So the video above, it could have been anyone, but I chose this one, is of one of my pupils practicing the serve.

Now if you watch the video at normal speed it probably for most of you out there, it looks Ok.But below I have taken a snap shot, and this is where the use of the video camera can really help you.

I don't think the majority of us players have any idea what we look like when we play, and I can still remember the first time I saw my self on a camera, I realised how bad my volley was..too much swing.

Well I learnt from that, and nowdays my volley is probably one of my best shots.

With modern video, slow motion analysis is extremely easy to produce. There are a host of very inexpensive, and some open source, video editing programs that are easy to use and permit slowing down the speed to half speed or even slower. Some camcorders allow you to record in "slow motion." I recommend that you do not use the camera's slow motion feature. Why? Well, you want to be able to see your strokes and movement in real time as well as in slow motion. Many of the editing programs available will allow for freeze framing as well.

So I took a snapshot from the above video, and here it is below

By using a snapshot, or just stopping the video if you are watching on the recorder, you can see one of the most important errors that Chris makes is his head...he drops his head and is NOT looking up at the ball, which of course then drops his hitting height..racket arm not fully extended.

Then by using existing photos of good technique( as above), he can compare his serve with that of a top player

But by him then seeing this, and he had no idea he did this, he can start to change, using the visual aids I have shown here.

So you folk out there in Los Gigantes are lucky, as I have a ball machine and camera......