Zoom Serve Lesson with Ryan Reidy

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