Serve Lesson: Add 10mph To Your Serve (Must-Watch)

As tennis players, we all look for ways to get more power on our serve.

To generate maximum power, you need to pre-stretch the appropriate muscles prior to contact because that maximizes what we call ‘elastic energy’ in the muscles.

All the top servers in the world move the racket in a very specific sequence before contact to maximize the elastic energy in their muscles…and that gives them crazy amounts of racket head speed!

In today’s new video, OTI Instructor James Ludlow goes into more detail on this unique movement before contact and shows you exactly how you can improve it right away!

I believe this is the best video James has produced so far. So, go ahead and watch it right now.
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[HaraldSchneider-mn]

Hi James, very good and clear explanation. It helps a lot if you divide into right phase and left phase. This is by far the clearest concept and gives much orientation for players at several levels.

[JLZR]

An excellent lesson, well explained, demonstrated and articulated…for me simplicity is the key to improving one’s tennis and this lesson is a perfect example…Very well done James 👍

[ziggy]

This is a great video describing the right to left sequence. I always had trouble understanding this concept; however, with the way you broke it down I finally figured it out. It’s going to take me awhile before I can implement this action into my serve because of years of serving incorrectly and wrong muscle memory; but at least I now understand exactly what I’m supposed to do. Thanks James for this amazing video. I have watched many OTI videos and I even subscribed to the OTI serve course; however, this video changed my perspective on the “ right to left “movement.

[paulorogerio]

when the racket head passes behind the head, behind the back and points towards the ground, the forearm has fully rotated (supination). The racket's upward movement then begins, stretching the arm, rotating the forearm (pronation) to touch the ball.

[lenromano]

This was super helpful. I was overcompensating on the "left", i.e. my left was going to far to the left which made the racket drop more behind my back vs. on the right side (I'm right-handed)! Thanks James!

[HaraldSchneider-mn]

By far the best explanation. Appreciate the idee of dividing the right to left in this two different parts. This make it more clear and easier to replicate.

[B.P-ln]

Hallo Florian, tausend Dank für den Tipp "bending the elbow". Ich bin schon immer mit meinem racket trop unzufrieden gewesen und war immer der Meinung, da geht noch mehr. Ich glaube, dieser Tipp ist der Schlüssel, zumindest bei mir. Werde ich gleich morgen ausprobieren. Danke für Euren Einsatz. LG, Z.

[douglaspalmeri]

Really helpful ! Thanks so much James - Great advice as always -

[BillHerrmann]

Very good lesson. He explained it well and kept it simple.

[taylorchan]

Thanks James for the great video. The right-left concept and your explanation about the role of elbow totally fixed my misconception on how to carry out the serve.

[kubolkudesai]

Thank you, thank you, thank you. Probably it will be an immediate game changer for. I serve pretty well, service ist the the last shot I think about. But for 3 months I’ve been struggling with it. After searching on many sites and YT videos I finally found yours. The swing path, you have showed is so enlightening (my natural swing path was front to back!). I tested it today, I had only have couple of shadow swings at home. On the court it felt awkward and I had to think about the motion (no muscle memory yet). But my opponent (I play often against him) was impressed not only by my first, but the second serve as well - and there only my first 2 hours with this technique. I only lost 1 service game (6 aces and many, many half -aces)! Power, precision and natural pronation. I do not know my NTRP ranking, but i suppose 4, 5 maybe 5.

You gave me on of the best tennis tips ever. Thanks and Happy Christmas.

[rosssantoro]

Excellent Serve video James! Very informative and helpful!

[selwynthompson]

Most pros. Internal rotation followed by external rotation. Check Federer and Djokovic they don't go over the head but the side of the body from right to left.

[ingermariekrossen]

Terrific!. This is so wonderful detailed and explained.

[FMD]

U also got to tell people about two stances. Some can’t hit from a platform stance while others use the pin point. I move my back foot up to the line then finish.

[osmankibrisli]

Thank you very much!! This was very useful for me because I hardly knew how to do a good service.

[selwynthompson]

Medvedev does not bend at the elbow. He completes the semi circle by going from right to left where the elbow is stable. He then turns and goes from back (down) to up (front).

[bailadorr]

You just saved my tennis serve. Thank you very much

[swadesyt]

That's 10:21 minutes! But it's a big chapter for my upcoming persuasion till I retire? Oh, had I come through this Thank you a lot.

[andymacdonald]

You're a good communicator! Question. What grip are you using? Also, where does pronation get involved here?