Article tennis.com 19-01-07

New Nadal

Posted 01/19/2007 @ 2 :22 AM

Last night while watching the tube over here in OZ (ABC 7 shows the matches all day everyday), I began to notice something different about Rafael Nadal. No, it wasn't his amry green, camaflouged capri pants (although this morning on Australia's morning show, Sunrise, they were arguing about why Rafa gets so many wedgies). It was his serve.

His motion has changed. Correction -- his first serve motion has changed. Take a look at these two clips and see if you can spot the difference. I'll explain more after the clips.

Nadal vs. Federer, Shanghai 2006 (old serve, about :31 in)

Nadal vs. Kohlschreiber, Australian 2007 (new first serve, about 1:50 in)

Use this link to view Nadal via Australian Open TV from Thursday, January 18. (I'll keep looking for another clip in the meantime.)

So what's different on the first serve? He seems to be taking a few cues from Federer with his starting motion, leaning slightly forward and then quickly raising both arms up in unison. On TV, Darren Cahill noticed this and thought that it was due to Nadal trying to get more power on his flat serve (taking some of the complication out of his hitchy serve).

Oddly enough, when Nadal missed a first serve, he then reverted back to his original delivery for the second. Not sure why -- maybe it's easier to generate spin/kick that way. Or maybe the whole thing is just mental.

Regardless, it seems to be working for him so far. But look for it the next time he's on the tele.

http://tennisworld.typepad.com/backcourt_framed/2007/01/new_nadal.html