominate leg, which is a hybrid of old and new service technique. I think he’s the last great server to do this.

    • Jim McLennan

      Reply Reply January 8, 2019

      Richard – good catch on spelling of Gonzales – and I like you comments about Arthur Ash as I was never sure when the rule changed – as a teacher I believe with most juniors and adults they should first address if not master a grounded serve before starting to jump – best Jim

      • Richard

        Reply Reply January 8, 2019

        Thanks, Jim. I didn’t describe the difference in the old and new technique correctly. I was trying to do it in a neutral way for both lefties and righties and made a mash-up. In the old technique, a righty would keep his left toe on the ground and land in court with his right foot. You can see the hybrid of this technique well in the ’70s for some players who began elevating since elevating had become legal). See for example Năstase’s serve motion. This hybrid technique tends not to elevate very much, and as far as I know Boris Becker is the last great server to use it. I think it might facilitate coming to the net a fraction of a second quicker, so there is merit for serve and volley, but of course that style is no longer dominant. The new technique developed in the ’60s after the rule change has a righty landing on his left foot well into the court and kicking back for balance with his right foot. Sometimes the elevation and contact past the baseline in massive, as for example by (arguably) the greatest server in the history of the game, John Isner.

  • Gregg

    Reply Reply January 7, 2019

    This came at an interesting time for me… rehabbing from a broken scapula(mountain biking) my serve is the last stroke to come back. I’ve found that my leg drive is more important than I realized. Without it I tend to lose my serve flow and muscle the serve in order to generate the necessary racket whip… which sends shivers of pain in my shoulder. Using more leg drive, well timed, I can generate racket whip without as much effort allowing my serve to flow more easily.

    • Jim McLennan

      Reply Reply January 7, 2019

      Gregg – at some point let me see a video of your serve – as regards your accident the location of the toss and your intended spin make a difference –
      Jim

  • Noushin

    Reply Reply October 27, 2018

    Many thanks for sharing your invaluable experience and knowledge.

  • Rhees Blewett

    Reply Reply October 15, 2018

    gday Jim,

    I’m constantly looking to improve pace, consistency and serve accuracy – surely by not using the leg drive – you’re sacrificing kinetic energy and relying more on racquet head speed for pace – no doubt taller players get to see more of the box so the higher we can hit from – the bigger the target. Jumping at the serve seems very logical – especially for a serve / volleyer – provides greater momentum (mass x speed) which should translate to more power – No doubt that rhythm is a major component and the set-up / toss needs to be repeatable to produce the same result. I’m always looking to go up and forward to meet the ball and land inside the court which gets you onto your toes and ready to move. I’ve seen guys with a platform stance that are slower to get to a shorter ball.

    • Jim McLennan

      Reply Reply October 16, 2018

      Rhees – this was just a point of view to show that yes the legs matter and yes most are jumping, but certainly some create pretty good racquet speed without the jump (Wawrinka) but said another way I believe there are “flawed” serving mechanics as the arm approaches the ball that are using the legs. Jim

  • robert g davis

    Reply Reply August 25, 2018

    I think the question is confusing because one doesn’t “jump” to hit the ball but rather the jump is a result of the upward swing and how high the contact point is. The more you bent your legs during your motion the higher the contact point which gives you more margin for error. I am not sure if it gives you more speed but I am sure someone has tested this? Have you?

    • Jim McLennan

      Reply Reply September 2, 2018

      Robert – I haven’t tested this – but my intent is to show that often those who serve with less of a whip action try and make up for it with an extreme leg drive – for me the serve is about a whip like throwing action – legs are somehow secondary
      best
      Jim

  • Shmuel Goldberg

    Reply Reply August 22, 2018

    Personally, I can see no necessity for a jump. It looks to me that the jump is not intentional. It is caused by a lifting force that applies on the player’s body during the serve. This force is a result of cetrifugal forces applied on players body due to circular movements in the vertical plane, movements of different player’s body elements and of the racket, that constitute a serve.

    • Jim McLennan

      Reply Reply August 22, 2018

      Shmuel – I always enjoy your comments – on this one my hunch is that the leg drive in some instances is now overdone and more attention can be placed on the whipping action of the service hit
      Jim

  • Bob

    Reply Reply August 21, 2018

    Good point on whipping vs pushing, Kryious provides a great example of the whip. I believe the jump drive serves the same purpose as the leg drive or stepping out in pitching e,g, putting the upper arm external rotators on stretch.

    • Jim McLennan

      Reply Reply August 22, 2018

      Bob – said another way the upward force from the legs (jumping or not) puts a stretch on the shoulder if the racquet head is dropping at the same time –
      Jim

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