Okay, so I’ve been trying to get this “wrist pronate” thing down, mostly because I saw some cool serves online and wanted to give it a shot. Here’s how it went, more or less.
First Attempts – Total Flop
I started by just mimicking what I saw. Grabbed a racket, went outside, and… yeah, it was bad. Balls flying everywhere, no control, felt awkward as heck. I thought I was doing it right, but clearly, I wasn’t even close.
Digging Deeper – Finding Some Clues
So, back to the drawing board. I watched a bunch more videos, really paying attention this time. I noticed a few key things:
- It’s not just about snapping your wrist. It’s more like a… turning motion.
- The arm stays relatively loose. It is not stiff at all.
- Timing is everything. You pronate just before hitting the ball.
Practice, Practice, Practice (and Fail, Fail, Fail)
Armed with this new (slightly better) understanding, I went back out. I started slow, just tossing the ball up and focusing on the pronation. No power, just trying to get the feel of it. I did this:
- Toss, turn, tap. That was my mantra.
- I tried to feel the racket head “brushing” the back of the ball.
- I probably did this about a hundred times. Seriously.
It still felt weird, and a lot of my taps went sideways. But every now and then, I’d get a hint of that satisfying “thwack” sound. Progress, maybe?
Adding Some Power (Slowly)
Once I felt like I was getting the basic motion down, I started adding a little bit of power. I still wasn’t going for full serves, just trying to get a feel for how the pronation works with a bit more force.
More misses, more shanks, more balls bouncing off the fence. But, slowly, I started to see some improvement. The ball was going straighter, and I was getting a little more pop on it.
Still a Work in Progress
I’m definitely not “there” yet. My serves are still inconsistent, and I’m sure my form isn’t perfect. But I’m starting to see the potential. I can feel the extra power and spin that pronation can generate. And that makes the whole, frustrating process kind of… worth it.
I will keep at it. Slow and steady. Keep on practicing.