Last Summer, Mark Philippoussis used his mighty serve as a ticket to his first Wimbledon final. Philippoussis, nicknamed Scud for this fearsome weapon, fired 164 aces on his way to the final. Here is an analysis of this awesome serve.

Preparation

The preparation phase consists primarily of the mental ritual in which Philippoussis visualizes the spin, speed, and placement of the serve he is about to deliver. This decision is based upon the positioning and knowledge of his opponent’s limitations.

Philippoussis holds the ball and racquet out in front of his body, with his weight resting primarily on his front leg maintaining a relaxed body position throughout.

The Wind Up

Philippoussis initiates the action by straightening his back and lowering the racquet as his weight starts shifting to his back leg. Notice how the back heel is flat on the ground and the toes of the front foot are rising.

Mark lowers his racquet to start his loop where he generates half of his monstrous power. The kinetic chain starts from the toes up. Notice the width of his stance, which gives him major leverage and balance allowing him to maximize the use of his body.

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Rafael Font de Mora was born in Valencia, Spain. He competed on the men's professional tennis tour from 1985 through 1988 and was a tennis analyst for NBC during the Barcelona Olympics.

Font de Mora founded itUSA in 1990 and has developed a successfully proven method of teaching tennis throughout the tennis spectrum; from beginners to professional players. Through his unique and innovative teaching style, he has been courted to conduct tennis clinics throughout the world and is a contributing editor for many of the top international tennis publications.

Rafael has established tennis facilities and training programs for all ages and levels throughout Europe and South America; he now actively operates training programs in Florida and Arizona. During his coaching career, he has trained and managed National and International Junior Champions, Professional Tour Titlists, Davis Cup and Federation Cup Players, as well as, NCAA Champions, All Americans, ATP and WTA players.