Serving After Year's of Surfing

by Steve Hill
(Perth, Western Australia)

What an ongoing frustrating saga: Trying to improve my serve whilst having muscle bound shoulders. I have had to learn every trick in the book to make meager advances. I have also come to appreciate the incredible value of technique - both mental and physical.

First of all the regular loosening and stretching exercises available on any yoga web page. Then the realization that power in a serve has nothing to do with muscling but way more with a mental loosening in a loose slingshot whip of the arm.

This has taken years to sink in after for so long taking the macho approach to sport. And then the importance of the stabilizing the left arm.

Each step of the way it has blown me away at how important technique is to progress in tennis.