by Elaine Petrone, Founder Miracle Ball Method™
Did you know that the tennis serve done well is one of the best examples of oppositional stretch?
Oppositional stretching happens when you relax the muscle you’re trying to stretch and rely on the opposing muscle to initiate the stretch. Everything in sports is oppositional—the golf swing, a dancer’s leap—jumping up means a firm push down. Opposition creates good tension. Just think of tying a shoelace, to get it right you pull the laces in the opposite directions. It’s natural. Make it work for you to generate a more powerful serve.
The next time you serve, reach up while letting your lower body weight drop down. Feel how your lower body can pull toward the ground by letting gravity do the work for you. Then reach farther up to get on top of the ball. Your waistline will lengthen and your strength will come from the back muscles, not the shoulders alone. To do it well and generate more power with your serve, you have to use your whole body.
Staying relaxed and connected with your body’s natural tendencies is the key to better performance and recovery in tennis. As we become adults and play sports, stress and injury lead us to develop habits of movement that are unnatural. These can cause injury and even chronic pain. A highly effective way to connect to your body and return to a natural way of moving is using The Miracle Ball Method™. It is a uniquely designed easy to follow system using a ball, that works through your nervous system to release bad tension buildup. Gentle movements with the ball, stimulate the brain to use natural alignment. As your body aligns you will feel relaxed. It is the perfect way to release, realign and renew after a long tennis match or a rough day… and connect to your natural power!
Play well,
Elaine
P.S. Go to MiracleBallMethod.com for instructional video and more tips.
Elaine Petrone developed her method of stress and pain relief from her own experience with chronic pain and is the author of several bestselling books. 
Her first book, The Miracle Ball Method™ has been translated into several languages and has sold nearly 2 million copies globally.
Her method was used throughout hospitals and Fortune 500 companies, and she appeared on nationally syndicated television shows for Fox News, Lifetime, NBC and ABC news. Elaine has taught the method for over 30 years and continues to train new instructors to empower others to discover the healer within each of us. She currently teaches at Chelsea Piers CT.