In today's Zoom Serve Lesson with Reidy Reidy, I learned some tips for improving my serve and other strokes.
Serve Tips
- Pick a target
- Decide between kick-serve, flat, or slice serve
- Use Continental Grip
- Do not use the racket to bounce the ball (it forces you to change your serve grip)
- Toss the ball higher.
- Hold the racket loosely, with a few fingers off (to make it loose), and get more leverage.
- The lasso effect (racket 360-degree rotation) is more critical than the racket drop.
- Legs should explode as the racket reaches the head
- On a pinpoint stance, twist the front foot clockwise on its toe to get more of a corkscrew loading effect
- Keep your head looking at the ball through the whole serve
- Try to start slow and accelerate through the serve
- After hitting the ball, use the left arm to stop shoulder rotation (for even more power)
Forehand Tips
- For right-eye dominant players, use an open stance or half-open stance (not a closed stance)
- Get to the best position before the ball bounces (move as fast as possible, even on slow balls)
- Prepare early (rotate the shoulders)
- When the ball bounces, separate the left and right arms to initiate the stroke.
- The kinetic chain starts from top to bottom (hand, shoulder, hips, legs)
- Throw the right arm to initiate the stroke, accelerating gradually upwards
- On the rise-balls can be hit more flat (as they already have an upward ball trajectory)
- Hitting on the rise creates a rebound effect and provides more power (counter-punch)
- Shorten the backswing and hit further in front
- Observe the ball without moving your head, and look through the racket's sweet spot.
- In Open Stance, the left foot should be slightly above ground before contact.
- In Closed Stance, move your right foot forward after contact (hips should have rotated 180 degrees), and pivot around your left foot.
- On stroke completion
- The right shoulder should be ahead of the left shoulder
- The right arm should be straight
- Catch the racket over your head (on a topspin forehand)
Two-Handed Backhand Tips
- Get to the best position before the ball bounces (move as fast as possible, even on slow balls)
- Prepare early (rotate the shoulders)
- When the ball bounces, initiate the stroke by moving the racket down with your right arm.
- The kinetic chain starts from top to bottom (hand, shoulder, hips, legs)
- The left arm should straighten out during the stroke
- Hitting on the rise creates a rebound effect and provides more power (counter-punch)
- Observe the ball and look through the racket's sweet spot without moving your head.
- You should pivot on the toes of your front foot
Footwork Tips
- Get to the ball before it bounces!
- Move forward to backward to attack the ball, and take it on the rise if possible.
- Use rhythm steps for (1-2) to move and adjust position near the ball
- Use cross-over steps for more considerable distances
