Why is Nadal Serving Faster at the US Open 2010?

From Rafael Nadal's first game of the US Open in 2010, there has been lots of talk about his improved serve speed. Although being the best player in the world, Rafa has never had the best serve or even one of the better serves in the game. This improved serving speed though, would put him into the same first serve speed range as Murray and Federer and make him even more threatening on hard court surfaces, the only surface on which he is not consistently dominant.

In the Wimbledon 2010 final against Tomas Berdych, Nadal had a 69% first serve percentage, averaging 115MPH, with a fastest serve at 127MPH. In his 4th round match at the 2010 US Open against Feliciano Lopez, Rafa hit 63% first serves in, averaged 118 MPH for his first serve and maxed out at 135MPH.

Although one game does not suggest a complete turn around, the stats listed above seem to be consistent for all matches that Nadal played in both Wimbledon 2010 and so far in the US Open 2010. The stats suggest that Rafa's serving percentage is a little lower in the US Open (4%), his average first serve speed is only slightly higher (3MPH) and only his fastest serve seems to be impressively different with an increase of 8 MPH.

Rumours abound as to how Nadal has improved his 1st serve speed. His coach Tony Nadal says he opened his grip more. Rafa himself says, nothing is different. John McEnroe seems to be completely flummoxed.

Looking at it this way maybe there is not much to be surprised about. Nadal has always used a lot of spin and control in his serve. This is good enough for the slower clay and grass courts and was good enough for the slower hard court of the Australian Open in 2009, but for the fast courts at Flushing Meadow, Nadal knows that a few fast serves and quick points will benefit his game more, saving his joints and energy.

Therefore we believe in everything Rafa and his uncle and coach Tony have said. He is not doing too much different except opening up his grip and attempting more flat and hard serves rather than spin. His 6'1 height and obvious strength suggest there is little reason that he cannot hit a 135MPH flat serve, if he attempts one. He may be losing a little accuracy and lowering his 1st serve percentage but if he wins the US Open 2010, it will all have been worth it.

Below is some slow motion video of Nadal serving during training. Watch the video and pause it just before he hits the ball.
Watch how his hand is gripping the racket and how the racket turns after he hits through the ball.



In the first three serves in this video Nadal hits across the ball, putting spin on his serve. We can see this by the way the racket turns after striking the ball. The last serve in the video seems to be a bit flatter and the racket turns slower and later. In all cases though the grip looks the same and fairly closed.

The video is from March 2009 and therefore probably does not show any changes that Nadal has made for the US Open 2010. It does show us that in the past Nadal has used a lot of spin and a closed grip. Flattening out his first serve on a few occasions therefore is the most likely explanation of his increased first serve speed at the US Open.

Comparing Federer's Between the Legs Shot

Thats right Roger Federer did it again. A shot between the legs at the US Open for a winner. In 2009 he played this shot against Djokovic in the semi-final. This time it was a lower ranked player he beat with the shot, but the shot itself was still one of pure genius.

In 2009, after watching his shot against Djokovic, we discussed how Federer actually practices a between the legs shot, so that when he pulls it off in a match it cannot be described as lucky. He knows how to play this shot and is probably even trying to hit a winner, so that he is not caught out of position.

On this website we love to compare athletes and performances. Having two examples of Federer's between the leg shot allows us to do a quick comparison.

• Both shots are played as Roger runs backward to retrieve a ball that was lobbed over his head.
• Versus Djokovic, Federer plays his shot behind the baseline. Djokovic is  standing up at the net, so Roger needed to beat him with power and place it just wide enough.
• Versus Brian Dabul in 2010, he plays the shot further behind the baseline than the shot in 2009. This time his opponent stays at the baseline and placement is more important. He needed to go deep into the corner with the shot to wrong foot Dabul and keep the ball out of his reach on the baseline.
• Both shots though need to be played with power and in both cases we can see how Federer sets up with his feet and plays the shot with a lot of wrist action to create speed on the ball.

Take a look at the video below. A comparison is made by John Mcenroe near the end.

Federer gives us a great opportunity to analyze perfection. He practices perfect mechanics all the time and shots come naturally to him in the match because of all his practice and analysis.

Keep using your video camera to analyze and compare your performances.

Mastering the Drop Shot in Tennis

As the 2009 US Open continues, the top 4 ranked players, Roger Federer, Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal and Novack Djokovic are all still in with a chance of winning. To win against the likes of these Tennis greats, the players have to have a complete play list of different shots. One of the most lethal is the drop shot. Federer in particular loves the drop shot as a major attacking weapon.

The drop shot can be used to win a point outright, but it can also be used to draw your opponent to the net and set yourself up for a passing shot or to simply get your opponent winded by making them run up to net in an attempt to recover the point. Playing a good drop shot requires not only executing the shot itself but also determining the best time to execute the shot.

Here is some video of Federer with some sublime drop shots. As you watch the video take note of Roger's court position, how he swings the racket and the court position of his opponent in each case.



We can pick out a few tips from analyzing this video.

1. Federer usually plays his drop shot when he is just on the baseline or somewhere between the service line and the base line. It is much more difficult to play the shot when you are way behind the baseline. This is because the ball will need to travel further and it will also give your opponent more time to get to the net to hit a return shot.
2. His opponent in each point is usually way behind the baseline when the drop shot is played. His opponents therefore need to cover much more ground if they want to catch up to the shot.
3. Points 1 and 2 above actually work in combination, because as one player begins to attack , he moves forward and plays close to the baseline, pushing his opponent further behind the baseline. Therefore a drop shot is seldom played as a defensive shot.
4. In each shot Federer cuts under the ball to create backspin. He angles his racket and slices under the ball as if he is trying to chop the bottom of the ball off. Back spin ensure that the ball dies (does not bounce high or forward) once it lands on the other side of the net. This will further reduce the chances of his opponent reaching the shot. Cutting under the ball will also slow the flight of the ball down allowing it to drop closer to the net.

Roger has a great drop shot but he is successful with it because he knows when to play it. Using video analysis we can learn from Roger and practice incorporating the drop shot into our own games.

Federer Serves His Way Towards the US Open

Last week, Roger Federer won the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters tournament for the third time. Only Mats Wilander, Andre Agassi, and Pete Sampras have done the same (Wilander actually won it four times). This tournament is part of a series of tournaments leading up to the US Open, and the players use it as an opportunity to reacquaint themselves to the hardcourt surface. After having been in a bit of a slump, partly due to injuries and a formidable opponent by the name of Rafael Nadal, Federer appears to have returned to winning form as of late, and is once again considered a favorite in the upcoming US Open.

Although Federer's serve is quite respectable in terms of speed (averaging around 120 mph for his first serve), it is his ability to disguise the spin and direction that make it extremely effective. As Federer has demonstrated, blistering serves can be returned consistently if the returner can anticipate where the ball will be hit. By keeping his opponents from being able to easily read his serve, adjusting the pace only increases Federer's effectiveness.

One of the main ways Federer is able to disguise his serves is with a consistent toss. As is true with most sports, keeping your eyes on the ball throughout a point/play is one of the basic concepts that helps you play well; tennis is no different, and a server can give away a lot of information about the type of serve he will hit by significantly moving his toss around. By tossing the ball in the same location, and instead adjusting his swing path to direct the ball and apply various spins, Federer gives his opponents just a fraction less time to anticipate where the ball will go; and at 120 mph, that lost time can make a big difference whether the serve is returned successfully.

Of course, just knowing your serve's effectiveness can be improved by having a consistent toss is only half the battle; having the ability to do this and make minor adjustments to your swing path/grip (not to mention having perfect timing) are just some of the skills that separate us amateurs and weekend warriors from the pros. Below is a slow-motion video of one of Federer's serves at Wimbledon. Enjoy, and learn what you can from perhaps the greatest tennis player of all time (to this date, anyway - keep practicing kids!).