Centre of Gravity
The centre of gravity has vital importance in the tennis serve. Blazevich (2012) describes the centre of gravity as being “the point in which all particles of the body are evenly distributed” (Blazevich, 2012). This is known to affect balance and momentum, which is vital in the tennis serve.
When taking into consideration the centre of gravity in the wind up phase of the serve, it can be seen that the centre of gravity shifts backwards which allows the racquet arm to be extended further behind the back. This allows for a greater distance on the swing which allows a more time for the racquet to accelerate and ultimately create a greater force. This will increase the speed of the serve.
Firstly the centre of gravity is shifted back in the wind up phase, which arches the body back and allows the racquet, arms and legs to stretch further back which increases the power of the serve (see strain energy). You can see this in my serves that those in which my torso is shifted backwards, the further the racquet moves back which increases power.
When taking into consideration the centre of gravity in the wind up phase of the serve, it can be seen that the centre of gravity shifts backwards which allows the racquet arm to be extended further behind the back. This allows for a greater distance on the swing which allows a more time for the racquet to accelerate and ultimately create a greater force. This will increase the speed of the serve.
Firstly the centre of gravity is shifted back in the wind up phase, which arches the body back and allows the racquet, arms and legs to stretch further back which increases the power of the serve (see strain energy). You can see this in my serves that those in which my torso is shifted backwards, the further the racquet moves back which increases power.
The centre of gravity has great importance in connection with the ‘follow through phase’ of the serve. The serve allows players to shift their body weight forward in the direction of the ball. This allows the server to create more power and momentum due to them shifting their body weight forward allowing connection with the ball and allowing a smoother follow through. This can be linked to the different aspects of the kinetic chain (see kinetic chain). However, it is important not to over balance during the serve as the serve is not the only aspect of the tennis game that needs to be focussed on. It is important to ensure that the server can remain stable and not over balance as this could affect how quickly and easily to move to reach to the next ball that is returned over the net.
The dot represents the centre of gravity.
This picture shows the centre of gravity shifting
forward to increase momentum and power
This picture shows the centre of gravity shifting
forward to increase momentum and power