Milos Raonic possesses one of the most powerful serves in men’s tennis, striking fear into the hearts of his opponents, clocking in at 155 mph, which amongst the fastest in the world. To provide context on that, that’s the speed limiter in German cars nowadays.
Breaking down Raonic’s serve is a challenge for even the best players on tour. Its mysticism in power leaves tennis fans in awe of how such a served could be harnessed. Of course, being 6’5 gives him a huge advantage over shorter players but the pace he generates is primarily due to stunning technique.
Grip
Most professionals use a continental grip on their serve, otherwise known as “hammer grip.” To do this, hold the racquet like a hammer by resting the heel pad and index knuckle on bevel #2 (for righties) or bevel #8 (for lefties). The thumb and index finger will then create a “V” shape on that part of the racquet, which means the grip is correct. Holding the racquet this way not only allows players to generate lots of power, but also a variety of different spins with maximum control. Raonic, along with all of the other players on the professional circuit, use this grip.
Stance
There are two types of serving stances; the platform and pinpoint stance. The platform stance is where both feet are stationary to the ground while bending down to launch upwards to the ball. Conversely, the pinpoint stance is where the back foot is pulled towards the front foot shortly after the ball toss. Both stances are correct and players on the professional circuit use either one. Raonic uses the platform stance, meaning his body weight is equally distributed on both feet, allowing him to maintain balance when he jumps up to the ball. The amount of stability he gets while doing this is also one of the reasons why he is able to generate so much power when he hits the ball.
Toss
The toss is arguably the most important step because it ultimately determines the outcome of the serve. Tossing the ball in the right place is key to gaining maximum control on the ball. The best place to toss is slightly out in front of the body, which is just inside the baseline if it were to land. The toss should also be at the player’s highest peak. If it is too high, it will disrupt the flow of the service motion because it is out of their range. On the other hand, a low toss will disable the player from hitting at the highest point, which is the main point of contact.
Service motion
While doing the service motion, it is important to keep a loose grip on the racquet. This relaxes the muscles, allowing players to build up to the acceleration on the contact point. Raonic does this getting into a rhythm –he goes slow in his service motion before accelerating so that he can gain maximum power when hits the ball. One thing he never does, though, is stop the racquet while he is in the motion. Recreational-level players sometimes have a tendency to go fast right off the bat, forcing them to briefly stop their motion in the middle before continuing. Once this happens, it is impossible to gain power on the serve because the fluidity of the motion has been disrupted. Going slow before speeding up prevents that from happening, which is why building rhythm is extremely crucial.
Contact point and finish
It is important for players to hit the ball up to the highest point because that is how to gain maximum power on the serve. Fully extending the arm to hit the ball with a straight racquet face also improves accuracy because it helps players hit on a downward trajectory. To do this, players need to contact the ball out in front of their bodies by having a reliable toss. After doing this and pronating at the top, players finish the service motion by allowing the racquet to fall across their bodies at the waist.