The 5 Day Serve Cure - Amazon S3...With the 5 Day Serve Cure, you can learn which drills to practice so that you can change your serve to one that truly resembles what the best players

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The 5 Day Serve Cure

By Jeff Salzenstein

© 2016 The 5 Day Serve Cure. All Rights Reserved

© 2016 The 5 Day Serve Cure. All Rights Reserved 1

Legal Disclaimer You must get your physician‟s approval before beginning this exercise program. The program is for educational purposes and is designed for healthy individuals 18 years and older only. You should not take part in the program if you have any medical condition or injury that contraindicates physical activity.

If you are overweight, sedentary or over 30 years old, or if you have high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure or diabetes, you must have a complete physical examination before starting this exercise program. If you are taking medication, it is also critically important to obtain approval from a physician before commencing. Please discuss appropriate changes to your exercise regime with your physician or physical therapist. If your physician or physical therapist recommends that you don‟t use this workout, please follow this advice. If you experience any light-headedness, dizziness or shortness of breath while exercising, stop immediately and consult a physician.

The information in this manual is meant to supplement, not replace, proper exercise training. In particular, the exercises and drills in this manual are not intended as a substitute for any exercise routine or treatment that may have been prescribed by your physician or physical therapist. All forms of exercise pose inherent risks. Readers must take full responsibility for their safety and know their limits. Do not take risks beyond your level of experience, aptitude, training and fitness.

Don‟t lift heavy weights if you are alone, inexperienced, injured or fatigued. Don‟t perform any exercise unless you have been shown the proper technique by a certified personal trainer, strength and conditioning specialist and/or tennis coach. Ask for instruction and assistance when training. Don‟t perform any exercise without proper instruction. Always do a warm up prior to training.

Copyright © 2016 Tennis Evolution


Welcome From Jeff Congratulations on picking up the 5 Day Serve Cure, the step-by-step guide to help you dramatically accelerate your serve results in just five days. Follow this guide and you‟ll see and feel your serve transforming by the day.

This guide will help you serve to your true potential. You deserve to be commended for being an action taker, and I want to personally congratulate you for making the choice to pick up the 5 Day Serve Cure. You‟re one of the top 1% that wants to make it happen, and I‟m very excited about the awesome results you will get on your serve. The drills in the 5 Day Serve Cure really work. You have the chance to follow a program that has your best interests at heart: there‟s no more wondering if you‟re following the right path for serve success.

These drills and exercises are designed specifically for you to get FAST results. The 5 Day Serve Cure is an intense program intended for you to serve for five straight days to gain momentum and experience maximum progress. However, if you‟re not used to serving daily, you may need to pace yourself. Listen to your body and be willing to rest your arm and shoulder by taking days off. You definitely want to avoid any overuse injuries or shoulder problems. However, if your shoulder feels good and loose, continue working on your serve each day until you complete the program.

Your committed serve coach,

Jeff Salzenstein

CEO, Tennis Evolution


Be Safe With Your Training

Please train smart and listen to your body. Avoid pushing too hard.

Avoid performing any exercises that you‟re not clear on how to perform. Always

seek expert advice from an experienced trainer or coach if you are unsure.

If it hurts, stop immediately. You don‟t win any awards for pushing through the pain. In most cases you can modify an exercise or drill to eliminate pain.

With this and any other program, practice all exercises and drills until you perfect the

proper form. You can even start with just one set of a given exercises or drill. There‟s a chance you‟ll experience soreness when you first start the program so avoid doing too many sets and reps in the beginning.

Feel free to rest or take extra days off from serving until you feel ready to go

again.

Having a training partner can help motivate you as well as help you train more

safely. If you are alone, make sure your form is very good. Do not continue doing exercises and drills with bad form.

Always start with easier modified exercises first. Don‟t try to show off or be a

hero. It‟s actually better for you and your tennis if you perform the easier exercises with amazing form than if you attempt the harder exercises with poor form. You‟ll be challenged even with the easy exercises.

Do NOT train every day. You should take at least one day off per week and you

can always take more time off if necessary.

Always perform the activation and warm-up drills to get your body and mind

prepared for the main training session of the day.

Avoid starting this program if you have a pre-existing injury. Seek out a doctor

and/or physical therapist to help you heal your injury before you begin this program. Some exercises in the program can be modified to work around an injury, but it is not recommended.

Check with your doctor before starting any new training program. It‟s vital to

focus on smart, safe training.


What The 5 Day Serve Cure Does The goal of the 5 Day Serve Cure manual is simple: to help you rapidly and effectively improve your serve in the areas of technique, rhythm, racquet head speed, balance, relaxation, confidence, pronation, topspin and much, much more.

Whoa! That‟s a lot in just five days! The serve is the most difficult and challenging shot in tennis to change. It can also be considered the most rewarding shot to master because of its complexity and the positive impact it can have on your game. Rarely does a player at any level serve as efficiently and effectively as they could. Often players accept that they just can‟t change their serve for the better…

Until now.

With the 5 Day Serve Cure, you can learn which drills to practice so that you can change your serve to one that truly resembles what the best players in the world do every day.

Yes, you can do it. Don‟t buy into the notion that only the pros can serve a certain way or that you‟re limited in how much progress you can make. With the right exercises and drills as shown in the 5 Day Serve Cure, you‟ll know exactly what to do to be successful.

You should have tremendous serve breakthroughs over the five days of this program, but if for some reason it takes longer to make positive changes, be patient with the process because the only thing stopping you is not taking positive action consistently.

Carve out enough time away from competition to practice the serve drills outlined in this manual. Don‟t try to change your serve in the middle of the match. When you compete, that is the time to work on your competitive skills, focusing more on strategy and mental toughness.

Remember, you‟ve probably been serving a certain way for years. Give yourself a little time to get this right. Good things come to those who stick with the process and demonstrate patience consistently.

If you plan to play tennis for many years to come, and you‟re passionate about getting better, you can make these changes now and have a serve your friends and opponents will envy.

Thank you so much for being a dedicated player and going for it! Good luck and keep me posted on your progress. I would love to hear how awesomely you‟re doing with this program.


The 5 Day Serve Cure

Disclaimer: Consult your doctor, therapist and/or personal coach before starting any training program. You must

have a complete physical examination if you‟re sedentary; if you have high cholesterol, high blood pressure or diabetes; if you/re overweight; or if you‟re over 30 years old. Please discuss all exercise programs with your doctor, physical therapist and/or coach.

Here's how this is going to work. You‟ll get a five day program to follow. You can adjust it to your liking depending on what drills and exercises you feel you need to work on.

Do your best to carve out time each day to make this serve manual work for you. You can split the training sessions up into two 30-minute sessions or a longer one-hour session. If you work during the day, plan to use the weekend to fit both morning and afternoon sessions in on two out of the five days.

If you can‟t block this amount of time out of your schedule, 30-minute sessions each day can still make a huge difference in your serve. Even 15 minutes a day will do wonders for your serve development. You can repeat this five-day cycle as many times as you want until you master the drills and feel the results with your serve.

And of course, you can watch and apply the Instant Serve Cure Video Lessons to get the extra edge that you desire.

Get a journal and log your workouts, including the drills you performed. As you learn the drills and figure out which ones you need to use the most, you can incorporate them into your serve workouts in the future.


Here are the main areas that will be covered:

1. Feel the Grip

2. Get Comfortable in the Platform Stance

3. Master the First Move

4. Practice the Toss

5. Find the Trophy Position

6. How to Hit Topspin/Kick Serves

7. How to Establish Rhythm and Timing

8. Use the Legs

Each of the areas mentioned above will involve certain drills and concepts that you‟ll focus on not only throughout the next five days but for the rest of your serving career. There‟s a good chance you‟ll be challenged with these drills, which will require consistent practice and refinement on your part. You might even get frustrated at times. Be patient. You‟ll have HUGE breakthroughs when you stick with it.

I have set up Days 1 to 5 following a specific sequence of drills and concepts to incorporate into your training. You can deviate from the program if you feel you need to hone in on a certain aspect of your serve training.

Before you start a serve training session, be sure to incorporate a thorough warm up. Make sure you raise your core temperature and get your body moving so that you give yourself the best opportunity to prevent injuries and serve your best.

On the next page you‟ll find the daily dynamic warm-up routine that precedes each serve practice session. You can run through this series once or twice before starting your serve drills and even perform the exercises as a cool down.


Dynamic Warm-Up Routine

You can perform all these exercises before your serve practice. Go through this routine before days 1 through 5. Take 10–15 minutes to warm up by moving across the court while performing each exercise. For the exercises that are stationary, you can perform up to ten reps in one place. You can also perform these exercises as a cool down if you like.

Prisoner Squats

Start with the feet a little more than shoulder width apart

Turn the feet out slightly

Interlace the hands behind the head

Squat down as far as possible with good form and come back up

Keep the knees over the second toes without letting them inch forward

Perform 10 reps


Reverse Lunges

Stand with the arms extended above the head, palms facing each other

Step back with one leg into a reverse lunge position

The back knee should almost touch the ground

The front knee should not extend over the front toe

Keep the upper body upright with the arms still extended overhead

Straighten the legs and step back up to a standing position

Perform 5–10 reps on each side


Squat To Stand With Reach

Stand with the feet a little more than shoulder width apart

Hold the arms by the sides

Turn the feet out slightly

Bend over from the waist and grab both ankles

Squat down with the knees outside the elbows while looking straight ahead

Reach up with one arm, turning the head to look up at the arm

Put the hand back down on the ankle and repeat on the other side

Perform 5–10 reps


Bowler Squat

Stand with the feet a little less than shoulder width apart

Hold the arms by the sides

Shift your weight to balance on one leg

With the standing leg slightly bent, bend over from the waist

Reach across the body with one arm and attempt to touch the ground

Try to keep balanced on one leg while performing the movement

Return to an upright position while balancing on one leg

Perform 5–10 reps on one side

Repeat on the other side when ready


Spiderman

Stand straight with the arms by the sides

Lunge out and slightly to the side with one leg

Put the hands near the ground on the inside of the lunging leg

Feel the stretch in the hip flexor of the back leg

Step forward with the back leg, lunging out and slightly to the side


Perform 5–10 reps


Spiderman With Overhead Reach


Lunge out and slightly to the side with one leg



Rotate the body away from the front leg and reach the outside arm overhead

Step forward with the back leg, lunging out and slightly to the side



Rotate the body away from the front leg and reach the outside arm overhead

Perform 5–10 reps


Cradle Walk


Grab one leg at the ankle with both hands and pull it towards the body

Pull upwards on the bent leg while standing on the other leg

Extend up on the toes if possible

Feel the stretch in the hip on the outside of the held leg

Repeat with the other leg

Perform 5–10 reps


Shoulder Dislocations

Stand straight with the feet shoulder width apart

Grab a mini resistance band

Stretch the band apart with the arms straight in front of the body

Bring the arms up over the head and back down behind the body

Keep the arms as straight as possible while performing this movement

Feel a stretch while bringing the band back overhead and in front of the body

Perform 5–10 reps


Shoulder Circles Thumbs Forward


Make fists with the thumbs facing forward and the palms facing down

Raise the arms to the sides and make big circles forward

Perform 10 reps

Repeat as above but with big circles backward

Perform 10 reps


Shoulder Circles Thumbs Backward


Make fists with the thumbs facing backward and the palms facing up

Raise the arms to the sides and make big circles forward

Perform 10 reps

Repeat as above but with big circles backward

Perform 10 reps


Wrist Circles


Raise the arms slightly to the side, making fists with the hands

Rotate the wrists slowly with control in a clockwise direction

Perform 10 reps

Repeat in a counter-clockwise direction

Perform 10 reps


Continuous Swings

Stand on the baseline in a platform stance with a racquet and no ball

Line up the back foot behind the front foot

Without bending the knees, start moving the racquet

Perform a continuous natural serving motion without hitting a ball

Feel a natural shoulder turn in the trophy position

Reach up to the contact point and feel the racquet accelerate

Perform a full follow-through

Feel all your weight shift to the front foot at the end of the swing

Loop the racquet back to the starting position in a fluid manner

Feel your weight come back to the back foot to prepare for another swing

Repeat for multiple reps until ready to begin the training session


Day 1

Feel The Grip

The Continental Grip

Gives the ability to hit flat, topspin, and slice

The most commonly used grip

The knuckle of the index finger rests one bevel to the right of center

The Weak Continental Grip

Used by Pete Sampras

Allows for better pronation

Helps to generate more power

Closer to an eastern forehand but still continental

The index finger knuckle is slightly further right than in the continental grip

The heel of the hand is further right than in the continental grip


Get Comfortable In The Platform Stance

Makes the shoulder turn easier

Creates the stability to jump off both legs

Helps to establish rhythm, timing and flow

Choose A Platform Stance: The Federer And Sampras Options

Find a comfortable starting stance every time

The space between both feet is flexible depending on individual preference

Sampras: start with your weight on the back foot and hold the front toe up

Federer: start with the weight on the front foot then shift back

The key is to find a comfortable, relaxed stance before making the first move


Hand And Racquet Position

The Sampras Start

Put your weight on the back foot before the making the first move

Have the racquet head pointing to the net and slightly up

Relax and bend the arms

Look over the non-dominant shoulder at the target

Using the fingers of the opposite hand, hold the throat of the racquet

The Federer Start

Put your weight on the front foot before making the first move

Have the racquet head pointing down towards the ground

Relax and allow the arms to hang down towards the ground

Look over the net at the target



Master The First Move

The Mini First Move: Against The Fence Drill

Stand about six inches to a foot away from the fence

Start in the platform stance with a racquet

Hold the racquet in the start position

Make a mini first move by leading with the shoulders

Move the racquet towards the back fence while keeping the arms relaxed

Keep looking over the non-dominant shoulder during the first move

Feel the racquet strings brush against the back fence

Perform 2 sets of 5–10 reps


The Mini First Move: No Racquet Drill

Start in the platform stance without a racquet


Feel a small shoulder turn as the relaxed arms start to move

Look over the non-dominant shoulder at the target area


The Mini First Move: Shadow Swings Drill







Practice The Toss

The Two Fingertip Hold Toss Drill

Hold the ball between the middle or index finger and the thumb

Make sure the other fingers are not touching the ball

Release the ball with the middle/index finger and the thumb

Attempt to toss the ball with very little or no spin


The Fingertip Toss Hold Drill

Hold the ball softly with all the fingers

The thumb, index and, middle fingers will feel most of the pressure

The ring and pinky finger will rest gently along the side of the ball

Hold the ball like this for 5–10 seconds or until it feels comfortable



The Release The Ball Near Head Level Drill


Make the first move with a shoulder turn

Release the ball at head level

Keep the racquet hand lower than the tossing hand while releasing the ball


Attempt to have the ball land on the ground in front of the body


The Toss And Land Drill

Lay out a racquet inside the court in front of the body


Practice tossing the ball so that it lands on the racquet placed on the ground

Adjust the toss to get the ball to land on the racquet consistently

Practice tossing the ball so that it has little or no spin



Find The Trophy Position

The Trophy Position Hold: 3/4 Serve Shadow Swing Drill

Start with the racquet arm in the 3/4 serve position down by the side

Make the first move by leading with the shoulders

Bend the serving arm from the 3/4 position into the trophy position

Feel a slight knee bend with good balance on both feet

Extend the tossing arm up towards the sky

Find a proper trophy position and hold the position for 5–10 seconds (or more)



The Trophy Position Hold: Shadow Swing Drill



Move the tossing arm up faster than the serving arm

Extend the tossing arm up towards the sky

Feel a slight knee bend with good balance on both feet

Find a proper trophy position and hold the position for 5–10 seconds (or more)



The Trophy Position Hold: Toss The Ball Drill



Release the ball as the tossing arm extends straight in the air

Find a proper trophy position while letting the ball drop to the ground

Hold the position for 5–10 seconds (or more)



How To Hit Topspin/Kick Serves

The Dirty Diaper On The Knees: Shadow Swing Drill

Lay a mat or towel down to provide cushioning for the knees

Kneel down on the mat with one knee on the ground

Push the foot into the ground behind the body for support

Choke up on the racquet using a continental grip

Start in a 1/2 serve position (not scratching the back)

Mimic a toss without a ball and create a topspin shadow serve swing motion

Finish with the racquet at the front of the body and the strings facing the body

Keep the body sideways, head tilted down, serving arm bent, shoulders tilted

This is the „dirty diaper finish‟ – hold it for a few seconds



The Dirty Diaper On The Knees: Basic Drill



Push the back foot into the ground behind the body for support



Toss a ball so that it arches over the head and perform a topspin serve swing

Finish with the racquet in front of the body and the strings facing the body



See if the ball goes high in the air over the net



The Dirty Diaper On The Knees: Open The Fingers Drill










Open the fingers at the end of the finish to promote proper relaxation



Day 2

Feel The Grip


Gives the ability to hit flat, topspin and slice

The most commonly used grip to use






















The Sampras Start






The Federer Start































Practice The Toss








Hold the ball with all the fingers softly

The thumb, index and middle fingers will feel most of the pressure










Attempt to toss the ball with very little or no spin Attempt to have the ball land on the ground in front of the body









Hold the position for 5–10 seconds (or more)



The Trophy Position Hold: Full Serve Toss The Ball Drill

Begin in preferred starting position: Federer or Sampras stance

Hold the ball and make the first move with both arms



Hold the position for 5–10 seconds (or more), noting how the body feels




The Dirty Diaper On The Knees: Shadow Swing Drill



Push the foot into the ground behind the body for support



Mimic a toss without a ball and create a topspin shadow serve swing motion

Finish with the racquet at the front of the body and the strings facing the body





The Dirty Diaper On The Knees: Pop The Ball Up Drill




Choke up on the racquet with a continental grip



Hit the ball as high as possible, stopping the follow-through at contact

Hold the finish for a few seconds

Perform 2 sets of 5-10 reps















The Dirty Diaper On The Knees: Standing Drill

Start in a 1/2 serve position with the ball

Choke up with a continental grip

Toss the ball so that it is above the head and perform a topspin serve swing




See if the ball goes high in the air above the net Perform 2 sets of 5–10 reps


How To Establish Rhythm And Timing

The Walking Serve Drill


Start on the baseline in a platform stance

Try keeping the back foot more in line with the front foot

Hold a few balls in the hand or the pocket

Take a small step forward with the front foot while tossing the ball

Swing naturally without jumping

While making contact, start to bring the back foot forward

Take the next ball and repeat the walking serve

Repeat, moving towards the net until no more balls are left

Perform 5–10 reps


The Continuous Swing Drill


Try to keep the back foot more in line with the front foot


Swing naturally without bending the legs

Perform shadow strokes first or hit the ball with a continuous swing

Shift all your weight to the front foot while making contact

The back foot should lift up as the swing finishes

Bring the racquet through continuously from the finishing to the starting position

Repeat until no balls are left, minimizing intervals between swings

Perform 5–10 reps


Use The Legs

The 1/2 Serve Jump And Hit Drill

Stand in a platform stance with the racquet in the 1/2 serve position

Toss the ball, bend the knees and jump up to hit the ball

Extend the legs explosively while accelerating the racquet

Be aware of the finish at the end of the serve











Day 3

Feel The Grip

























The Sampras Start






The Federer Start













The racquet moving towards the back fence while keeping the arms relaxed


















Practice The Toss



























Release the ball as tossing arm goes extends straight in the air

Find a proper trophy position while letting the ball drop on the ground

Hold the position for time

Repeat this drill while holding each rep for 5-10 seconds (or more)



The Trophy Position Hold: Full Serve Toss The Ball Drill

Begin in preferred starting position: Federer or Sampras stance




Hold the position for 5–10 seconds (or more), noting how the body feels














Perform 5–10 reps











Repeat until no balls are left, minimising intervals between swings

Perform 5–10 reps























See if the ball goes high in the air above the net



Use The Legs
















Putting It All Together: Full Serve Motion

Get into the platform stance: use the Federer or Sampras stance

Focus on getting in a comfortable starting position

Feel the shoulder turn with the first move


Bend the serving arm and relax into the trophy position

Bend the knees and extend the legs explosively towards the ball

Make contact and land on the front foot

Repeat for 5–10 minutes until satisfied


What Do You Need? Choose Your Drill(s)

At the end of the practice session, pick a few drills to spend more time on. Choose any of the drills outlined in the 5 Day Serve Cure.

Write down the drills you performed and how long you spent practicing them here:


Day 4

Feel The Grip

























The Sampras Start






The Federer Start































Practice The Toss


































Perform 5–10 reps












Perform 5–10 reps










See if the ball goes high in the air above the net



The Dirty Diaper On The Knees: 3/4 Serve Standing Drill With Ball

Begin standing in a 3/4 serve position with the ball


Toss a ball above the head and perform a topspin serve swing




See if the ball goes high in the air above the net Perform 2 sets of 5–10 reps


Use The Legs









The Full Serve Jump Over The Line Drill

Apply a piece of tape to the ground just inside the baseline



Aim to jump over the piece or tape

















Day 5

Feel The Grip

























The Sampras Start






The Federer Start































Practice The Toss


































Perform 5–10 reps
















Use The Legs























Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How do I best change my grip if have been using a forehand grip for years? A: This is one of the most difficult challenges you will face. Changing from a forehand grip to a continental grip requires a lot of patience and practice. Dedicate time to practice the continental grip by mastering the dirty diaper drill from your knees. When you get on your knees and perform the correct movement with the dirty diaper, you are forced to learn the correct technique with the right grip.

Q: How do I follow the 5 Day Serve Cure if I can‟t get court time? A: In warm weather climates, you should be able to find a court somewhere outside to practice the 5 Day Serve Cure program. In colder climates where courts are scarce, find a gym or a room with a high ceiling and do the drills without a ball. If you can perform the drills by holding positions and doing shadow strokes, you can really transform your serve even without a ball.

Q: How often do I need to practice the serve drills to be „cured‟ in five days? A: Five days is a short length of time to transform your serve. If you practice for just one hour per day, you will take a huge leap towards making significant serve progress. The good news is that even if it does not happen in five days, you can repeat the program as many times as you need to let it sink in. Just be aware of what your body, and particularly your shoulders, are telling you. If you are not used to such intense practice, build up gradually to serving thirty minutes to an hour a day. You can also follow the program every other day to give yourself a day off.

Q: What drills can I practice at home without being on a tennis court? A: You can practice almost all the drills at home as long as you have enough space. You can definitely hold your trophy position, practice the first move, get comfortable in your stance, and hold the dirty diaper position.

Q: How do I follow the cure if I only have 15 minutes per day? A: Fifteen minutes is better than nothing. Taking 15 minutes of positive serve action daily will make a world of difference. In fact, 15 minutes every day will benefit your serve even more than an hour twice per week, because you are constantly reinforcing what you are learning and forming great habits with your serve.


Q: How can you cure my serve in only five days? It takes years to develop a good serve.

A: It depends where you are with your serve. It might take you a few months to develop a correct serve if you have to dramatically change your technique. However, the results can come fast – yes, in as little as five days – with the drills and step-by-step progressions that I have outlined in this manual. You may have developed your serve over many years, and if you have some bad habits they will be difficult to break. But stick with it – the 5 Day Serve Cure and the Instant Serve Cure can help you break old habits and establish new ones so that you can transform your serve.

Q: What drills should I do if my serve is too flat?

A: The dirty diaper drill will go a long way toward helping you add more spin and feel to your serve. You can also practice curling the hand at the finish. Just changing your hand position at the end of the serve can add more spin, feel and control to your serve.

Q: How do I get more power on my serve? A: There are many ways to increase power on the serve. First, check your grip to make sure that your hand is loose. Then take a look at your first move and trophy position. Without a good shoulder turn and a proper first move that leads into a solid trophy position, you will not be able to generate maximum power on your serve. You can also improve your racquet head acceleration by performing walking serves and continuous serves. Don‟t forget to get on your knees and practice pronating as well. Taking your legs out of the serve will teach you how to move a relaxed arm for power.

Q: What drills do I perform to learn a great topspin kicker 2nd serve? A: The dirty diaper drill from the knees and standing drills are the best drills to practice to learn the topspin kick serve.

Q: Will using the topspin/kick serve damage my arm?

A: It‟s important to listen to your body and your shoulder. If you ever feel pain in your shoulder performing any drill, stop immediately. As long as you follow this advice, the topspin/kick serve will not cause any damage. If your arm hurts, it doesn‟t necessarily mean your technique is wrong. The reality is that that your body and shoulder might not be able to handle the forces generated by a specific motion. A solid shoulder program will reduce your chance of injuries.


Q: My local tennis pro says I shouldn‟t worry about a topspin/kick serve

because only very advanced players use it. Should I just stick with my slice serve

instead?

A: It‟s great to have all the serves: flat, kick, and slice. If you learn the topspin/kick serve, it will make your serve that much more dangerous, but you can still have an effective serve if you prefer to slice and if that type of serve is easier for you. It really depends on what your aims are as a player and how much time you have to devote to mastering all the serves. Generally speaking, the more advanced you are as a player, the easier it will be to develop the topspin/kick serve.

Q: What is the difference between the „kick serve‟ and the „American Twist‟?

A: To be honest, I don‟t get into the variations between the kick and the American Twist. The important thing is to learn the proper technique for the topspin/kick, the flat and the slice serve. In my opinion, you do not need to learn the „American Twist‟.

Q: I have been playing tennis a long time. Will it be difficult to unlearn all those years of incorrect serving habits?

A: Changing old habits on the serve is challenging. The good news is that I have designed specific drills and techniques for you to systematically follow so that you can make these adjustments. If you want to change your serve for the better, be prepared to apply the right information and the right drills into your practices. Persistence and determination through this process will give you the extra edge.

Q: Can I get more power on my serve if I bend my knees more? A: Most players do not use their legs correctly. They either bend their knees too much, not enough, or at the wrong time so the power in the legs does not transfer up into the serve. Before focusing on your knee bend, ensure that your shoulder and arm motion is fluid and technically sound. You should be able to feel effortless power from a loose arm and solid upper body mechanics. Only then should you try to sync your legs and the knee bend to get even more out of your serve.

Q: What is a good technique to stay loose with my serving arm and grip?

A: Start by becoming aware of how you hold the racquet. You can even open your fingers before serving to remind yourself to relax your hand. Another tip is to shake out your arm and feel it hang by your side before serving. You want the arm to feel loose and relaxed at all times. Another great strategy is to relax and open the fingers at the end of the swing. This will remind you to reduce tension and feel looser.


Q: What is a better stance: the platform or pinpoint stance? A: Both stances can work for you. Many great servers have used both of these stances with great success. It often comes down to personal preference. I served well with both stances throughout my career but gravitated toward the platform stance during the best years of my pro tennis life. I prefer the platform stance because you can jump off both legs when you serve, giving you better stability. With both feet stable before jumping, you remove one variable from the serve by not moving the back foot before contact. Typically, you can turn your shoulder better when you make the first move from a platform stance as well.

Q: Do I toss the ball to the same place for both the first and second serve?

A: Typically, you‟ll have a different toss for your first and second serves. I like the first serve toss to be above the dominant shoulder or even above the dominant ear. I like the second serve toss to be above the head or even above the non-dominant ear to get more topspin on the serve. If you prefer to slice the serve and want to have a different toss, hit the ball outside your dominant shoulder line. This slice toss position is not recommended for highly advanced players but can help those players who prefer a slice serve to a topspin serve.

Q: On my first serve I often hit the ball long even though I am throwing the ball out in front of me. What am I doing wrong?

A: It is hard to see exactly what is going wrong, but one concept that might help is to feel like you are „dunking‟ the ball or getting on top of it. When the ball goes long, there is a chance you„re hitting up or pushing out too much instead of getting on top of the ball to hit down on the serve. Alternatively, aim lower over the net or aim short in the service box. These techniques can force you to „dunk‟ the ball more.

Q: I am currently working with a local tennis instructor but really like the material you have on serving. How should I approach it with my instructor?

A: If you think your coach is open minded and willing to help, you can show them what you‟re learning and see how they react. Another option is to study the 5 Day Serve Cure and The Instant Serve Cure on your own and practice the drills and concepts away from your coach. You can work with your coach on other aspects of your game.


Q: My coach tells me to focus on placement rather than speed right now. Does your serving technique help with placement and speed?

A: The Instant Serve Cure serving techniques will help with both speed and placement. The cool thing about what I teach is that it all just works naturally when you get the technique and feeling right. Keep practicing the drills and concepts in this program so that you can increase speed. However, when you play matches, you might have to focus more on placement so that you are able to serve consistently under pressure until you master the new adjustments to your serve.

Q: After practicing my serves for an extended period of time, my shoulder hurts for the next couple days. Is this normal?

A: This is not normal. You should not have pain in your shoulder. Either your technique is incorrect or your body can‟t handle the forces generated by your serving motion. Seek a doctor or a physical therapist to address these issues. A program like this will go a long way toward eliminating the pain in your shoulder.

Q: If my dominant shoulder hurts after playing tennis, should I put ice on it? A: I am not a medical professional and cannot offer specific advice on this. I am not a big ice guy, but sometimes it can help alleviate pain and inflammation after intense serving. Try to figure out why your shoulder is hurting by consulting with a doctor and/or therapist who can help you. Give your shoulder appropriate rest and address your technique and off court shoulder rehab program as well


What‟s Next? After finishing the 5 Day Serve Cure Program, you may repeat the program multiple times if desired. If you do choose to repeat this program, it will really cement the skills needed to develop a great serve no matter what your age. There is no rule that says you can‟t rotate through the exercises and drills outlined in this manual over and over again. You will be reinforcing the correct habits and motor patterns that most players do not have.

If you choose to perform the 5 Day Serve Cure repeatedly, make sure to rest a few days in between, particularly if you are uncomfortable or sore. You don‟t want to overdo it and create too much fatigue or even an injury. You can choose to practice your serve every other day to let your arm and body rest since many of these motions will be new to you.


Here‟s what some students have said about my serve lessons:

„Being able to actually serve awesome[ly] himself and coach all the methods he learned is extremely rare! I know I am learning from the right person! Jeff has dissected my serve from every angle and deserves all the credit for making that change with me! Through many intense on-court and off-court sessions, video analysis, shadow strokes, and body position awareness exercises, I have been able to learn EXACTLY what areas of my serve I need to improve. Thanks Jeff for transforming my serve and continuing to give me the guidance I need!‟

Michael Rubin, ATP Professional Tennis Player

„Our son Nicholas was just a tennis novice at the age of nine. Since meeting Jeff, just a year ago, he [has] climbed to #1 in Boys‟ 10 in Colorado and #71 in Boys‟ 12 in the Intermountain section. Jeff has done a phenomenal job in providing parents and junior players with all the necessary tools to quickly develop a powerful, winning serve. His great tennis mind combined with the most brilliant insights gleaned from the top players along with his own unique experience helps Jeff create a simple, intelligent, and teachable format that makes kids learn quicker than we ever thought possible.‟

Vlad & Natalia Svichar, parents of Nicholas Svichar

„A lot of people can play, few can teach – Jeff is the real deal! As someone who started late in life and played for five years with a couple [of] years off due to injuries from various sports caused by poor teaching methodology, I feel confident that I‟m going to improve each month and will get the pro service motion I seek – thanks to you Jeff!‟

Fay Kelley, Figure Skating Coach

„His attention to detail combined with his creative visualization techniques took my serve to the next level. Something that had frustrated me for months was fixed in a matter of minutes. Thanks Jeff!‟

Taylor Lawton, Adult 4.0 Player


„I was fortunate to spend some of my 2012 pre-season working with Jeff and learning from him. One area of my game that we spent a good bit of time on was my serve. He helped me make very minor adjustments to my service motion and grip, but I was able to have great results immediately. He helped me adjust my grip in a way that allowed me to get more pronation on my serve, which led to a lot more power, and also helped me straighten my tossing arm, which resulted in a much more fluid and balanced motion. The serve is arguably the most important shot in tennis and Jeff has really mastered it. If you ask anyone who played on the tour with Jeff what his main strengths were, they will tell you he had one of the best serves out there.‟

James McGee, ATP Pro and Irish Davis Cup Player

„At my age, trying to unlearn old muscle memory and learn the motion performed by most of the tour pros is more of a journey than a short term process, but it is a blast! Jeff breaks everything down to the minute detail that you need – and don‟t get from other teaching pros. Jeff also gives you the drills to help form new motion habits. His is the most efficient service motion I have found. You also learn why the pros do what they do. Heck, just the forearm-wrist snap he taught me gave me an extra 10 mph. Jeff‟s serve instruction is simply the most informative and best. I know my dream will come true!‟

Jeff McCalmon, Adult 3.5 Player

„I was amazed at the level of detail you provided in the two and a half hours we spent together. No other teacher has spent more than 20 minutes on my serve. The most pleasing piece of the lesson is that I have maintained the positive changes on my serve for the past two months. Not only do I get more spin and power, but I don‟t experience any pain while serving. I have also noticed and my teammates have noticed that my first serve “takes off” after it hits the court. I am holding serve in league play much easier now. And four out of five players who use to get my first serve back with no problem are now lunging and barely getting it back. Even more interesting is that the pro at our club said there is a difference between “night and day” on my serve.

Just in one lesson! Thanks so much for your quality instruction.‟

Todd, 4.5 Player, Cincinnati, Ohio


„I played Div 1 college tennis and am still playing 5.5 and Open USTA league tennis. I came to Jeff with one mission: to put some velocity on my serve. Three small changes and 15 minutes later he had me serving 10–20 mph faster with less effort. What‟s more is my shoulder no longer hurts if I go after a bad toss. I‟d say that was worth the price of admission!‟

David Smith, Clinic Owner and Director of San Francisco Egoscue Method

Documents

The 5 Day Serve Cure - Amazon S3...With the 5 Day Serve Cure, you can learn which drills to practice so that you can change your serve to one that truly resembles what the best players