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Photo Study of Andy Roddick's Serve

By , About.com Guide

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Point of Contact

Point of ContactMark Dadswell / Getty Images
Despite all of the many variations in wind-up, leg thrust, spin, and grip you'll see among the world's best servers, one characteristic all great power serves have in common is full extension on contact with the ball.

Here, natural forearm pronation has brought Roddick's strings to face much more forward than they were a split second earlier, but they will still brush upward and across the ball at an angle, creating a mix of topspin and sidespin.

Some, but not too much, forward lean helps Andy drive the ball forward with more power. It's ideal to keep looking up at the ball through contact, but it's also awkward for many players, apparently including Andy.

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