Dear Friends and Tennis Minds,
Here is a photo sequence of former top 10 player Ivan Ljubicic.
Is there a back arch on the pro kick serve?
Should we teach a back arch to young developing players who are learning the kick serve?
Do the pros toss to the same place on a kick serve or farther to the left?
A lot of coaches will say never arch back.
Mark Kovacs and others have observed that their is significant thoracic and cervical spine extension, while it’s important not to bend the lumbar spine.
The cervical and thoracic extension happen during the acceleration phase as the racquet drops into the backscratch and rises up to the ball.
In my experience, the dangerous back bending occurs in the lumbar spine and it happens early during the toss and trophy position phases of the serve.
Many players who do not have good ROM—Range of Motion—in their shoulder and upper back will try and get the ROM by hyperextending the lumbar spine instead. A dangerous way to achieve ROM
Thoughts?
–Chris Lewit
Chris Lewit, Prodigy Maker