Pronation in the tennis serve
Checkpoint 8 of 9 Rated by Pavel
Pronation is how your forearm turns through contact: the racket travels to the ball on its edge, then your forearm turns out so the strings meet the ball.
The racket travels to the ball on its edge, then your forearm turns out through contact so the strings meet the ball. Without it, you push the ball flat or slice everything.
Drills to fix your pronation
- 1
Edge, then turn
Slow shadow swings: lead with the racket edge, turn the strings to face the target just before contact, and finish with your palm facing out.
3 sets of 10, then 10 serves at half pace
- 2
Fence serves
Stand 3 metres from the fence with a continental grip and serve into it. You can only hit it square if your forearm turns out.
3 sets of 8
What your body is doing
Forearm pronators and the shoulder’s inward rotators turn the racket through the ball.
Watch Pavel explain it
Plays from YouTube.
How to practise it
- Watch the video first. Then copy the drills slowly, without a ball.
- Practise little and often. Five to ten minutes before each session, for two weeks.
- Add the ball at half pace. Keep the feeling for 10 to 20 serves before you build up speed.
- Check your progress. After two weeks, film one serve side-on and scan it again to compare.
Check the rest of your serve
Film one serve on your phone. Serve Scan tracks your body, scores your serve out of 100 and shows where it leaks power. Your pronation is one Pavel judges by eye, and your report shows how to get it checked on the same video. Free, and your video stays on your phone.
Questions
What is the pronation in a tennis serve?
Pronation is how your forearm turns through contact: the racket travels to the ball on its edge, then your forearm turns out so the strings meet the ball.
How can I check my pronation?
This one is hard for a camera to judge, so it isn’t in the automatic score. Film one serve side-on and run it through the free Serve Scan: your report shows how to get it checked by Pavel on the same video.
How long does it take to improve?
Practise little and often. Five to ten minutes before each session, for two weeks. Check your progress. After two weeks, film one serve side-on and scan it again to compare.