According to Wikipedia Samuel Groth hit the fastest recorded tennis serve at 163.7 mph. Venus Williams tops the list for women at 129.0 mph.
How fast can you hit your tennis serve?
Too often sports enthusiasts think that speed guns, such as Pocket Radar, can only be used to measure the speed of serves. With a little imagination Pocket Radar can be used in a variety of ways to teach tennis players the subtleties of the sport, not just the speed of their serves. Some examples follow:
A. Compare the speed for the forehand and backhand groundstrokes. Most players hit their forehands with greater pace.
• Are their technical or physical reasons the backhand is hit with less pace?
• What are the tactical implications of being able to hit one groundstroke at a faster pace than the other? – For example, if the backhand is hit with less pace, should a player try to place it, keep it in play, and create offense with the forehand?
B. Compare the speed of groundstrokes based on the spin (topspin, flat, underspin).
• Generally speaking, these results will have tactical implications. When is it appropriate to hit with topspin? Underspin? What is the proper mix of spin and pace? What type of spin is best for keeping the ball in play? What type of spin is best for trying to hit a ball past the opponent?
C. Compare the speed of groundstrokes based on the angle of the shot.
• Again, there may be technical and tactical reasons for a variation in the pace of the ball based on its angle. Usually a sharply angled ball will be hit with less pace because it may be hit with a shorter backswing or it is hit with more spin to ensure control. The purpose of a sharply angled ball is to hit it away from the opponent. In many cases, pace is not necessary to win the point.
D. Measure the pace of the serve to the deuce and ad service courts? Most likely players can hit to one court at a faster speed. For examples, righties may be able to hit harder to the deuce court.
• Are there technical or physical reasons for the difference in speed to the two courts? For example, righties may have to hit with more spin to the ad court, which could decrease the speed of the serve.
• What are the tactical implications – For example: should righties go for more aces in the deuce court, while using placement and consistency to win points in the ad court?
At a more advanced level, the speed of a serve can be measured to the inside corner, outside corner, and “at the body” for both courts. Again, the variation in speed for these six locations may have technical, physical, and tactical implications.
E. Compare the speed for serves or groundstrokes over time.
• It is virtually impossible to increase the pace of any shot overnight. There are many reasons to measure the pace of a specific shot over time. For example, this may be a way to measure how a person is recovering from an injury, it may show the effects of participating in a strength/agility/fitness program, or it may show the effects of taking lessons to improve a specific technique. Small changes may occur over months, rather than weeks or days.
It is fun to coach with software and technology devices, such as Pocket Radar. They provide another way of helping students understand how to play the sport and make it more fun!
So, how fast is your serve?