A Shift That Served Polii Well
Far from being the innocuous stroke it appears to be, the serve can have a make-or-break impact on performance. Just ask Greysia Polii.
· DEV SUKUMAR
Polii’s forehand serve was one of the standout elements that contributed to Polii and Apriyani Rahayu’s steady Asian Leg performances. The Indonesians captured the YONEX Thailand Open and made the semifinals of the TOYOTA Thailand Open, before running out of steam at the season finale.
All through, Polii kept opponents on tenterhooks with the variations on her serve. Interestingly, not so long ago, it had been a different equation altogether, for Polii had struggled with the backhand serve after a shoulder injury in 2011. The simple shift, from backhand to forehand serve, never occurred to her for a curious reason.
“It was my pride,” says Polii. “I thought, how come, as a professional player, I could not serve?”