Serve Setup: Chair Pose, Then Kick the Paddle Out

Summary

Troy Akin keeps the serve simple: find chair pose in the legs, keep the wrist relaxed, and kick the paddle out to the forehand side instead of a straight-arm cup around the ball.

Stay compact and tight; use the legs. You’re not snapping the wrist up — you’re using a small wrist kick outward while the lower body stays loaded in the chair.

Key takeaways

• Chair pose first — legs load the serve
• Kick paddle out to FH side; don’t cup with a straight arm
• Compact + loose wrist, not a big snap-up

Action items

• Shadow 20 serves: check chair pose before every toss
• Film: if the arm is straight-cupping, restart with the kick-out cue