This is huge but simple insight. I can hit a 5.5 overhead but struggle at times on my serve because I rush my toss and hitting arm. Thank you and keep them coming please
Such a simple tip..beautifully explained with a clear and logical explanation of WHY. I have had a hitch in my serve for as long as i can remember. I was moving both arms like a butterfly extending it's wings. This makes total sense to me. This tip worked for me instantly. Thank-you Nadim!!
Eureka Nadim ... got it ... I’ve struggled for 2 years with my new serve; your big big help has been the start - the shoulder turn, slowing down the toss start, and looking at the toss target from the beginning. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥👍👍👍👍🤗🤗🤗🤗 ... your communication style is superb for me!! The toss is in the correct spot now, and the serves are going in effortlessly. It’s been like discovering freedom! Thank you so much for your series of serve videos ...bless you ... Neil
Nadim is the best IMO! I'm going to use this tip tonight to practice during a doubles session with some less-challenging opponents. I love working on the serve. Feels so good.
Wow, this was terrific instruction! It all makes sense . . . the thing is to go out and do it, knowing that ones habitual service motion will make it feel strange . . . At first. Thank you immensely for breaking it down as you did, N. Edw.
Dr. E. R. Blomgren thank you very much for the kind words. I’m very happy to read that this tip makes sense. Yes, going out and repeating it, even though it will be awkward at first, is key. Best wishes to you.
I think most tennis players, like myself, were taught to bring both arms up together which can cause problems. By teaching concentrating on the ball toss as separate from the hitting arm it simplifies the whole service process. This was an excellent video to help get the correct mechanics with the serve.
Absolutely helps! I can apply. I was thinking I should toss higher for more time but that’s not really the case. Toss then right hand action. 1-2. Brilliant can’t wait to practice this. I suffer from stopping my right hand motion - this will help!
Hello again, Nadim~ Just wanted to report back . . . that this morning - bc it was a friendly match - I could put into play the tips you coached in this video. Results: much, much more "space" in hitting [arm] after the toss. The extra time, maybe a second, which is a lot of time, allowed me to experiment w/ some new slice technique as well as kick. That extra time is absolutely amazing to allow relaxation and good form! So, 4 double faults the whole match (I won, but what mattered more was smart playing/sound strokes], and a new ease in serving! This is transformative!! Thanks again. Edw.
Hello coach, this is the one I really need most. I am 49years old started playing barely 3 yrs ago. I fell in love with the sport. I now I'm muscling my serve have no flow at all. Even I can hit aces at my level but I can tell Im stopping my motion an always waiting for the ball. Thank u very much coach cant wait to practice this.
please give some advice I have no formal coaching just learn mostly from youtube video. I know I have tons to learn, but willing to put effort just to improve
Nadim, it always seems that you read my mind and produce the best tips just when I need them! This tip about the beginning of the serve is EXACTLY what I needed to see! Like you said, it is challenging to make this adjustment immediately but after spending some time on it, I am seeing and feeling so much better ( and less nervous ) about my entire serve motion!
I do have EXACTY that problem, the hitting arm starting up very quickly , I think it also comes from the fact that I used to play volleyball and the serve looks a lot like a volleyball spike , where you do raise both arms very quickly... Thanks for the tip, you are an awesome instructor, and I 'll try to work on it! :)
Great tips thank you. Will try these exercises. Most of the problems with my serve relate to rushed & not smooth toss... and hitting arm which is not relaxed.
Excellent tip, I started doing this a while ago, I think everyone who has co-ordination issues should start this way. Throwing arm, get the ball in the air, then move the hitting arm, you have plenty of time , it makes it easier to do a little knee bend while you throw the ball.
Thanks for the tip Nadim and Florian. I will try experimenting with this. I will probably have to toss the ball a little higher to start from the lower position that Nadim demonstrates in the this video. My toss at its apex, usually barely goes above the tip of my racquet at the point of contact.
Shawn McDermott hi Shawn. Thanks for the comment. Send me a video of your serve. I wouldn’t automatically toss the ball higher as a correction but I would need to see your motion. The better correction would be to smoothen your swing arm motion to make it pick up in speed once in hat position I demonstrate. My toss is also barely higher than my fully extended reach and essentially that is all that’s needed. Again, if increasing the toss slightly does not interrupt your flow or cause you to swing down, then it may be one way to work with this but I would want to check the swing first. Also, you don’t need to copy my posture exactly. As long as the elbow is below shoulder and away from body and the tip of the racket is pointing to the side, you are good to go once the tossing motion has been completed
Thank friend! It is not so esasy to correct the movement. I usually moves both arms with the same speed. For me is very difficult to move both arms in different speed. I'm trying a lot, but with no result. I hope this tip helps me. If not, please show more exercise to correct the swing!! Thanks a lot!!!
I noticed all the weight on front foot when tossing, I may begin practicing pin point as not sure how it would work with a platform, try also not tossing off front foot too and do my platform, I do fantastic shadow swings with no ball, swing much worse when ball goes in the air, sure not alone
Hi, nice video. I execute serves without the ball perfect, but with the ball i do waiter 's serve (i use continental grip) and i dont know how to fix it. Its very common but serious mistake that causes too much faults and weak serves.
Pat Rafter explains this is a serve few players do, like Fernando Verdasco. There are 2 other type of serves. Federer does NOT do this, nor did Roddick. So pretending everyone to imitate 'The coach' serve is wrong. It can work, of course, and there is huge truth in slowing the start, but everyone is different
Wolfgang Markus Gstrein hi Markus. Because the serve box shouldn’t be the goals when working on improving mechanics, at least at first. When players try that, most forget to stay focused on the correct mechanics because they are too focused on hitting the serve box. Once the mechanics are in place, hitting the serve box...in my experience...is far less of a challenge. Thanks for your comment
i am a 52 years old,(greek) intermediate play around 17 years.started on my own big mistake.i am picking right moves now with a teacher.a year now a big problem occured.when i am "cold" and my hand is like a rock i tend to not be able to serve.that is,my wrist goes left or right just before hitting.if i play for a while then my serve gets balanced.problem is i cannot always do that,to have the time and a partner.sometimes i play in a tournament the warm-up is the few balls i play with the opponent.this is not enough.can you think of a way to help me with that?thank you,alex.
Alen X You can get a video review as part of our serve blueprint video course. You can email james@onlinetennisinstruction.com for more details. If you want the review specifically from Nadim simply let us know when you send it in
Hi Mark. Thanks for the comment. Who from the pros would you say is taking both arms up together before the toss is completed? Again, if it doesn’t interrupt the flow of the motion, then sure, no worries. Many non-pro level players seem to want to copy what they “see” the pros do, but inadvertently cause for their motion to be interrupted, slowed down when it should pick up in speed and so forth. There are literally numerous different mistakes that happen when the beginning of the service motion happens to fast.
Mark Egan thanks Mark. His motion is indeed a bit different than many other players but he still gets into that same position before he moves right to left with the racket. His motion is very difficult to master. That’s exactly why I think many players try...to copy him...but inadvertently don’t succeed. In slow motion it is really nice to see how his swing slightly differs (his style), yet fundamentally holds true with the “basics”. Thanks again for your feedback
Roger has the described "delay" in his serve motion; not the pronounced and tigh/stiff looking one of, say, Grigori Dimitrov whose serve is a mess anyway (TBH), but one smooth fluid motion with delicate continuous flow all the way through the loading phase. The fact that his racquet tip might point more towards the right back corner and not so much directly to right is due to his relatively strong upper body coil right off the bat combined with his arm being rather extended in this point (yet relaxed). So, Roger is no caveat against what Nadim preaches here, an important reminder for so many sub par serves out there. Slow down, have the 1-2 rhythm, keep the serving arm relaxed (and the racquet face closed in the loading phase), delay its movement up to the trophy position where you should not stop and so on!
This is huge but simple insight. I can hit a 5.5 overhead but struggle at times on my serve because I rush my toss and hitting arm. Thank you and keep them coming please
Thanks nadim you fixed my toss after over 15 years. With 3 hours of practice the whole thing was fixed.
separating the ball toss from the racquet swing is very important and great way to remove errors.
Such a simple tip..beautifully explained with a clear and logical explanation of WHY. I have had a hitch in my serve for as long as i can remember. I was moving both arms like a butterfly extending it's wings. This makes total sense to me. This tip worked for me instantly. Thank-you Nadim!!
This is the best serve tips I found so far... thanks a lot Naser.....
Eureka Nadim ... got it ... I’ve struggled for 2 years with my new serve; your big big help has been the start - the shoulder turn, slowing down the toss start, and looking at the toss target from the beginning. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥👍👍👍👍🤗🤗🤗🤗 ... your communication style is superb for me!! The toss is in the correct spot now, and the serves are going in effortlessly. It’s been like discovering freedom! Thank you so much for your series of serve videos ...bless you ... Neil
Nadim is the best IMO! I'm going to use this tip tonight to practice during a doubles session with some less-challenging opponents. I love working on the serve. Feels so good.
Wow...something so simple and it really changed my consistency and my power on the serve. Thanks Nadim...always look forward to your tips
Why have i seen nobody else teaching this simple yet game changing tip
Wow, this was terrific instruction! It all makes sense . . . the thing is to go out and do it, knowing that ones habitual service motion will make it feel strange . . . At first. Thank you immensely for breaking it down as you did, N. Edw.
Dr. E. R. Blomgren thank you very much for the kind words. I’m very happy to read that this tip makes sense. Yes, going out and repeating it, even though it will be awkward at first, is key. Best wishes to you.
LOVE the WAVE concept. GREAT visual.
tytyty
I think most tennis players, like myself, were taught to bring both arms up together which can cause problems. By teaching concentrating on the ball toss as separate from the hitting arm it simplifies
the whole service process. This was an excellent video to help get the correct mechanics with the serve.
Thank you, Nadim. I am struggling with my toss and my timing and you shed some valuable light as to how to work through this problem. Well done!
Absolutely helps! I can apply. I was thinking I should toss higher for more time but that’s not really the case. Toss then right hand action. 1-2. Brilliant can’t wait to practice this. I suffer from stopping my right hand motion - this will help!
For me that was a huge solution.
Thanks for clarifying the mystery.
Excellent video .
Hello again, Nadim~ Just wanted to report back . . . that this morning - bc it was a friendly match - I could put into play the tips you coached in this video. Results: much, much more "space" in hitting [arm] after the toss. The extra time, maybe a second, which is a lot of time, allowed me to experiment w/ some new slice technique as well as kick. That extra time is absolutely amazing to allow relaxation and good form! So, 4 double faults the whole match (I won, but what mattered more was smart playing/sound strokes], and a new ease in serving! This is transformative!! Thanks again. Edw.
Dr. E. R. Blomgren wow. Those are fantastic news. Really happy to read that. Keep me posted on your progress. Made my day ;)
This is extremely visible with Djokovic's action. Thanks Nadim.
Hello coach, this is the one I really need most. I am 49years old started playing barely 3 yrs ago. I fell in love with the sport. I now I'm muscling my serve have no flow at all. Even I can hit aces at my level but I can tell Im stopping my motion an always waiting for the ball. Thank u very much coach cant wait to practice this.
th-cam.com/video/0gQGDlLcLzA/w-d-xo.html
please give some advice I have no formal coaching just learn mostly from youtube video. I know I have tons to learn, but willing to put effort just to improve
Excellent tip for the relaxed delay of the hitting arm in the 'first move' phase in tennis serve.
Nadim, it always seems that you read my mind and produce the best tips just when I need them! This tip about the beginning of the serve is EXACTLY what I needed to see! Like you said, it is challenging to make this adjustment immediately but after spending some time on it, I am seeing and feeling so much better ( and less nervous ) about my entire serve motion!
This is an excellent point and makes a lot of sense in solving g the difficulty of coordinating the toss and swing - thank you
Tony Senewiratne thanks for your comment, Tony. Glad you see the value in it. Good luck
it is a great analysis, break down a step by step teaching. extremely helpful, thank you!
Excellent video! I am surprised and pleased as to how quickly this improved my serve.
Very good, thank you. Toss first, then start the serving motion. Getting the rhythm down is where I have difficulties.
Hi Nadim, another great tip on checkpoints during the beginning motion.
Chris Constantini thanks Chris. I hope you’re well. Best wishes and let’s be sure to meet again soon. Cheers
I do have EXACTY that problem, the hitting arm starting up very quickly , I think it also comes from the fact that I used to play volleyball and the serve looks a lot like a volleyball spike , where you do raise both arms very quickly...
Thanks for the tip, you are an awesome instructor, and I 'll try to work on it! :)
Simple and easy way to learn serving
Great tips thank you. Will try these exercises. Most of the problems with my serve relate to rushed & not smooth toss... and hitting arm which is not relaxed.
excellent description of toss/hit
This tip gave me a very reliable serve... you save me... thank you!!!
Most difficult component of serve is execution of the correct racket swing. Nadim suggests the best strategy to get it.
Great serve start idea, I will definitely try it. Thanks Nadim!
Excellent tip, I started doing this a while ago, I think everyone who has co-ordination issues should start this way. Throwing arm, get the ball in the air, then move the hitting arm, you have plenty of time , it makes it easier to do a little knee bend while you throw the ball.
info781 glad this worked for you. Thanks for your comment
Thanks for the tip Nadim and Florian. I will try experimenting with this. I will probably have to toss the ball a little higher to start from the lower position that Nadim demonstrates in the this video. My toss at its apex, usually barely goes above the tip of my racquet at the point of contact.
Shawn McDermott hi Shawn. Thanks for the comment. Send me a video of your serve. I wouldn’t automatically toss the ball higher as a correction but I would need to see your motion. The better correction would be to smoothen your swing arm motion to make it pick up in speed once in hat position I demonstrate. My toss is also barely higher than my fully extended reach and essentially that is all that’s needed. Again, if increasing the toss slightly does not interrupt your flow or cause you to swing down, then it may be one way to work with this but I would want to check the swing first. Also, you don’t need to copy my posture exactly. As long as the elbow is below shoulder and away from body and the tip of the racket is pointing to the side, you are good to go once the tossing motion has been completed
Thank friend! It is not so esasy to correct the movement. I usually moves both arms with the same speed. For me is very difficult to move both arms in different speed. I'm trying a lot, but with no result. I hope this tip helps me. If not, please show more exercise to correct the swing!! Thanks a lot!!!
This lesson is awesome.
you make it look
so easy! I will be working on it!!
Its like a waggle with golfswing, everyone does it different! Good swing thought
great tip. slow in the beginning then would not stop in trophy position. make the serve more fluid.
Toss, step, hit. If you use a pin point stance serve. Tossing first then stepping and hitting is the way to do it. Great video X
I noticed all the weight on front foot when tossing, I may begin practicing pin point as not sure how it would work with a platform, try also not tossing off front foot too and do my platform, I do fantastic shadow swings with no ball, swing much worse when ball goes in the air, sure not alone
Another awesome serve video. Pure gold!
Ce que vous dites est bien celà donne du relâchement. Bravo je kiffe
Thanks Nadim (you are good at what you do) i will try your advice and hope to come back to you with my thoughts or trophy!!
George Allen I appreciate the kind words. Yes, please do let me know how this tip works for you. All the best
Thanks Nadim. Great tip
What a great video. Makes perfect sense. Thank you.
What a gift! Thanks so much!!!
thankyou. your video's aways offer good tips. looking forward to try on the court
Wow, best serve video I've seen. Awesome.
Thank you for this video - VERY helpful!
I can’t seem to coordinate my left hand and my right hand. Will have to try this out.
Nice work nadim 👍
It's amazing, finally I've buried all my submission with my serve.
Very helpful. Thanks it’s exactly what I need.
Great tips to improve the serve!
Terrific tip on serve motion
James Murphy thank you very much
Going to try that tip...many thanks 👍
Fantastic simple video thank you
Awesome. Will practise tomorrow. ❤️
excellent video to get the correct rhythm
Nadim,thank you so much!
Great advice! Thank you!
Hi, nice video. I execute serves without the ball perfect, but with the ball i do waiter 's serve (i use continental grip) and i dont know how to fix it. Its very common but serious mistake that causes too much faults and weak serves.
Thank you coach. Happy day.
Yes it helps a lot, thanks Nadim
Do you teach any other areas in Fl., other than Fort Lauderdale?
Pat Rafter explains this is a serve few players do, like Fernando Verdasco. There are 2 other type of serves. Federer does NOT do this, nor did Roddick. So pretending everyone to imitate 'The coach' serve is wrong. It can work, of course, and there is huge truth in slowing the start, but everyone is different
Greet lesson. Thank you ,
Why starting with full accerleration and not targeting the serve box instand of vice versa?
Wolfgang Markus Gstrein hi Markus. Because the serve box shouldn’t be the goals when working on improving mechanics, at least at first. When players try that, most forget to stay focused on the correct mechanics because they are too focused on hitting the serve box. Once the mechanics are in place, hitting the serve box...in my experience...is far less of a challenge. Thanks for your comment
great! I will apply this...thanks
i am a 52 years old,(greek) intermediate play around 17 years.started on my own big mistake.i am picking right moves now with a teacher.a year now a big problem occured.when i am "cold" and my hand is like a rock i tend to not be able to serve.that is,my wrist goes left or right just before hitting.if i play for a while then my serve gets balanced.problem is i cannot always do that,to have the time and a partner.sometimes i play in a tournament the warm-up is the few balls i play with the opponent.this is not enough.can you think of a way to help me with that?thank you,alex.
Hi there. I wonder how high we should be throwing the ball.
Great video !!!
I can't do it, it's my biggest problem in my game. My takeback is too soon. Do you offer an online lesson for this?
This forces you to accelerate instead of having your arm in strike position
thanks Nadim
I tried but when I record myself I don't get like your serve :( it's Novak Djokovic serve...
Nadim can I send you my video of serve, I would really love some feedback? But I don't know where to send it?
Alen X You can get a video review as part of our serve blueprint video course. You can email james@onlinetennisinstruction.com for more details. If you want the review specifically from Nadim simply let us know when you send it in
Very helpful
Wow tomorrow first thing on the wall !!!!!!!
nice tip
Many ATP players take their hitting arm up at the same time. This is just one way to do it but not the only or the best necessarily.
Very True, but if you have timing and co-ordination issues it can help to do throwing arm then hitting arm.
Hi Mark. Thanks for the comment. Who from the pros would you say is taking both arms up together before the toss is completed? Again, if it doesn’t interrupt the flow of the motion, then sure, no worries. Many non-pro level players seem to want to copy what they “see” the pros do, but inadvertently cause for their motion to be interrupted, slowed down when it should pick up in speed and so forth. There are literally numerous different mistakes that happen when the beginning of the service motion happens to fast.
I was thinking of Roger of course
Mark Egan thanks Mark. His motion is indeed a bit different than many other players but he still gets into that same position before he moves right to left with the racket. His motion is very difficult to master. That’s exactly why I think many players try...to copy him...but inadvertently don’t succeed. In slow motion it is really nice to see how his swing slightly differs (his style), yet fundamentally holds true with the “basics”. Thanks again for your feedback
Roger has the described "delay" in his serve motion; not the pronounced and tigh/stiff looking one of, say, Grigori Dimitrov whose serve is a mess anyway (TBH), but one smooth fluid motion with delicate continuous flow all the way through the loading phase. The fact that his racquet tip might point more towards the right back corner and not so much directly to right is due to his relatively strong upper body coil right off the bat combined with his arm being rather extended in this point (yet relaxed). So, Roger is no caveat against what Nadim preaches here, an important reminder for so many sub par serves out there. Slow down, have the 1-2 rhythm, keep the serving arm relaxed (and the racquet face closed in the loading phase), delay its movement up to the trophy position where you should not stop and so on!
Djokovic serve motion👍🎾
Awesome
Thank U
But this way you need to toss high..