Holger Rune Serve Analysis- Simple, Natural And Refreshing!

Performance-Plus Tennis
18 Nov 202309:45
EducationalLearning
32 Likes 10 Comments

TLDRIn this instructional video, John Craig of Performance Plus Tennis dissects the serve technique of young Danish player Holger Rune. He praises Rune's simple and efficient setup, emphasizing the importance of proper foot alignment, Continental grip, and weight transfer. Craig highlights the player's effective toss, leg drive, shoulder rotation, and racket drop, which all contribute to a powerful serve. He offers advice on achieving a balanced trophy position and maintaining racket positioning for optimal ball contact. The video concludes with tips for improving serve performance, encouraging viewers to subscribe and consider a personalized serve evaluation.

Takeaways
  • 🎾 Setup: The importance of a simple and proper setup is emphasized, including correct foot alignment and a Continental grip on the racket.
  • πŸ‘£ Weight Shift: Weight should shift from the front foot to the back foot during the serve, with the front toe rising and the back heel flattening.
  • πŸ€Έβ€β™‚οΈ Toss and Lag: The serve involves raising the tossing arm while lagging the playing arm to lead into a strong trophy position.
  • 🏸 Racket Position: The racket should be kept on the right side of the body during the serve, avoiding the waiter's trade position behind the head.
  • πŸš€ Leg Drive and Coiling: Lowering into the legs and coiling the body is crucial for generating power in the serve.
  • πŸ“ Ball Toss Height: The ball should be tossed to a height that allows for a full range of motion and contact at the apex of the reach.
  • πŸ‘€ Optical Illusion: The serve may appear to play at the top of the toss, but in reality, the ball drops approximately the length of a racket before contact.
  • 🦡 Leg and Arm Movement: A strong leg drive combined with pulling the left arm away is essential for shoulder rotation and reaching the ball.
  • 🀲 Hand Position: The left hand should match the racket's angle or height during the serve, and the racket drop should have the hand lower than the elbow.
  • πŸ”„ Pronation: Long axis pronation is key to attacking the ball effectively, with the racket strings facing sideways and the back towards the camera post-contact.
  • πŸ“ Ball Toss Position: The ball should be tossed in front of the server, approximately a foot to 16 inches ahead of the baseline, to ensure an optimal contact point.
Q & A
  • What is the focus of the video by John Craig from Performance Plus Tennis?

    -The focus of the video is to break down and analyze the serve of the young Danish tennis player, Holger Rune.

  • What does John Craig appreciate about Holger Rune's serve setup?

    -John Craig appreciates the simplicity of Holger Rune's serve setup, his perfect alignment with his feet, the Continental grip, and the slight angle of the racket in the setup which helps keep the racket closed.

  • How does Holger Rune shift his weight during the serve?

    -Holger Rune shifts his weight off the front foot to the back foot, with the front toe rising slightly and the back heel coming down flat.

  • What is the importance of raising the tossing arm while lagging the playing arm during the serve?

    -Raising the tossing arm while lagging the playing arm is important as it helps lead into a good strong trophy position.

  • What position does Holger Rune achieve before the ball reaches the top?

    -Holger Rune achieves a low, loaded position with both heels risen and great flex in his legs before the ball reaches the top.

  • What advice does John Craig give about the racket position during the serve?

    -John Craig advises not to worry about putting the racket behind the head, but to focus on having it on the right side of the body with a perfect elbow position, ready to launch into the ball.

  • What is the approximate distance the ball drops before Holger Rune makes contact?

    -The ball drops approximately the length of a racket before Holger Rune makes contact.

  • Why is the ball toss height important in the serve?

    -The ball toss height is important because it provides the necessary time to place the ball, get into the trophy position, make the move, and attack the ball at the apex of the reach.

  • What does John Craig suggest for players in the developmental stages regarding ball toss height?

    -John Craig suggests that players in the developmental stages should get the ball up a little bit more to measure the ball, get through a full range of motion, and achieve a beautiful balance before making contact.

  • How does Holger Rune's serve differ from what is typically taught?

    -Holger Rune's serve is simple, efficient, and compact, with no extra movements, yet it is very powerful, which differs from the more complex and less efficient serves that are often taught.

  • What are some key takeaways from the video to improve one's serve?

    -Key takeaways include checking alignment, using the Continental grip, shifting weight to the back foot, maintaining a balanced trophy position, keeping the racket on the right side of the body, and using legs and the left arm to rotate and attack the ball with pronation.

Outlines
00:00
🎾 Analyzing Hogar's Serve Setup and Technique

John Craig from Performance Plus Tennis begins by acknowledging contributions from Court Level Tennis and 12 KBG Tennis. He then dives into analyzing the serve of a young Danish player, Hogar. Craig admires Hogar's simple and effective setup, highlighting his perfect alignment, Continental grip, and racket angle. He notes the importance of weight transfer from the front to the back foot and the player's ability to maintain racket closure. Craig emphasizes the serve's trophy position, achieved through raising the tossing arm while lagging the playing arm. He also discusses the optimal ball toss height and contact point, suggesting Hogar lets the ball drop approximately 24 inches before making contact. Craig uses slow-motion analysis to illustrate the serve's optical illusion of minimal ball drop and the importance of a full range of motion for power and accuracy.

05:01
🏸 Key Elements of Hogar's Serve and Serving Strategy

Continuing the analysis, Craig points out Hogar's effective racket drop, where the hand is lower than the elbow, and the balance maintained by the left hand. He describes Hogar's serve as resembling a machete cutting through an orange, indicating a powerful and precise motion. Craig then discusses the long axis pronation that occurs as Hogar extends and squares up to the ball, resulting in a serve with great height. He also addresses the optimal ball toss placement, which should be in front of the server and slightly above the baseline. Craig stresses the importance of feeling underneath the ball and swinging up into contact rather than forward to prevent the ball from dropping. He concludes with a summary of key points for improving serve performance, including proper alignment, weight shift, racket positioning, and using legs and arm rotation for power. Craig invites viewers to like, comment, subscribe, and consider having their serve evaluated by him for personalized advice.

Mindmap
Keywords
πŸ’‘Serve
In tennis, the serve is a shot to start a point. It involves the server standing behind the baseline, tossing the ball into the air, and hitting it with the racket before it lands on the court. In the video, the serve of Danish player Holger Rune is analyzed, highlighting his setup, weight shift, and the mechanics of his serve.
πŸ’‘Setup
Setup refers to the initial position and alignment of a player before executing a shot, particularly the serve. A good setup is crucial for a successful serve. In the script, the setup of Holger Rune's serve is praised for its simplicity and perfect alignment, which includes the correct foot positioning and grip on the racket.
πŸ’‘Continental Grip
The Continental Grip is a type of hand position used in tennis, where the base knuckle of the index finger is placed on the third bevel of the racket handle. It is often used for serves, volleys, and smashes. The video emphasizes the importance of this grip in Holger Rune's serve setup, noting its contribution to keeping the racket closed during the motion.
πŸ’‘Weight Shift
Weight shift is the act of transferring body weight from one foot to the other during a tennis stroke, which generates power and balance. In the video, it is mentioned that Holger Rune shifts his weight from the front foot to the back foot during his serve, contributing to his power and balance.
πŸ’‘Trophy Position
The trophy position is a term used in tennis to describe the body's position at the moment of impact during a serve. It involves a low, coiled stance with the non-racket arm pointing upwards. In the script, Holger Rune's trophy position is highlighted as an example of good form, which helps him generate power and maintain balance during his serve.
πŸ’‘Ball Toss
Ball toss is the act of throwing the tennis ball into the air with one hand while serving. The height and consistency of the toss are critical for a successful serve. The video discusses the optimal height of Holger Rune's ball toss, which is approximately the length of a racket from the point of release to the point of contact.
πŸ’‘Shoulder Rotation
Shoulder rotation refers to the turning of the shoulders during a tennis stroke, which helps generate power and spin. In the video, Holger Rune's serve is noted for its excellent shoulder rotation, which contributes to the effectiveness of his serve.
πŸ’‘Racket Drop
Racket drop is the lowering of the racket head before the upward swing during a serve. It is an essential part of the serve's kinetic chain and helps generate power. The script mentions that Holger Rune's racket drop is executed well, with his hand lower than his elbow, which is an ideal position.
πŸ’‘Pronation
Pronation is the act of turning the hand and forearm so that the palm faces forward, which is a part of the follow-through in a tennis serve. In the video, Holger Rune's serve is described as having a long axis pronation, which allows him to fully extend his arm and square up to the ball for a powerful serve.
πŸ’‘Flat Slice Serve
A flat slice serve is a type of serve in tennis where the ball is hit with a slicing motion but with minimal arch, making it travel more directly and quickly to the receiver. The video mentions that Holger Rune hits a flat slice serve, which adds spin and helps the ball drop quickly in the court.
πŸ’‘Platform Stance
Platform stance refers to the base position of a player's feet during a shot, providing stability and balance. In the script, Holger Rune's serve is described as having a platform stance, which is simple and efficient, contributing to the power and simplicity of his serve.
Highlights

John Craig from Performance Plus Tennis breaks down the serve of young Danish player Holger Rune.

Craig appreciates Rune's simple and effective setup, with perfect alignment and Continental grip.

Rune's weight shift from front to back foot is highlighted as a key component of his serve.

The importance of raising the tossing arm while lagging the playing arm is emphasized for a strong trophy position.

Rune's low loading position before the ball reaches the top is praised for its beauty and effectiveness.

Craig points out that the racket should be on the right side of the body, not behind the head, for optimal serve position.

The ball toss height is analyzed, suggesting a drop of approximately the length of a racket for optimal timing.

An optical illusion is discussed where the ball appears not to drop, but slow motion reveals a 24-inch drop to contact.

Craig advocates for a higher ball toss in developmental stages to allow for a full range of motion and balance.

Rune's leg drive and left arm movement are highlighted as they contribute to his shoulder rotation and serve power.

The serve's simplicity and efficiency are noted, with a platform stance and no extra movements.

Rune's serve is described as compact yet powerful, indicating potential for improvement as he gets older.

Craig explains that the ball should be tossed in front of the body, with an analysis of Rune's ball placement.

The importance of feeling underneath the ball and swinging up into contact is stressed for serve effectiveness.

Rune's serve is analyzed from the side view, focusing on his flat slice serve technique.

Key points for improving serve performance are summarized, including alignment, weight shift, and racket position.

An offer for a serve evaluation service is provided, with a link in the video description for interested viewers.

Transcripts
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