I decided to make this adjustment last year in order to fix my toss problem, I.e. inconsistent ball height and position. By delaying raising the racket, you can maintain a steady body posture while tossing the ball. This way your ball toss is better. You need to toss the ball slightly higher so that you have enough time to raise your racket.
Great discussion of all the subtle changes Carlos is making. So important to see that even Grand Slam winners continue to “tinker” with mechanics to improve. Tennis is a journey! Thanks!!
I believe in the very last sentence you said, "his natural way of serving" something that all of us should do given the mechanics are correct and sound.
Thanks for this coach! I found out that Alcaraz 'new' serve is also my natural serve as well. I have also tried that eye level to arm lift approach before trophy pose and end up messing up my timing and control because there's too much torso and shoulder rotation involved so it either often ends in fault or with a much weaker serve. The extended arm lift somewhat made movements a lot simpler so you can time it better and concentrate on loading power to your serve with more confidence.
Yes, I was wondering how no one was talking about the change in his serve technique. It's mostly good, but I feel as though he's not able to jump as high as he used to because he's not loading for as long, which was a strength of his. Great video.
Funny enough, as you mentioned, even Rune is changing the racket take back and both of them were going straight up with the racket following the toss. Can't wait for Rune video as well!
Good point. Andy commented after Wimbledon that Carlos' serve down the T has developed a slide to the left ala Sampras, product of "rounding out the bottom end of his serve"...allowing him to get around the side of the ball. Something about his shoulder. How this works, I dunno.
Personally I prefer to compare the sequence of motions with the golfswing in combination with baseball pitching Lower body is already going forward, prior to the final stage of setting the lag position in the right arm and wrist on the last part of the top and continuing during the first part of the downswing like a falling in the slot of lag maintaining, happening more unconsciously / naturally than consciously. After the lower body is pushed forward, the upper body is forced to follow, and in its follow-through, this pulls the right leg with it forward after the release. Yet in tennis, by moving the back foot to pinpoint, away from platform stance, the forward leg and foot is being forced to act not only as a pivot, but also as the follow-through lever, as the back leg has already past the center of gravity at the platform stance starting position. So when the torso pulls the lower body in the follow through as a reflex, the forward leg and foot are forced to compensate as the landing gear to the follow through of the upper body. It looks much like recovering from having lost balance, in athletics there is even a discipline for this unnatural type of motion: triple jump - in Dutch, hink-stap-sprong forward foot jumps to land on its self, forward foot, then that kicks off to jump with landing on the back foot for the first time, and that kicks of to jump with landing with both feet forward landing on the bottom. Very very few pros besides Boris Becker did not turn the tennis serve into a tripple jump like acrobatics, especially in the next motion to receive a returning ball. Why do things the english way, like driving on the stupid side of the road and fitting the steer wheel accordingly and the gear shifter at the weaker hand, not where common sense would prefer the latter. It requires though a record breaking grand slam winner to return to common sense it would seem. And that may take a few generations therefore, as all want to copy proven winners.
i saw it automatically - actually surprised Alcaraz went up at the same time rather than having a delay - because up together is an old technique... maximum kinetic energy is where its all at!
Just look at the stat sheet more better MPH on both first and second serve more aces and service winner then go with the new one if not go back to the old way ( maybe slowly).
i've only ever felt comfortable loading into trophy position with my hitting arm as the tossing arm is going up rather than the timing like Carlos. is this just a personal thing or should i consider working on the rhythm?
Hey Nik, Great analysis, but I don't understand how you can say his old serve had no technical flaws in the beginning of your video and then contradict that by saying the new serve is technically better than the old. There is no doubt the new serve technically better. As you said, it creates more initial swing space, so will be easier on his arm (less rotator cuff impingement) and hold up better under pressure. Plus, it's easier for him to follow his serve into court -- straight toward the target. His old serve reminded me a bit of Tsitsipas' serve with the racket arm so close to the body. However, Carlos did not pitch left on the follow through like Tsitsipas (who is forced to "fall off" on the finish sometimes to create enough space to hit through the ball). Tsitsipas' spacing issues are definitely more extreme than Carlos' were.
I said no fundamental flaws but rather technical inefficiencies. The isolated elbow movement did NOT result in a racquet drop leak or suboptimal unloading. However, optimizing the serve (in his case, making is smoother and more continuous) is an interminable process even for someone as legendary as Carlos. I will make a Tsitsipas serve video soon…
Hello Nick. Do you do lessons for young kids? If so, I’m interested to see your services for my kid 8 years old. Specifically for serves. We’re in the same county.
That is the reason of his hand injury couse he was and still hits mostly with his hand ,yes he did improve but still need to open more turn his shoulder more so he can use his hole body, that how u get power with your serve, Nadal was doing the same at the start of his career but he changed that motion too!Carlos still need to practice, watch Ivanisevic as left hand serve and Sampras right hand serve, watch how they open fully spread their wings shoulders turn ,legs push ,different styles but both perfect
This means he potentially could serve with a lower toss too, right? I watched someone analyze Zverev's great serving in AO and noticing that the main difference was him tossing lower (by like ~20%)
Nick, in the wake of the Djokovic match with Musetti, can you talk on your next video about Djokovic’s overhead and why it’s a weaker part of his game? Especially when he serves so well. It’s a mystery to me.
Nick, just wonder if Carlos is going back to his previous serve style, at least looks like in the Queens first match yesterday and his 1st serve in% was quite low in that match.
I have been practicing my serves for about 2 weeks now. I normally try and focus on one thing until I dont have to think about it.(toss, shoulder height/alignment, not taking back with my wrist, rocking motion and finally leaning in). It was going well but recently it all feels like it fell apart and I have to restart. Can anyone share there experience learning the serve?
@pureffm personally don’t think this is why he had the elbow problem a elbow problem doesnt just pop up after 2 tournaments Djokovic had a elbow problem for almost 3 years so nah
@@colethomas903 it could have triggered it and in the case of Djokovic it lasted for longer. In the months prior to the injury Carlos has increased his service speed tremendously.
Hopefully he will get more out of it with more practice. So far it doesn't seem like it has changed the fact that he always has to fight way too hard to win his own service games. There may be nothing strictly wrong with his serve, but it's just not a very effective weapon for him, so far.
However, although he has improved his serve, it is still not as lethal a weapon as the other segments of his game or the serve of Edberg, Sampras and Federer. Their serves are much better because they don't waste much energy, a lot of easy points without playing long points, and that's exactly what Alcaraz lacks for his serve to be as high quality as theirs. With a powerful serve, he will prevent new injuries or be healthy in the long run, enable him to fight more easily without spending a lot of energy with tall players whose serve is a quality weapon, and he will be dominant on grass and concrete with a large number of titles, similar to clay. If he does not improve his service, he will have the same number of titles as Nadal on grass and concrete, or he will never win. He should bring to his staff a short tennis player similar to his height, for example Edberg, Sampras or Federer, to improve his serve or to copy their service technique. Best to take sampras for service.
I think the big hitch still IS a flaw and is why Alcaraz struggles with spot serving the corners. Almost can't believe this wasn't fixed over the last 15 years by team Ferrero.
When he burst into the scene and when he became no 1 and all that. I, as an amateur player, but with a good amount of theoretical knowledge of the game could clearly see that he serve was underdeveloped with technical glitches. Good that he and his team are working on it.
Poor placement? Alcaraz literally one of the best servers in tour (can look up the specific serve stats). Of course not on the same level as Hurkacz but it is up there with the best.
please watch the last 2 service games of Alcaraz against Sinner in the latest roland garos final…..Sinner had no answer despite getting served on his right side and on the same spot thrice in a row ….
It doesn't really matter about tech wonky. What matters is can he serve faster with more control throughout the match. Results are what matters he's not winning matches with style points. Roddick looked ugly as hell with that wind up toy delivery but his serve kept him in the money
I thought the changes in his serve were an attempt to prevent injuries? This new serve reduces hyper extension in his ligaments and muscles without losing too much power, accuracy and positioning for slices and kicks. Don't we all who play tennis know about these body aches?
