Flick Serve Troubles

Discussion in 'General Forum' started by Kenny, Mar 20, 2004.

  1. Kenny

    Kenny Regular Member

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    I am having problems with my Flick Serve, I flick it and all but it doesn't seem to go high enough, and when it goes high, the shuttle goes right in the middle of the court resulting in a smash to the face. Any tips anyone? Thanks
     
  2. kwun

    kwun Administrator

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    hm.... let me try the obvoius:

    hit it harder?

    otherwise, you need to tell us more specifics... your question is a big vague.
     
  3. taneepak

    taneepak Regular Member

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    The backhand serve must be done with the elbow high and wrist cocked back. The flick serve cannot be done without the cocked wrist. There are two variants to the backhand serve in doubles: 1. The racquet in the backswing may be drawn back under the left armpit and then swept down in a long, smooth forward swing. 2. The other method is to hold the racquet at an angle of 45 degrees or between 45 degrees to almost 90 degrees, with the shuttle close to the racquet.
    You can use the older type of serve (1) to serve high as it uses backswing, but it doesn't have the element of surprise of method 2. The second method uses a minimum amount of backswing and is more difficult to distinguish a low and a flick service. Holding the racquet towards the 90 degrees angle (method 2) should give you a better flick serve, but you must cock your wrist before taking the serve and then uncock it as you flick with a minimum of backswing.
    If you are right-handed, your right foot should be in front of your left foot (not the other way around) and should be pointing towards your opponent.
     
  4. Kenny

    Kenny Regular Member

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    tanee pak if you could, please post some pictures on the 3 methods, Thanks
     
  5. gerry

    gerry Regular Member

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    I disagree....I suppose it depends on our perceptions of " cocked wrist", when I'm in the ready position for serving my wrist is certainly not cocked. I work with some very good players and can still deceive most of them.






    Many players stand with left foot forward and others with both feet just behind the front service line. It just depends on whatever feels comfortable for you although in saying that I do recommend racket foot forward. Just look at the players at any of the big tourneys and you will see all different stances.
     
  6. Cheung

    Cheung Moderator

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    For an example of a right handed player serving with left foot forward, watch Martin Lundgaard.
     
  7. taneepak

    taneepak Regular Member

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    No, I don't have any pictures of the 3 methods of the backhand serve.
    The first one, with the backswing under the armpit, is simply to get enough leverage, because backhand serves, unlike forehand serves, have limited backswing.
    The other 2 methods have even more limited backswing, as the racquet head is close to your body below the waist. Cocking and then uncocking your wrist in such crowded space will give you extra leverage for the flick without the tell-tale sign of the backswing : such a flick will be almost indistinguisable from the low serve and has the greatest element of surprise. If you do not cock and uncock your wrist, you will have to get a bigger backswing for the flick and the element of surprise is not as great, because a bigger backswing is more noticeable by your opponent.
    Holding the racquet at 45 degrees from the horizontal plane is the usual stance. If you want to flick a bit higher and further, holding the racquet at an angle greater than 45 degrees should help.
     
  8. dingolphie

    dingolphie Regular Member

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    footwork

    the flick serve works for me if i time my racket swing correctly when i switch my weight forwards. That means i dont have to force the shuttle with my wrist and can keep my wrist relaxed so that i can change the direction as the last second :)

    Confusing?
     
  9. Benasp

    Benasp Regular Member

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    i play mixt (behind the girl for serv) and when i flick my goal is to keep the bird as low as possible and near the center line. i think its the only way to get a good long serv in double otherwise youll get an automatic smash. you can maybe flick when the opponent cheat a lot in front
     
  10. Neil Nicholls

    Neil Nicholls Regular Member

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    Holding the racquet at a different angle for low and flick serves would give a clue to the receiver as to what sort of serve is coming.
     
  11. taneepak

    taneepak Regular Member

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    Very true, that is why it is best to hold the racquet at an angle closer to 90 degrees and keep it there for all your backhand serves.
     
  12. svey001

    svey001 Regular Member

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    Cocked wrist

    Gerry,

    How do you generate the racquet head speed needed to flick a serve if your serve movement doesn't start with a cocked wrist? (cocked wrist for me means wrist folded at more or less 90 degrees to the fore arm)
     
  13. gerry

    gerry Regular Member

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    Re: Cocked wrist

    I can only describe it as a fast snap of the wrist/fingers, I use a very short backhand grip and only take the head of the racket back about 4/5" with no follow through just a fast tapping action.......I suppose that as I use the term " fast snap of the wrist" you could say that's a cocked wrist..........but it isn't......from my elbow to my grip the arm is straight, the only time the wrist moves is to take the head back a very small way as I said the head comes back about 4/5" but the wrist hardly moves at all, that's why it's deceptive.
    I'm sure this is about as clear as mud but you'd really need to be standing in front of me to really see what I mean, all I can say is that 95% of the returns are just clears because I usually catch them out with it and they are all decent players, actually most are half my age and are county standard.
     
  14. taneepak

    taneepak Regular Member

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    Compared with the forehand serve, the backhand serve uses more wrist work, as the arm position is fixed and any arm movement is limited.
     
  15. Gollum

    Gollum Regular Member

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    Whether to use a short or long arm swing (on the backhand serve) is very much a matter of preference. Some people use only their wrist with no arm movement; others use the forearm as well.

    I use both forearm and wrist movement, but it is no less deceptive than a "wrist serve". To do a flick serve, I use exactly the same slow, smooth forward movement as for the low serve, except that at the very end I press hard with my thumb to flick the wrist. I also use a very short grip.

    I find that the smooth motion helps me to relax my arm and wrist, giving an effortless flick. If I use a wrist serve, my flick is likely to go too flat since the arm and wrist are tense. But like I said, it's a matter of preference.
     
  16. Kelvin

    Kelvin Regular Member

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    your racquet face is unstable at point of contact, and you also need to learn how to direct the shuttle properly as the distribution of force for you will more than likely be straight up, rather than up and out.

    Start with racquet and shuttle position during the serve, make sure you hold the racquet steady, and then push the shuttle out, just kind of, use the racquet face to just shove the shuttle out, like when you're shooing away a fly. Like you dont want the shuttle so just shove it away from you.

    It's all about technique, and will take practice.
    That is the same advice I receive from my coach.

    Stable racquet, and shoo away :D

    Practice, practice, practice. It's all about the basics.
     

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