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Objective: Incorporate more power sources and move your serves around.
Things can get a little complicated at this stage. Although you don’t want to adopt a pure-power mind-set, to be
effective you do need to put some pace on the ball. But you have to balance that with consistency and accuracy. At the beginner
level, players tend to rely mostly on their arms to get power on the ball.
The biomechanics of movement
A phrase commonly used in tennis science is 'segmental interaction'. Coaches are now teaching
their players that using the whole body in a fluid and integrated manner can dramatically improve the power of a stroke.
The idea is to co-ordinate movements so that motion progresses from larger to the smaller joints. This is the most effective
way to transfer energy through the interaction of the different segments. As a result, the racket head moves much faster.
Incorporating a full shoulder turn and knee bend adds pace to your serve.
Now you have to start using more of your body and incorporating big muscle groups into your motion. Start with shoulder
rotation. Turn away from your opponent during your backswing and uncoil toward your target as you move your racquet to contact.
Then try to focus on getting your legs to drive you up and into the court. Tapping into more power sources while maintaining
the fundamental mechanics of the service motion will give you controllable and consistent power.
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