The trophy position: the serve fix that changed Richard Branson's serve

If your serve feels like a push, the problem usually happens before you swing. The trophy position is the loaded moment between the toss and the swing, and getting it right is the quickest serve fix there is.

Trophy position vs. "bird" position

In the trophy position, your tossing arm points up at the ball, your hitting elbow is up around shoulder height, the racket head points up, and your knees are bent with the weight loaded on the back leg. From the side you look like the figure on top of a trophy.

The common mistake is what Fawz calls the bird position: both arms drop and flap out to the sides, the elbow collapses against the body and the racket hangs behind the back. From there you can only push the ball.

The elbow gap

The single cue that fixes most serves: keep a big gap between your hitting elbow and your body. When the elbow is tucked in, your shoulder cannot rotate and the racket cannot drop behind you to build speed.

It works at every level. Fawz gave this tip to Sir Richard Branson while coaching at Kasbah Tamadot in Morocco, and Branson later told him: "One of the best tips you gave me was to keep a massive gap between my elbow and my body when serving, and it's transformed my serve ever since."

Three steps to a better trophy position

1. Toss and freeze

Toss the ball and stop in the trophy position without hitting. Let the ball drop. Check: tossing arm up, elbow up and away from your body, knees bent. Do 10 in a row before you serve.

2. Start from the trophy

Begin already in the trophy position, toss, and swing up to the ball. Removing the backswing teaches your body what the loaded position feels like and takes timing out of the equation.

3. Legs then arm

Power on the serve comes from the ground up: the knees push, the hips and shoulders turn, and the arm comes last. Think of it as a chain reaction. Serve at 70% speed and feel the legs start the motion.

Common questions

How high should the toss be?

A little higher than you can reach with the racket fully extended, and slightly in front of you so it would land inside the baseline if you let it drop.

How long until it feels natural?

With a few minutes of trophy drills before every session, most players feel the difference within two or three weeks.