Hi Tomaz
Thank you for the simple yet most effective tennis instruction I’ve seen.

Gary

In the learning stage when the player is performing the movement consciously then I teach to point the strings to the back fence.

We do NOT actively point the strings to the outside at all, even when pronation is mastered. The outside orientation happens by itself because there was a previous supination that twisted the arm the other way.

So the arm / forearm simply wants to snap back into place and because of that initial twist and the acceleration it rotates more than back to normal – meaning strings turn outwards.

But it is not a voluntary movement so I don’t recommend teaching it.

Hi John,

In the learning stage when the player is performing the movement consciously then I teach to point the strings to the back fence.

We do NOT actively point the strings to the outside at all, even when pronation is mastered. The outside orientation happens by itself because there was a previous supination that twisted the arm the other way.

So the arm / forearm simply wants to snap back into place and because of that initial twist and the acceleration it rotates more than back to normal – meaning strings turn outwards.

But it is not a voluntary movement so I don’t recommend teaching it.

Hi Shel,

Yes, this variation is very rare and difficult to control the ball well if someone tries to learn it unless it comes more natural like in your case.

Nope, the only possibility is that you are wrong. Pinpoint stance does not create a lot of leg drive that’s why a lot of tall players use it.

The platform stance creates much more upward force. Women don’t use it because they are not as explosive as men.

Thanks a lot, Mohsen!

Yes, the shoulder can hurt when serving, it is under stress.

If you do something incorrectly, it will hurt a lot.

You must not force faster serves than your body is capable of dealing with.

For example I personally would now at my current age NEVER attempt the fastest possible serve I am capable of.

It will hurt me. If I were to play points I would serve at speeds where I don’t feel pain, that’s probably around 70% of my max speed.

For more speed and no pain I am simply not physically prepared enough.

You need to strengthen the shoulder area, upper body and core muscles to properly handle the strain of serving.

That’s another topic best answered by a fitness expert, not me.

In terms of technique the most common cause for pain is trying to hit hard instead of looking to swing fast.

You need to have correct throwing mechanics and a smooth motion.

First, let me tell you that your videos have improved my tennis tremendously. They work better than any coach I’ve ever played with.
When I started tennis, I had the worst FH ever. Now it’s pretty decent. Many thanks.
Now as I’m working on my serve, I get shoulder pain after some serving.
Is there a way to minimize this pain? Or is there a common mistake in the service motion that exaggerates the pain?