Tennis Flat Serve Kinematic Features in Young Athletes: A Feasibility Study

Year 2025, Volume: 8 Issue: 1, 83 - 91

Sang-hyup Choı , Yong-gwan Song

Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine body kinematics in tennis straight serve. 5 elite male tennis players (mean age 18.4±3.3 years, mean height 182.3±5.6 cm, mean weight 72.2±7.9 kg) were included in the study. We determined the angle of inclination from the ball to the body and the impact position of the ball during serve movements of young male tennis players at the center and sideline. The collected data on ball impact height, front and back distance of the front foot from ball impact, angle of incidence, and overall inclination using a motion head device (i.e., Dartfish motion program). Repeated measures ANOVA was used to determine the athletes' serve performance. Result: tennis serve skill with player A, B and C, the angle of incidence showed a significant main effect in both performances (p<.05) and training period (p<.001), and the interaction between performance and training period was also significant (p<.01). Tennis serve skill with player D and E, the angle of incidence did not show a main effect in the performance, and the main effect was significant in the training period (p<.001). However, the interaction between performance and training period was not significant. In conclusion, the result showed that young players improved their tennis serve success rates and ball striking heights after training. These findings show that tennis serve training and kinematic analysis can improve tennis serve skills.

Keywords

Tennis, Centerline, Sideline, Flat Serve, Impact Height, Ball-To-Body Tilt, Incidence Angle

Project Number

None

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