Demetrius Freeman for The New York Times
As a high school freshman in Greensboro, N.C., weighing his prospects for a basketball career, John Isner was forced to admit that dribbling was not his specialty.
“I couldn’t handle the ball at all,” Isner said. “Not even average.”
That has changed dramatically in adulthood: Isner is a standout dribbler in an entirely different sport. His penchant for bouncing the ball between his legs as he plants his left foot and squares up to the baseline is a key component of the buildup to his serve — one of the biggest ever.