Mark Nixon · @markalannixon
29th Mar 2016 from TwitLonger
Gilles Simon and his coach Jan De Witt on Simon's new serve motion, quoted by Vincent Cognet in l'Équipe.
De Witt: "Gilles was serving well right up to the last Wimbledon. The problem started in Metz, in September. His shoulder had hindered him too much for us to be able to work on the shot. His game was very good in Metz except for his serve. We didn't work on his serve right up until the end of the year. Technically, it got worse and worse. Indoors in February, the problem had really become crucial."
Simon: "At Indian Wells, I got the impression I had to bounce the ball 56 times before serving. Above all, I want to toss the ball up where I want it. So the change is simple: I toss the ball up first, then start my serve motion after. Before, I was doing both at the same time. So I've basically just changed the rhythm of the motion."
De Witt: "It's not just about increasing the first serve percentage or serving harder. To be precise: the objective is a more stable motion in order to serve harder."
Simon:"If the ball toss 'moves' too much, you can't hit hard. Especially for a guy like me who isn't particularly robust. When I toss the ball where I want it, I can hit the ball very hard, like I do from the baseline. But I don't have the arm strength to move and compensate. From now on I just need time. It will all become automatic."
De Witt: "We're talking about the best players in the world. These guys know their business to their fingertips. Gilles knew he'd made the right choice after an hour. Anyway, there's no way I'd start a technical change in the middle of a season if I wasn't sure about a solving it in one or two days. Since Indian Wells, Gilles has already been able to serve at 210-212 kph."
Simon: "It's happened before that I've wanted to change something on my serve. Last year I made a technical change before Monte-Carlo. Today, I just need to find a rhythm. It's still not big, but it's only the first week. I'm hoping it will improve."