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.

Outlines

00:00

🎾 Introduction to Favorite Servers

John Craig introduces the video by discussing his fondness for the serve shot and his reputation as the 'serve builder' in the online tennis community. He shares that he will be discussing his top five favorite servers of all time, excluding those taller than 6'3 to emphasize effective serves from less towering players. The video aims to highlight the technical aspects and evolution of the serve in tennis history.

05:00

🏆 Historical Greats and Their Techniques

The paragraph delves into the details of John's top five favorite servers, starting with Poncho Gonzalez, known for his feared serve and unique long arm pronation. Boris Becker is noted for his leg drive and modern serve technique, while John McEnroe's left-handed serve and coil are highlighted. Pete Sampras is celebrated for his motion and leg drive, and Roger Federer's effortless technique and ability to hit various spots on the court are admired. The paragraph concludes with John revealing Pete Sampras as his all-time favorite server due to his comprehensive mastery of serving elements.

Keywords

💡Serve

In tennis, a serve is a shot to start a point. It is the only shot where the server has full control over the play. In the video, the serve is highlighted as the favorite shot of the speaker, John Craig, who is known as the 'serve builder' in the online tennis world. He discusses the technical elements and evolution of the serve throughout tennis history.

💡Poncho Gonzalez

Poncho Gonzalez was a professional tennis player known for his powerful serve. In the video, he is described as one of the most feared servers of all time during his era, with a serve characterized by long arm pronation through the shoulder, a technique that was ahead of its time.

💡Boris Becker

Boris Becker is a retired German tennis player who is noted for his revolutionary serve technique. In the video, Becker is credited with being one of the first players to use leg drive effectively in serving, setting a standard for modern tennis serves.

💡John MacEnroe

John MacEnroe is a retired American tennis player, known for his left-handed serve and overall game. In the context of the video, MacEnroe's serve is highlighted for its unique style and technical elements, such as the corkscrew motion and the coil in his serve, which made it difficult for opponents to predict.

💡Pete Sampras

Pete Sampras, also known as Pete SAS, is a retired American tennis player who is widely regarded as one of the greatest servers in tennis history. In the video, Sampras's serve is praised for its combination of power, accuracy, and the ability to deliver under pressure, with a serve motion that incorporated elements from previous great servers.

💡Roger Federer

Roger Federer is a Swiss professional tennis player, often considered one of the greatest in the history of the sport. His serve is noted for its beauty and technique, allowing him to generate power seemingly effortlessly. In the video, Federer's serve is highlighted for its unique tossing motion and the ability to hit various spins and targets effectively.

💡Technical Element

The technical element refers to the mechanics and specific techniques used in executing a tennis serve. In the video, the technical element is a central theme as John Craig analyzes the serves of different players, emphasizing how their unique technical aspects contributed to their effectiveness and the evolution of the serve.

💡Long Axis Rotation

Long axis rotation refers to the rotational movement of the body, particularly the shoulders and arms, during a tennis serve. This movement is crucial for generating power and speed in the serve. In the video, long axis rotation is a key technical element discussed in relation to several players' serves, including Pete Sampras and Poncho Gonzalez.

💡Leg Drive

Leg drive in tennis serve refers to the use of lower body strength, particularly the legs, to generate power and momentum for the serve. It is a fundamental aspect of modern serving techniques. In the video, leg drive is a common feature among the serves of the players discussed, indicating its importance in effective serving.

💡Tossing Motion

The tossing motion in a tennis serve is the action of throwing the ball into the air before striking it. The consistency and placement of the toss are critical to the success of the serve. In the video, Roger Federer's unique tossing motion, where his arm moves parallel to the baseline, is discussed as a key component of his effective serve.

💡Serve Evolution

Serve evolution refers to the changes and developments in the techniques and strategies used in tennis serves over time. The video discusses the historical progression of serving techniques and how certain players contributed to these changes, influencing the modern game.

Highlights

John Craig discusses his top five favorite tennis servers of all time, excluding those taller than 6'3 to emphasize effective serves from less-tall players.

Poncho Gonzalez is highlighted for his feared serve and unique long arm pronation through the shoulder, contributing to the understanding of serve technique.

Boris Becker is noted for his innovative leg drive and being a pioneer in modern tennis serving techniques with his powerful and effective serve.

John MacEnroe's unique left-handed serve with a corkscrew motion and his ability to generate tremendous rotation and coil is discussed.

Pete Sampras is praised for his combination of all elements of a great serve, including leg drive, motion, and confidence under pressure.

Roger Federer's serve is analyzed for its beautiful technique, effortless power generation, and unique tossing motion.

Pete Sampras is revealed as John Craig's favorite server of all time due to his perfect blend of serving elements into a powerful package.

The importance of long axis pronation in serving is emphasized, with many players today trying to mimic this technique.

Roger Federer's serve is recognized for its ability to hit spots on the court that are difficult for others to reach.

The video aims to explore the evolution of the serve through the years and the technical contributions of each server mentioned.

John Craig's reputation as the 'serve builder' in the online tennis world is mentioned, indicating his extensive knowledge and analysis of serves.

The video invites viewer feedback on their favorite server of all time, encouraging engagement and discussion.

The video is part of a series from Performance Plus Tennis, offering more content for tennis enthusiasts and learners.

John Craig's methodical approach to analyzing serves chronologically provides a historical perspective on the development of tennis serving techniques.

The video touches on the impact of equipment changes, such as the transition from wooden rackets, on serving effectiveness.

The unique serving styles of left-handed servers like John MacEnroe are explored, highlighting the variety in serving techniques.

The video concludes with a call to action for viewers to subscribe to the channel for more tennis insights and lessons.

Transcripts

hello everybody John Craig here with

Performance Plus tennis a little bit of

a different video for you today and it

comes from a lot of questions I get

about you know who's your favorite

server John who do you think are the

best servers of all time and many of you

know that the serve is my favorite uh

shot to teach in tennis I'm known as the

serve builder in the online tennis world

I've looked at every serve of every

player from way back in the early days

so I'm going to go through my fa five

favorite servers I'm going to do it

chronologically and then I'm going to

reveal in the end who my favorite

alltime server is and um I'm not going

to include servers that are taller than

6'3 and the reason is is because they

have a distinct Advantage John nner uh

IO Carlovich those guys have amazing

serves but I want I want to emphasize

the servers that are not as tall that

had very very effective serves um and

also that maybe had technical things

that are interesting that contributed to

the development of the serve um as it

evolved Through The Years so uh my first

favorite that I'm going to talk about is

um Poncho Gonzalez and Poncho Gonzalez

was probably the most feared server of

all time during his era and he had a

phenomenal serve and there are great

photos of Poncho serving that reveal the

long AIS pronation through the shoulder

that no one really talked about or

really knew about back in those times

but whether he did it with intention or

it just happened to happen he had

beautiful technique on his motion so he

was in an era where you couldn't jump so

his feet were on the ground when he made

contact um but he had an amazingly

powerful serve and I think his is worth

noting as being one of the most

effective serves in history certainly

one of the most feared and he was a

major contributor to understanding the

technical element of the serve that

really generated tremendous

power moving forward my next favorite

that I want to talk about is Boris

Becker now Boris Becker the reason why I

like Boris Becker is because he was

really the first player that I remember

who served with a technique in his legs

like we have now in modern tennis that

we see all the players doing he loaded

his legs he had tremendous leg drive he

got he had a beautiful trophy

position really lifted himself up had

tremendous lift power through the legs

so he really kind of set the standard

for what the modern serve became and his

serve was very powerful and very

effective one quick note about Boris

though that was really unique

is I had think he is the only big server

great server in history who actually

served with with an Eastern forhand grip

which is really unique because he was

able to still execute a full range of

long axis rotation through his motion

and through contact even though he had

an Eastern grip which is quite unique

but he was a enormous had enormous serve

big server uh very fear during his time

so he's really my number two pick for

what my five best servers of all time

next up is John mackenro and I had to

include a lefty server in my list and

and John mackenro had a tremendous serve

cork screw Lefty um he had a very unique

style where he really had tremendous

rotation it really started with his

stance where both feet were literally

lined up on the Baseline and when he

coiled into his trophy position he was

literally exposing his back to you he

had a tremendous coil in his serve and

when he coiled you couldn't really tell

where he was going with the serf so even

though he played in an era where wooden

rackets were were the predominant racket

certainly in his early part of his

career he had a tremendously effective

serve he could pull off Ace's Left Right

Center he had tremendous accuracy it was

very difficult to read to serve um I

think he really brought the the rotation

and coil to the game he also used his

legs quite well and drove up with the

with his legs so I'm going to say that

John mackenro is my favorite left-handed

server of all time now some of you are

thinking well what about Goran Ivanovich

or Rosco Tanner yeah those guys had

really good serves as well obviously

very good serves but um John macko

stands out as a unique server had a

unique style uh didn't have the biggest

serve but it was very very accurate very

effective and very difficult to read so

John macenroe is my next pick as one of

my all-time favorite servers next up

Pete SAS how could we not have Pete SAS

on any list of the great servers of all

time and what I loved about Pete was

almost everything we talked about with

the other servers so far he had a

tremendous motion great motion very much

like a poncho Gonzalez where he had the

best long access pration tremendous

Motion in his serve he had a great coil

very much like John mackenro where his

back was exposed to the opponent so he

could really rotate and coil around it

was very difficult to read where his

serve was going and he also had great

leg drive he had a great position great

leg drive like Boris Becker so he had a

every element of the serve was there and

the thing that's fascinating about Pete

SAS is he could put the ball on a dime

easily on his first or second serve and

when he was under pressure and had to

get a serve in even a second serve he

came up with second serves that were

really like first serves he had

tremendous confidence in his in his

serve under the greatest amounts of

pressure and won so many key points in

his career so I think Pete SAS

tremendous server he's definitely in my

top five list of all time should be in

everyone's and Pete sess is in the list

for sure and finally my favorite server

one of my favorite servers the top five

is Roger Federer again Roger feder

wasn't extremely tall at 6'1 but he had

beautiful technique he could generate

easy power it looked like it was so

effortless that it never looked like he

was forcing a serve at all and then he

could could pop that serve over 130 if

he wanted to anytime he could hit the

spots um he had again had great leg

Drive Great coil great technique and he

had a he had a different type of a of a

a tossing motion where his his tossing

arm moved parallel to the Baseline and

the ball arked back and what made that

so effective is that as the ball arked

back he could take it either early and

slice it a little bit later and flatten

it or even a little bit later and Top

Spin it but you really couldn't pick

that up you couldn't see what spin he

was going to hit or what Target he was

aiming for until he made contact with

the ball so he perfected this unique

movement in his serve that made him one

of the greatest servers of all time and

I think he's second on the alltime list

for Aces even though he was only 6' one

and he could hit spots on the court that

almost no one else could hit and he

could do that without you seeing where

the ball's going until it went there so

Roger feder makes my top five and

finally let me reveal my number one

server of all time out the top five that

I've mentioned that's Pete SAS because

Pete SAS really did tie together all the

elements and components of the great

servers and and built it into one

tremendous package and I think that even

though Roger feder had more Aces because

he had a longer career I think that

Roger tried to emulate a lot of things

that Pete did on his serve as well so

Pete set the model for the for the

modern serve and really the the empasis

of the long AIS pronation through the

serve uh was very unique a lot of

players are trying to mimic that today

and everyone would like to have Pete

sanr serve so certainly he is my top

server of all time on players that are

below

6'3 thanks so much for watching today's

video and I'd love to hear your feedback

and who you think your favorite player

is of all time thanks for watching Once

Again subscribe to the channel if you've

not done so already leave your comments

down below give us a like share this

video with a friend stay tuned we've got

a lot more coming here at Performance

Plus tennis we'll see you in the next

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