What does serve preparation tell us?

Watching Jo Konta and her hideous service routine I got thinking about other service styles and wondered what they told me about the nature of the tennis player. 

My prejudice going in was that the more contrived the routine, the less natural and gifted the player. The logic being that someone who walks up and just does it is likely to be comfortable striking a ball as they wish whereas anyone with a mad ritual must be trying to eliminate all sorts of defects. I speculate that if Konta tried to hit a serve like Federer she'd spray it all over the place.

I'm not certain but I think this holds water. Berdych is stiff as Hell, Tsonga not. Raonic robotic, Stan not. Fed obviously like water.

Have we ever seen a genius level with a robotic serve? I don't count McEnroe as his wasn't robotic, it was just weird.

Anyone got any thoughts even from personal experience?

I find a player's serve prep tells us everything. With Konta, Nadal, Djokovic, Sharapova, Williams reeks of insecurity. Too much focus on the routine rather than execution.

Murray's looks laboured. Henman's used to make wonder how he didn't break his neck given how spring like it looked.

Goran looked like he was coming over the net with the ball!

I am more of throw the ball in the air and whack it. None of this ball bouncing nonsense. Angers me when playing people that spend an age fiddling with shoes or racquet before serving. Even called a few players out before at a change of ends.

Makes sense to me. I have said here before that all talented player have a good serve (not all great servers have talent).

A serve should look effortless, it's about timing like a golf drive.

But very important to gauge talent also is the difference of pace between 1st and 2nd. The more talented players have a narrower pace difference.

I also bounced once & hit it and my 1st serve was a beast, very fast and accurate with a strong slice if I wanted it. Lot of aces, lot of opponents not even moving.

My 2nd was crap until I got coached a bit and learned to get the right topspin on it. Then it just became usable but I failed the Tenez 1st / 2nd test while passing the legendkiller one.

I love a good serve up the middle. I find that more satisfying than a kick serve or serve out wide.

Strangely BB I did model my serving action on McEnroe because to me it was the only action that kept my body stable when going through the serving motion

Tenez wrote:But very important to gauge talent also is the difference of pace between 1st and 2nd. The more talented players have a narrower pace difference.

That actually probably usually means less talent - willing to take a risk on the second serve because the player doesn't have the ability to match their opponent if a rally develops.

If it's a chancer, yes, but not if it's because they have such a strong ability. Pete Sampras wasn't hit & hope 2nd serve and he'd plonk it in the corners. Federer has a very strong 2nd serve.

Yes, you don't have hit and hope players at the top of the game. They would have to be very lucky.

Now i look at it: Raonic' serve prep is inspired by Andes Jarryd isn't it?
Plain ugly.

Raonic must be very proud to be on the same court as Federer. Cause he shouldn't really

gallery play wrote:Now i look at it: Raonic' serve prep is inspired by Andes Jarryd isn't it?
Plain ugly.

Raonic must be very proud to be on the same court as Federer. Cause he shouldn't really

Federer didn't really earn his talent did he?


I wonder what his serve motion would've been like had he been handed Raonic's genes...

Humility is more precious than any tennis talent.

... wrote:

gallery play wrote:Now i look at it: Raonic' serve prep is inspired by Andes Jarryd isn't it?
Plain ugly.

Raonic must be very proud to be on the same court as Federer. Cause he shouldn't really

Federer didn't really earn his talent did he?


I wonder what his serve motion would've been like had he been handed Raonic's genes...

Humility is more precious than any tennis talent.

ah, not so much in the mood of jokes, now you're back to the dark side eh?
You know you're an open book to me nitb

gallery play wrote:

... wrote:

gallery play wrote:Now i look at it: Raonic' serve prep is inspired by Andes Jarryd isn't it?
Plain ugly.

Raonic must be very proud to be on the same court as Federer. Cause he shouldn't really

Federer didn't really earn his talent did he?


I wonder what his serve motion would've been like had he been handed Raonic's genes...

Humility is more precious than any tennis talent.

ah, not so much in the mood of jokes, now you're back to the dark side eh?
You know you're an open book to me nitb

See if I care about your or anyone's book...

... wrote:Federer didn't really earn his talent did he?

I wonder what his serve motion would've been like had he been handed Raonic's genes...

Humility is more precious than any tennis talent.

LOL.  I don't even disagree but still it is funny how it just comes from sheer bitterness.

I thought you were no longer rooting for Djoko and were now a Fed fan?  Looks like something has gone wrong with that transition.