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Advanced Tennis:
Sampras Serve
The Left Launch
by John Yandell
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Some sports scientists have correctly noted that from this position, Pete’s racket arm is raised only slightly above the level of his shoulder, and that this takes pressure off the shoulder joint. However, this is a result of the natural incline created by his knee bend and not, as has often been argued, by bending to the side at the waist.
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As Pete launches to the ball, his torso uncoils in a spiral movement around the left launch diagonal. |
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Radical Body Rotation
Now for the relation between the left launch and Pete’s radical body rotation. The alignment of his entire torso along the left launch diagonal maximizes the impact of this factor as well. It allows Pete’s body rotation to work in perfect combination with the legs. As his legs uncoil, his torso naturally rotates as well, coming around
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The confluence of the left launch with these other
key technical factors explain how Pete
develops his incredible racket head speed.
The result is a unified transfer of power from the swing path, the
legs and the torso that allows Pete to generate almost twice the spin of
other top pros serving at the same speeds, and do this with a fluid,
relaxed, and esthetically beautiful motion.
As his body explodes into the ball on this left
diagonal, Pete resembles a launched missile, fired on a direct target line
for the contact point, generating yet another ace or unreturnable serve.
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As with the other advanced factors in his motion, the
left launch is not something that lower level players should attempt to
copy. As these articles have shown,
the motion of a player like Sampras is based on the simplest elements any
beginner should strive to develop, a full, smooth swing path and
consistent tossing motion. After
developing these elements, players can learn to incorporate the legs, and
possibly, develop more torso rotation.
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But any player with a full, clean swing path and good
use of the legs can reasonably experiment with the left launch, even
without the advanced stance and torso rotation of a player like Pete.
The first key is learning to toss further to the left, while still keeping the ball in front.
Model the contact position at the edge of your head
and in front of your torso. Close
your eyes and create a visual image of how this looks and feels. Now
imagine the arc of your toss passing directly across this point.
The only other key is to make sure that as you uncoil
from the legs, you keep your torso straight with the hips and shoulders in
alignment. Don’t let the change
in the tossing position cause you to bend over at the waist.
If you have it right, you’ll actually feel your body launching out into the air on the left diagonal and you may be startled by the explosive sound of the ball coming off your racket. The result is a heavier ball, something you generate naturally, seemingly without muscular effort - just the way Pete does it on TV.
Your comments are welcome. Let us know what you think about John Yandell's article by emailing us here at TennisONE.
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Visual
TennisTo view the complete ProStrokes Gallery of digitally mastered Pete Sampras serves, click here.
For more information on John Yandell's Advanced Tennis Research Project, click here.
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