Long before the days of high-tech rackets, Roscoe Tanner was scorching the earth with serves that set many an opponent back on his heels wondering what just flew by.
He is the father of the lethal serve—plus he was a lefty, which gave him a further advantage because the serve came from an angle his opponents were not used to or ready for–an advantage Rafael Nadal has evolved into an art form.
Tanner’s February 1978 serve of 153 mph was the fastest recorded serve in tennis history until Andy Roddick broke it in September of 2004 with a serve of 155 mph.
In the '70s, clocking serves was not typically done, nor was it accomplished with the accuracy it is today. But every player knew of the sheer power of Tanner’s serve and dreaded meeting Roscoe in any round of any tournament.
Tanner had a very low toss which he completed with quick wrist action giving him enhanced racket speed on his serves. His entire serving motion is very compact giving opponents almost no time to react because the ball is upon them so quickly.
Plus, the Tanner serve was impossible to read. His feet never really leave the ground, much like his predecessors who played when rules forced one foot to remain grounded during the serve.
Tanner’s serve had to be perfect, hit with consistency because with the abbreviated motion, there was no room for error.
