Thursday, December 9, 2010

Novice Video

Expert Video

Phase 1- Racquet Grip & Position

* Scientific replacement appears in bold. 
*original description does not appear in bold.
From Anatomical Position
  • Grip on racquet should be firm. As if player is "shaking hands" with the racquet. Grip racquet in dominant hand. Pronate dominant radio-carpal joint 90 degrees in the transverse plane around the longitudinal axis of rotation. Grip on racquet should be firm, as if the player is “shaking hands”
  • Pronate non dominant radio-carpal joint joint 90 degrees  in the transverse plane  around the longitudinal axis of rotation. Flexion of all fingers on non dominant hand  45 degrees in the mediolateral axis of rotation in order to hold the tennis ball.
  • Racquet and ball are held together with arms fully extended. Flexion of arms  90 degrees at the shoulder joint  in the sagittal plane around the mediolateral axis of rotation. Internally rotate shoulders and laterally adduct arms until the ball and racquet touch.
  • Racquet and ball are to be held at chest level or below. Racquet and ball are to be held at the level of the thoracic cavity or below. 
  
  • Flexion of the  dominant forearm at  the humero-ulnar/  humero-radial joint in the sagittal plane 45 degrees around the mediolateral axis of rotation.

Phase 2- Stance

* Scientific replacement appears in bold. 
*original description does not appear in bold.
  • Front foot facing to the service box diagonally opposite of players position. Foot opposite of  dominant hand should face the service box diagonally opposite of player’s position. This foot is nearest to the baseline, and  will hereafter be referred to as the front foot.
  • Back foot parallel to the baseline. Foot opposite of non dominant hand should be parallel to the baseline. This will hereafter be referred to as the back foot.
  • Weight on player's front foot. Approximately 90 percent of player’s weight is placed on the front foot.
  • Knees slightly bent. Slight Flexion of the tibio-femoral joint in the sagittal plane at the mediolateral axis of rotation.

Phase 3- Wind-up

* Scientific replacement appears in bold. 
*original description does not appear in bold.
  • Racquet goes back. Posterior rotation of the dominant arm in the sagittal plane at the gleno-humeral joint  270 degrees at the mediolateral axis of rotation.
  • Weight gradually shifts onto back foot. Transfer of weight shifts from front foot to back foot. 
  • Arm prepares to release ball. Non dominant hand prepares to release ball.

Phase 4- Ball Toss

* Scientific replacement appears in bold. 
*original description does not appear in bold.
  • Position of toss in front of leg nearest baseline. The position of the toss will be in front of the leg nearest the baseline.
  • Toss to be released in the middle of wind-up. Hyperextension of non dominant arm 5 degrees at the shoulder joint  in the sagittal plane around the mediolateral axis of rotation. Quick flexion of non dominant arm 10 degrees at the shoulder joint  in the sagittal plane around the mediolateral axis of rotation. Extension of all fingers on non dominant hand  180 degrees in the mediolateral axis of rotation to release the ball. The ball is to be released in the middle of the wind-up.

Phase 5- Wrist Whip

* Scientific replacement appears in bold. 
*original description does not appear in bold.


  • Player should ready wrist joint to whip forward just prior to contact with ball. Hyperextension of dominant radio-carpal joint 270 degrees in the sagittal plane around the mediolateral axis of rotation, just prior to racquet and ball making contact. As racquet and ball make contact, the “whip” occurs. The whip is a fast flexion of  the radio-carpal joint 90 degrees in the sagittal plane at the mediolateral axis of rotation.

Phase 6- Contact

* Scientific replacement appears in bold. 
*original description does not appear in bold.
  • Racquet and ball make contact.
  • Player whips wrist at contact.As racquet and ball make contact, the “whip” occurs. The whip is a fast flexion of  the radio-carpal joint 90 degrees in the sagittal plane at the mediolateral axis 
of rotation.

Phase7- Early Follow Through

* Scientific replacement appears in bold. 
*original description does not appear in bold.
  • Arm and racquet continue forward. The posterior rotation from the wind-up of the dominant arm in the sagittal plane at the gleno-humeral joint  around the mediolateral axis of rotation continues from 270 degrees (ball racquet contact point) to 360 degrees. 
  • Arm and racquet begin to cross torso. Dominant arm and racquet begin to laterally adduct across the torso in the transverse plane along at the gleno-humeral joint around the longitudinal axis of rotation.

Phase 8- Follow Through

* Scientific replacement appears in bold. 
*original description does not appear in bold.
  • Arm and racquet end across torso. Dominant arm and racquet  laterally adduct across the torso in the transverse plane along at the gleno-humeral joint around the longitudinal axis of rotation. Flexion of dominant arm and racquet 20 degrees in the sagittal plane at the gleno-humeral joint around the mediolateral axis of rotation. 

Drill- Toss for Tennis Serve

Use this drill to work on your tennis toss. Practicing a good toss, will enable you to concentrate more on the form of your serve.

Drill- Racquet Contact

Utilize this drill for your students to get used to making contact with the ball.

Drill- Serve Target Practice

A multitude of targets can be used for this drill. The smaller the target, the more challenging the drill becomes. For your students, you can also move the targets around the service box in order to get them used to placing the ball.