The Swiss’ smooth, efficient and fast shoulder rotation gives him easy power when he serves—he doesn’t even look like he’s swinging. Roger Federer’s technique is so good that his perfectly synchronized body movements mask the incredible energy he creates.

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FREEZE FRAME: 
Roger Federer's 
shoulder rotation

FREEZE FRAME: Roger Federer's shoulder rotation

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Federer’s upper arm rotates counterclockwise nearly 180 degrees, driving his forearm, wrist and racquet. After the racquet drops, the racquet face rotates 90 degrees until contact, then rotates another 90 degrees to the on-edge position in the follow-through.

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If you’re trying this at home, keep your arm and wrist as loose as possible, but don’t consciously try to bring your wrist forward. On the way up to the ball, your wrist moves to a neutral position in line with your arm at contact. That alignment is the same throughout the rest of your shoulder rotation. If you don’t think about your wrist, it will take care of itself.

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You don’t need tons of muscle to hit a big first serve or a second  serve with lots of kick. The rotation of your upper arm is critical in generating racquet-head speed. This is why you see Federer turn the racquet face over the edge during his follow-through, leaving the racquet head almost perpendicular to the court.