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One of the weakest strokes I see on the pro tour is the female serve. All sorts of technical problems have plagued female players' serving motions and for some, such as Elena Dementieva, these problems most certainly cost them grand slam titles. The range of technical problems run the gamut - from distorted rhythm to severe technical limitations - and constitue a surprising chink in an otherwise technically superior sport.
When a female player comes along with a technically superior serve, it wields an enormous advantage. Venus and Serena, two of the best servers in the history of the game, have certainly reaped the rewards of having technically superior serving motions. Their advantage, of course, comes from sheer power. Venus holds the fastest female serve ever recorded at 129mph while Serena holds the second at 128mph, while also holding the record for the most aces served by a female player at a Grand Slam event.
And that's why I find Samantha Stosur to be so intriguing. Not only does Sam have the powerful first serve bomb, but she combines power and spin in a way that no other female player can. Her powerful first serve (third fastest ever recorded) is matched by a ferocious kick serve that literally pulls her opponent way off to the side of the court. It's a shot you just don't see on the women's tour.
"Due to its power, kick and variety, Stosur's serve is widely considered as one of the best on the women's tour. Her first serve, however erratic, reaches more than 118 mph (190 km/h) on a regular basis. Her second, a high bouncing kick serve, is highly rated as being the best second serve in the women's game by media and players alike, and was thought to play a key role in her French Open success in 2009 and 2010. One thing that Stosur has changed in her game, thanks to coach David Taylor is the fact that her serve has been less predictable with Stosur sometimes even using her kick serve as first serves. Her good serving motion has helped her overhead smashes and she rarely misses those shots."
Wikipedia
Of course I was dying to capture her ferocious kicker on film, and luckily found myself seated right behind her last year, high speed camera in hand. You can study the footage I took of her incredible kick serve here, in both slow motion and real time, as well as her flat bomb and her slice and topspin serves. See if you can identify how she gets such extreme torque on the ball, how she creates the variety of spins, and see if you can identify the key technical moves that lead to not only a great second serve, but a powerful first serve as well.
You might also be interested in checking out About.com's excellent photo study of Stosur's serve.