Tommy Paul Serve Analysis- Natural And Solid Fundamentals!
Summary
TLDRIn this Performance Plus Tennis video, John Craig analyzes the serve of Tommy Paul, the rising American tennis star. Highlighting Paul's impressive stats, Craig dissects the fundamentals of his serve, including setup, grip, ball toss, and body mechanics. He emphasizes the importance of weight transfer, rhythm, and the trophy position. The video also compares different serve types, such as the flat serve and kick serve, showcasing Paul's adaptability and power. Craig offers valuable insights and tips for viewers to improve their own serve.
Takeaways
- πΎ Tommy Paul is having a breakout year in 2024, becoming the new American number one tennis player and making a deep run at Wimbledon with a great serving performance.
- π His serve fundamentals are strong, with a high percentage of first serve points won and very few double faults.
- π£ Tommy's serve routine is consistent, starting with proper foot setup and weight shift forward to establish rhythm.
- π€ He uses a perfect Continental grip, which is crucial for control and power in his serve.
- π½ His racket points down the target line during setup, helping to set his hand and wrist position for contact.
- ποΈββοΈ Tommy's weight shifts to the back foot during the serve, with his back foot flat on the court, which is essential for generating power.
- π His trophy position is well-executed, with perfect foot alignment, knee flex, and a high elbow position that aids in creating lag.
- πΈ Tommy's ball toss height is significant, allowing for a large drop before contact, which is not typical but works for his serve.
- π The angle of his racket at contact varies between serves, being slightly inside for a flat serve and more vertical for a kick serve, demonstrating his ability to adjust his technique based on the type of serve.
- π His serve motion involves a strong left arm pull away and leg drive, which triggers the swing and generates power.
- π€² The left hand's role in Tommy's serve is crucial, providing strength and control throughout the motion, and engaging the bicep muscle for power.
Q & A
Who is the focus of the video analysis?
-The video analysis focuses on Tommy Paul, the new American number one tennis player, and his serve technique.
What is special about Tommy Paul's year in 2024?
-In 2024, Tommy Paul is having an amazing breakout year, making a deep run at Wimbledon with a great serving performance.
What percentage of first serve points does Tommy Paul win according to the video?
-Tommy Paul wins 82% of his first serve points.
What is the significance of Tommy Paul's serve routine?
-Tommy Paul's serve routine is significant as it helps set up his rhythm and weight distribution for an effective serve.
What type of grip does Tommy Paul use for his serve?
-Tommy Paul uses a Continental grip for his serve, which is considered ideal.
How does Tommy Paul's racket position contribute to his serve?
-Tommy Paul's racket points down the target line, setting his hand and wrist position for optimal contact with the ball.
What is the importance of the 'trophy position' in Tommy Paul's serve?
-The 'trophy position' is important as it indicates a well-loaded position, with proper alignment and knee flex, ready for ball contact.
How does Tommy Paul's ball toss height affect his serve?
-Tommy Paul's ball toss height allows for a significant drop of the ball before contact, giving him time to get into a loaded position and hit the ball at the top of its trajectory.
What is the difference between Tommy Paul's flat serve and kick serve?
-The difference lies in the angle of racket contact and the body position. For a flat serve, the racket angle is more horizontal, and the body faces more forward. For a kick serve, the racket angle is more vertical, and the body stays more sideways, allowing for a sweeping motion from left to right.
How does Tommy Paul's left hand contribute to the power of his serve?
-Tommy Paul's left hand contributes to the power of his serve by pulling away in a semicircle, holding tension, and controlling the movement, especially during contact.
What advice does the video give for players regarding the ball toss in their serve?
-The video advises against hitting the ball at the Apex for most players, suggesting instead to let the ball drop to gain more time for a full range of motion and a loaded position.
Outlines
πΎ Tommy Paul's Serve Analysis
In this paragraph, John Craig from Performance Plus Tennis introduces the video's focus on Tommy Paul's serve, highlighting his impressive performance in 2024. Craig emphasizes Paul's high percentage of first serve points won and his minimal double faults. The analysis begins with a look at Paul's pre-serve routine, noting his foot setup and weight shift forward to establish rhythm. Craig also discusses Paul's Continental grip, racket positioning, and the importance of his hand and wrist alignment. The serve's mechanics are dissected, from the weight transfer to the back foot, the separation of hands, and the palm position at the release point. The paragraph concludes with a slow-motion examination of Paul's trophy position, emphasizing his knee flex, alignment, and elbow height, which contribute to his serve's power and consistency.
πΈ Key Elements of Tommy Paul's Serve
This paragraph delves deeper into the mechanics of Tommy Paul's serve, focusing on the ball toss, weight transfer, and racket movement. Craig points out that Paul's ball toss reaches its apex just as he makes contact, allowing for a significant drop before hitting the ball. This technique provides ample time to get into a loaded position. The discussion continues with the importance of the left hand's role in pulling away and the legs driving forward to initiate the serve. Craig emphasizes the need for the racket to remain low and the body's movement to cause the racket to rise naturally. The paragraph also covers the sequencing of the serve, with the left hand pulling away first, followed by the legs driving and the racket swinging. The analysis compares flat and kick serves, noting the differences in contact point and racket angle. Craig concludes by highlighting the importance of shoulder rotation and leg drive in generating power in the serve.
π€ Tommy Paul's Serve Variations and Technique
In this final paragraph, Craig continues the analysis of Tommy Paul's serve, focusing on the differences between his flat and kick serves. He notes how Paul adjusts his body position and elbow movement to achieve different types of serves. For the flat serve, Paul faces the net more and leads with his elbow, while for the kick serve, he stays more sideways and swings across his body. Craig emphasizes the deliberate ball placement and the importance of the left hand's strength and tension in controlling the serve. The paragraph concludes with a discussion on the importance of the palm position and how it engages the bicep muscle for power and control. Craig summarizes the key takeaways from the analysis, praising Paul's serve technique and offering insights that viewers can apply to their own game.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Serve
π‘Tommy Paul
π‘Aces
π‘Double Faults
π‘First Serve Points Won
π‘Fundamentals
π‘Continental Grip
π‘Ball Toss
π‘Trophy Position
π‘Kick Serve
π‘Flat Serve
π‘Shoulder Rotation
Highlights
Tommy Paul's serve is analyzed in detail, highlighting his exceptional performance in 2024.
Tommy Paul is the new American number one tennis player, making a significant impact at Wimbledon.
Tommy's serve fundamentals are discussed, including his impressive statistics such as 82% of first serve points won.
The video gives a shout out to Court Level Tennis for providing footage, promoting their YouTube channel.
Tommy's serve routine and setup are examined, emphasizing the importance of proper foot positioning and weight shift.
The ideal Continental grip used by Tommy in his serve is pointed out as a key element.
The video notes the significance of Tommy's racket pointing down the target line for hand and wrist positioning.
Tommy's back foot flatness and weight distribution during the serve motion are analyzed.
The 'trophy position' of Tommy's serve is described, detailing the perfect alignment and knee flex.
The video discusses Tommy's ball toss height and its impact on the serve's effectiveness.
Tommy's serve is compared to the advice of hitting the ball at the apex, showing a different, more effective approach.
The angle of Tommy's racket on contact is noted, especially when hitting a flatter serve.
The video emphasizes the importance of body movement and sequencing in Tommy's serve technique.
Tommy's left hand movement and its role in the serve's power and control are highlighted.
The difference in ball placement and racket angle between Tommy's flat and kick serves is compared.
Tommy's serve is analyzed for its power generation through leg drive and shoulder rotation.
The video concludes with a summary of the key takeaways from Tommy's serve technique.
Transcripts
hello everybody John Craig here with
Performance Plus tennis welcome to
today's video we're going to take a
close look at the serve of Tommy Paul
who's having an amazing breakout year
here in 2024 the new American number one
player making a deep run at Wimbledon
with a great serving performance so far
serving up a ton of Aces very few double
faults winning 82% of his first serve
points and the fundamentals of his serve
are a good reason why but before we get
started let's give a big shout out here
to court level tennis for providing the
footage for today's video they have a
great channel here on YouTube check them
out and there's a lot of great coverage
that you can watch and enjoy okay so
let's go ahead and get into the serve
here and the first thing I want you to
notice about Tommy is how he he does his
routine every time he receives the ball
and he gets set up makees sure that his
feet are set up properly the ghost feet
are set up goes into his routine and in
his routine you can see that his weight
is shifted forward which is going to
help set up his rhythm for his serve and
when he gets going here he resets his
hands and before he starts entering into
service hands are reset but the heel is
still up in the air here in the back
looks really really good he's going to
use this to get his rhythm okay and you
can see he has a perfect ideal
Continental grip it's absolutely perfect
okay everything looks really good I also
like the way his racket is pointing down
the target line it sets his hand in his
wrist position in a similar feel and
position as it's going to be in contact
and for me that really helps me quite a
bit so pay attention to the position
you're in here in your setup with your
hand hands in the racket okay now now
he's going to go into his reserve look
how his weight shifted to the back foot
and now his back foot is flat on the
court clearly his weight is on the back
leg now and he's coming up here his
hands separate away leading with the
left hand in the C into the release
Point look here and you can see now the
Palm is down the racket face is down the
weight is still in the back foot and the
head is starting to tilt away that the
left which we'll talk about a little bit
later now the ball continues to rise and
we're going to go slow motion here the
ball is going to go out of his hand and
once it leaves his hand his left hand is
going to continue to rise here and it's
going to lead him right into this trophy
position so when the ball gets to the
top Tommy is perfectly loaded here so
let's take a look at his trophy position
the feet are perfect the back heels in
the air the front heels in the air he's
got a very nice knee Flex probably more
than an amateur player is going to get
or need but it's a very nice knee Flex
notice too how his his right knee is a
little bit more than his left knee is a
little lower and that's because the hip
is naturally going to be a little bit
lower too which is going to somewhat
match his shoulder angle not quite as
much but that right hip's going to be
lower so that right knee is going to
have a little more Flex in it and the
knee is definitely going to have a
little bit lower position this is
perfect okay the alignment is also
perfect okay keeping him perpendicular
or slightly Beyond perpendicular to his
Target line so everything looks really
good here also notice how his palm is
facing upward and in the trophy position
here and his head is definitely out of
the way here as you can see looking
really really good one thing I will note
here is his elbow tends to be higher
than a lot of players if we reset that
I'm going to reset that line again his
elbow tends to be a little bit higher
than his shoulder line but actually
that's going to work in his favor
because he he can lengthen his lag and
you're going to see that a little bit
here so now let's take one look at
another thing that I always like to do I
always like to look at Ball Toss height
because if you watch if you watch Tommy
hit a serve here and we're going to go
back and watch him into to serve it
looks like he hits the ball at the Apex
look it looks like it barely Falls at
all but when we advance forward here we
take a look at his serve and the ball
gets up to the Apex right here right
there we're going to mark that
line and now we're going to go to
contact remarkable isn't it it's amazing
that the ball actually drops probably 24
inches because the rre is 27 look at the
look at the racket look at the racket
length here clean that up put a better
line there we know his Apex was up in
this area so you know he he definitely
let's go back up here and look at it see
if we can find that Apex keep going the
ball see it's just about to that line
isn't it so there it is so you can see
that he's definitely getting about uh 24
in of rack of ball drop to racket
contact see that look at that beautiful
so it looked like you were see in the
ball of the Apex I bring this up because
there's a lot of coaches out there
saying hit the ball at the Apex very
very few players do it it doesn't really
work for most players so I wouldn't
recommend you do that okay let the ball
drop 24 Ines gives you lots of time to
get into a loaded position go through
the full range of motion and get the
ball at the top of the contact now I
want to not one other thing here too
that he's hting a flatter serve here and
you're going to see later in the video
we're going to look at some different
serves but look at the angle of his
racket on contact it's slightly inside
the left hand the the the hand not the
left hand the right hand slight angle
inside the right hand you do not want to
hit your serve with a racket directly
above your hand because you'll just
weaken your contact and eliminate the
rotation that you want from your
shoulder which we'll talk about as well
okay so let's see what happens here
let's go back again kind of getting
ahead of myself a little bit but I want
you to see some key pieces notice how
his knees are are are falling as the
ball's Rising when the ball begins to
descend he's in perfect position to
spring up on it and what's going to
trigger his motion and this is so
important is watch how the left hand
will pull away and talk in a semicircle
while the legs drive forward and upward
watch up and watch the recet fall as the
body moves and you've got to get this
you've got to get the racket to make its
move here because of the movement the
body makes in this position right here I
see so many recreational players with a
racket already over here you want to
keep the Palm down and the racket down
as long as possible and let the move
move of the body cause the racket to
fall and rise and it will if you're
relaxed and loose it will fall and rise
okay next
up notice the sequencing here this is so
important too another key thing that I
see with so many players the left hand's
got to pull away the legs are going to
drive and that triggers the swing now
watch where the left hand is it's
already it's already down you can't see
it particular particularly right here
but it is as low as the for the racket
it's already down so if you have a coach
telling you to keep your left arm up how
long do you keep the left arm up you
keep it up until you're ready to make
your move and the left arm is a catalyst
to get your swing to to fall and Rise
naturally okay beautiful position here
rackets coming up on edge beautifully
behind the ball rotates into that
beautiful contact with that slight angle
from the right hand perfect he's not
going to pronate as much through this
because he's hitting and projecting out
towards his Target hitting a flat slic
serve looks really really good okay very
very cool serve love it now he gets a
pretty good back bend here uh he even
gets a little bit more on his on his
kick serve as you'll see a little bit
later and that's okay because watch him
get out of it watch him come up and get
out of it and get himself into a fairly
vertical position so he uses the leg
Drive beautifully and the shoulder
rotation to get him in contact okay now
look how his head also is out of the way
we talked about that earlier clear your
head has to get out of the way so your
shoulder can get up if your head is in
the way you'll never get into this
position where you've got this nice
angle okay and speaking of angles watch
how this angle almost matches the angle
in the trophy position look at it here's
his
trophy there it
is and now watch how he gets a full
rotation around and reverses the
shoulder positions you get it there
there's the core of your power right
there folks using the the leg drive and
the left arm pull away to get that
shoulder rotation is critical to
generating a lot of power in your serf
okay all right let's Advance forward
let's have a little fun here take a look
at at Tommy hitting a couple kick serves
here
um and I want to I want to go back here
because I think he hits a think H
another flat serve here
first yeah that's fairly flat isn't it
yeah it's fairly flat let's take a look
what I want to do here is I want to I
want to compare the Fairly flat serve or
the flat slice Serve contact and we're
going to compare that ball placement
there it is we're going to put a mark
there okay because I love to do this we
put a mark there and we're going to put
a mark at his contact and look at that
contact right between the shoulder and
the ear I can clean that up and make
that better there we go that's perfect R
it's on a slight angle of contact let's
keep those lines there and let's Advance
forward to his next serve which is a
kick serve
watch the difference now he is going to
go for the big kicker watch where the
contact is
wow this is why he needs that extra Flex
in his back and he's so fit look at this
right there now what we want to note
here is look how far to the left the
contact is from the original contact I
would say that's at least 24 in but more
importantly maybe perhaps or just as
importantly is look at the angle the
racket's on a contact versus the other
one which is more almost vertical right
look at that that's a beautiful
beautiful Top Spin surface hitting now
here in this angle you can actually see
the left hand more clearly here he comes
and here comes the left hand and watch
it hold the whole time the racket's
rising look the left hand is sitting
right there so for the those of you
trying to give your left arm up it's
just blocking you from getting the
action you need on your Surf and look at
how interesting how that left hand comes
down and then it pulls in as you make
contact it pulls into the body because
it holds you still now you might be
thinking why couldn't we see the left
hand on that serve previously well now
that he see a kick serve he's actually
playing a kick serve he's deliberately
going to stay sideways and look how his
elbow doesn't project as much forward
and that allows his racket to sweep
across the from from a left to right
position watch how it sweeps across look
at that okay and because it's staying
more sideways then he would be on a on a
surf where he's going forward so if we
go back to the previous one what's this
he's going to go more forward with a
swing he's going to face the net more
his elbow's leading look how his elbow's
leading in more and look how the elbow
goes forward he's sitting he's sitting
that flatter serve isn't he now if we go
over here and compare that to his kick
serve you'll see how he stays sideways
more he's going to stay sideways and the
elbow's going to stay behind more and
swing across see that the elbow never
really projects towards the Target and
nor there's the swing it goes from left
to right look at that sweeping left to
right action okay he'd have to do that
because of the way place where the
placement of the ball is but the
placement of the ball is very deliberate
okay so so many great things that Tommy
does on his serve finally he does get
that Palm I think I mentioned this
earlier the Palm is up so that when he
pulls away it's facing the target okay
look at the strength on that left hand
so for those of you who don't really
understand the left hand watch how the
left arm looks so strong all the way
from from the from here here watch it
and it's
power and control in the shoulder watch
it watch How It's strong here way past
vertical leads him well into this trophy
position that's a beautiful now watch
how strong it is when it pulls away look
how it's got tension it's actually
controlling this movement look at that
and then tucking and holding look at
that okay and the reason why his palm is
up because engages the the bicep muscle
and holds the power in that left arm as
he's coming through contact then when
the ball's gone he can finally relax the
left hand and let it go okay so many
takeaways from this analysis of Tommy's
serve I think he's got a very very good
serve cons concept wise I think he
tosses the ball a little bit more behind
his head than I would recommend for most
recreational players but the Rhythm the
tempo um the setup um the consistency in
his practice um the grip uh everything
is ideal so hopefully there's some
things you can take away from this video
um please go ahead and leave your
comments down below give us a like if
you haven't subscribed the Channel
please do so we've got a lot more coming
here at Performance Plus tennis that'll
help your serve and um thanks so much
for watching today's lesson and I hope
to see you again in the next video
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