Jak Beardsworth Tennis

October 2010:

BALL BOUNCING and the SERVE

Jak Beardsworth on Pete Sampras Still lethal after all these years.Just about everyone does it, from tour level on down to club and park mortals, but c’mon, how many bounces of the ball does it take to ready oneself prior to serving?

The great Pete Sampras was one bounce and slam, bam, thank you ma'am. The annoying antithesis to the games greatest server of all-time, is unquestionably Novak Djokovic. Although he’s thankfully abbreviated this part of his ritual somewhat in the past year – mostly because his peers we’re fed up with it, not to mention how tedious it was to the game’s money managers – it was not unusual at all for the Serbian to bounce the ball well into the teens before every first serve. That would be analogous to a baseball batter insisting on as many practice swings prior to the pitcher releasing the ball. Or, a basketball free throw shooter doing the same prior to letting the shot the go. Ridiculous.

Jimmy Connors, towards the end of his career and especially during his last hurrah at the ’91 US Open, would go to the bounce, bounce, bounce routine now and then, although not because he needed that much time to get focused, but because the then 39 year old needed an extra blow versus the 20 something young bucks he was still taking down. Okay.

Another legend, Boris Becker, would cradle-dribble the ball with his racket repeatedly while approaching the line to serve – as many pros do today – but once there he would start his distinct ritual sans any tossing arm ball bouncing at all.

Back to the question, of course there’s no right or wrong here, but, on average, how many bounces should it take to achieve pre-serve relaxation along with serve selection and its accompanying visualization before launching? That’s entirely up to you(!), but don’t treat it haphazardly. Rituals are extremely important on serve, and return of serve for that matter as well.

Be earnest in developing a sense of timing, pacing, and preparation that’s feels right for you, whether it’s no bounces, a couple, or a few. And be consistent – although it’s not unusual for even the very best to vary their bounce count from 1st to 2nd serve (Djokovic typically halves the number on his 2nd serve) - particularly when you’re struggling. Rushing, or abbreviating your normal ritual, will never solve any serving problems. But, conversely, becoming overly deliberate can lead to over consciousness – never a good thing either.

Find your deal.

Questions and comments are welcome at anytime for all tips present and past via email.

Tips Archive

May, June, 2013 JUST TALKING HEADS OR MORE [read more]
March, April, 2013 SELF-TALK: Good, Bad, or Indifferent [read more]
January, February, 2013 BOOK-A-MILLION: Do Tennis Players Read? [read more]
December, 2012 THE KEY TO TOUR LEVEL BALL STRIKING: And How to Learn It [read more]
November, 2012 ARE YOU A THUDDER, A TWANGER, OR A PINGER: Racket Dampeners [read more]
September, October, 2012 SMART SHOTS [read more]
July, August, 2012 TEN TOP STRESS REDUCERS [read more]
June, 2012 MAKING YOUR LESSONS STICK [read more]
May, 2012 THE IMPOSSIBLE: Accelerating and Decelerating Simultaneously [read more]
April, 2012 PLAYER DISCONNECTION [read more]
March, 2012 BENDING THE SERVE IN [read more]
February, 2012 UNDERSTANDING TERMINOLOGY: Drill vs Clinic vs Team Practice [read more]
January, 2012 PLAYING SCARED? [read more]
December, 2011 CUTTING OFF THE ANGLE…VERTICALLY [read more]
November, 2011 WHY COACHING? [read more]
October, 2011 THE EASY BALLS ARE NOT EASY [read more]
August/September, 2011 NEVER TOO LATE FOR OLDER DOGS [read more]
June/July, 2011 HARD COURTS, SOFT COURTS, and YOUR BODY'S ADAPTATION [read more]
April/May, 2011 JAW DROPPNG [read more]
March, 2011 CLUB DOUBLES' INCREASINGLY MISSING LINK [read more]
February, 2011 TIP 2 | POOH POOHING DOUBLES STRATEGY SESSIONS [read more]
February, 2011 TIP 1 | CLAY TO HARD, HARD TO CLAY [read more]
January, 2011 ICING THE SERVER WHEN RECEIVING IN THE BIG MOMENTS [read more]
December, 2010 JOHN ISNER’S “GOOD MISS” [read more]
November, 2010 THE MOST NEGLECTED SHOT IN THE GAME [read more]
October, 2010 BALL BOUNCING and the SERVE [read more]
September, 2010 TAKE YOUR EYE OFF THE BALL [read more]
July-August, 2010 SUMMER SCHOOL COURTSIDE CRIB SHEET [read more]
May-June, 2010 THE 2-HANDED JUMP BACKHAND: The Dumbest Shot in Tennis [read more]
April, 2010 THE STANDING AROUND SYNDROME [read more]
March, 2010 THE ELUSIVE SERVICE TOSS [read more]
February, 2010 PREPARING TO START THE POINT: Serving and Receiving [read more]
January, 2010 DEBUNKING THE MODERN GAME [read more]
December, 2009 RELAX – IT'S JUST A RALLY BALL [read more]
November, 2009 DEFEATING THE POACHER [read more]
October, 2009 PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE [read more]
September, 2009 SERVING SUCCESS: Warming-Up vs Match Play [read more]
August, 2009 THE SPLIT STEP: Defending the Court, Rushing the Net, and More [read more]
July, 2009 THE THIRD GROUNDSTROKE [read more]
June, 2009 HOW MANY HANDS DOES IT TAKE? [read more]
May, 2009 THE MOST IMPORTANT SKILL [read more]
April, 2009 PLAYING IN THE FLORIDA WIND [read more]
March, 2009 Letting them Play for Peak Performance in Clubland [read more]
February, 2009 SUPPORTING YOUR GAME [read more]
January, 2009 RESPECTING THE GAME: Top 10 Do's & Don'ts [read more]
December, 2008 Getting the Warm-up Right [read more]
November, 2008 Visualize...Realize: The Mind Body Connection [read more]
October, 2008 Reading Their Mail [read more]