Hey there, Ramon Osa here!
Look, hitting a more powerful serve is a topic that has a lot of moving parts.
In this video, I’m teaming up with the crew at Essential Tennis to entertainingly (if that’s even a word?) offer you our top 4 “secrets” to hitting a more powerful serve.
The 4 Secrets
- Ian talks about the need to move away from the “waiter’s serve.” That’s where the palm stays open during the backswing and the trophy pose. It’s important to move towards keeping the palm rounded and facing downward with loaded shoulders in the trophy pose so you can achieve a wrist “snap”. Not to mention, nobody can come put cupcakes on your racket during the serve and expect you to pass them out.
- Kirby mentions the need to keep your toss in front of you, into the court. This prevents your momentum from falling backward during the serve and, instead, encourages a good body lean into the court, ensuring that your momentum is going up into the ball. POW!
- Ira tells us that his top tip for hitting a more powerful serve is to stay loose. He says most players “gear up” to try and hit a big serve and usually end up trying too hard. They get tense and ultimately don’t get as much power behind their serve as they’d like. If you have trouble getting loose, tell your significant other you need a massage or a shot of tequila immediately.
- Finally, I talk about how to use your legs properly on the serve. I discuss the “squat and thrust” method, which some players on the tour still use (Such as Bouchard). Then I show you the best way to use your legs which is through the “corkscrew method.” That’s where, as your legs bend, your hips rotate away from the baseline, creating the coil – which will later be delivered into the ball.
For more great videos on how to get a more powerful serve, please head over to my YouTube channel. I’ve got hundreds of videos that can help take your game to the next level – and beyond!