Top 5 Best Tennis Servers Of All Time (My Bias Opinion)

Summary

In this insightful video, John Craig from Performance Plus Tennis shares his top five favorite servers in tennis history, excluding those over 6'3" due to their height advantage. He discusses the unique techniques and contributions of each player, including Poncho Gonzalez, Boris Becker, John McEnroe, Pete Sampras, and Roger Federer, highlighting their impact on the evolution of the serve. Craig ultimately names Pete Sampras as his all-time favorite server, praising his ability to combine all elements of great serving into one powerful package.

Takeaways

• 🏆 John Craig's favorite serve in tennis is the topic of the video, discussing the best servers of all time.
• 🎾 The discussion excludes servers taller than 6'3 to focus on those who had effective serves despite not having a height advantage.
• 👴 Poncho Gonzalez is highlighted for his feared serve and unique long axis pronation technique during his era.
• 🦵 Boris Becker is noted for his leg drive and being a pioneer in modern serving techniques, despite using an Eastern forehand grip.
• 👈 John MacEnroe, a left-handed server, is recognized for his unique style, accuracy, and effectiveness with a corkscrew motion.
• 🤸 Pete Sampras is praised for his combination of motion, coil, leg drive, and confidence, making him a top server.
• 🏐 Roger Federer, despite not being extremely tall, is admired for his beautiful technique and ability to hit various spots on the court.
• 🥇 Pete Sampras is revealed as John Craig's all-time favorite server due to his comprehensive mastery of serving elements.
• 📈 Sampras' serve is considered a model for modern players, with his long axis pronation being particularly influential.
• 💌 The video encourages viewer feedback on their favorite servers and promotes engagement through likes, shares, and comments.
• 🎓 The video is part of a series from Performance Plus Tennis, offering more content for tennis enthusiasts.

Q & A

Who is the speaker in the transcript and what is his area of expertise?

The speaker in the transcript is John Craig, and he is an expert in tennis, specifically known as the 'serve builder' in the online tennis world.

What criteria is the speaker using to exclude certain players from his list of favorite servers?

The speaker is excluding servers who are taller than 6'3 because they have a distinct advantage, and he wants to emphasize servers who are not as tall but had very effective serves.

Which player does the speaker mention as the most feared server of all time during his era?

Poncho Gonzalez is mentioned as the most feared server of all time during his era.

What unique technical aspect did Poncho Gonzalez have in his serve that was ahead of his time?

Poncho Gonzalez had a long arm pronation through the shoulder, a technical aspect that was not commonly discussed or known during his time.

Why does the speaker appreciate Boris Becker's serving technique?

The speaker appreciates Boris Becker's serving technique because he was one of the first players to use a leg drive technique, which has become a standard in modern tennis.

What makes John McEnroe's serve unique according to the speaker?

John McEnroe's serve is unique because of his corkscrew lefty style, which involved a tremendous rotation and coil, making his serve very accurate and difficult to read.

What is special about Pete Sampras's serving technique?

Pete Sampras's serving technique is special because he combined all the elements of a great serve, including leg drive, coil, and a unique tossing motion that made his serve very difficult to predict.

Why does the speaker rank Roger Federer so highly among his favorite servers?

The speaker ranks Roger Federer highly because, despite not being extremely tall, Federer had beautiful technique and could generate easy power, making him one of the greatest servers of all time.

Who does the speaker ultimately rank as the number one server of all time?

The speaker ultimately ranks Pete Sampras as the number one server of all time.

What is the speaker's rationale for ranking Pete Sampras above Roger Federer?

The speaker ranks Pete Sampras above Roger Federer because Sampras set the model for the modern serve and tied together all the elements and components of great servers into one tremendous package.

How does the speaker describe the evolution of the serve through the years?

The speaker describes the evolution of the serve through the years by highlighting the technical advancements and unique styles of different servers, from Poncho Gonzalez's arm pronation to Boris Becker's leg drive, and Pete Sampras's combination of all elements into a modern serve.