How do you toss the ball when serving?

[player69]

Hi guys, my biggest problem is my toss. I can't seem to find a comfortable way of tossing. Everytime I toss the ball, my wrist seems to push the ball all over the place. I can't seem to get a consistent toss. How do you hold the ball? With finger tips? With palm of hand? I'm lost. I need a cure for this problem. thanks..

 

[Jonny S&V]

Hi guys, my biggest problem is my toss. I can't seem to find a comfortable way of tossing. Everytime I toss the ball, my wrist seems to push the ball all over the place. I can't seem to get a consistent toss. How do you hold the ball? With finger tips? With palm of hand? I'm lost. I need a cure for this problem. thanks..

I use my palm, although it should be what's most comfortable to you, although it sounds like nothing is very comfortable to you. I'd just practice your toss over and over again, and have a coach tell you a few tips that Idk. One that I know of is imagine you are lifting up a glass of water straight up. Hope that one tip is worth this long post.

 

[Vision84]

Your wrist pushes the ball all over the place? Sounds like you are using your wrist to toss. Keep your wrist firm and just throw it up with your arm. I personally hold the ball in my fingertips which I find easier to control.

 

[player69]

Yeah, for some reason, when I release the ball, my wrist seems to snap which causes the ball to go everywhere. I don't know how to break this habbit.

 

[JesseT]

Can't find a photo of this, but I've seen a few pros hold their pointer and thumb together, cradling the ball against the fingertips.

I've tried this and found the practice easy enough to prevent wrist flick or finger squeeze.

ON that note, there's a BAJILLION drills and discussions out there on how to practice a toss. Racquet cover at the feet. Toss till you can toss+catch without moving 10x in a row. Etc etc.

When I was a kid, my uncle had me do the toss+catch dozens of times till it was automatic.

 

[Grizvok]

Using the wrist at all is the biggest mistake you can make on the toss. You have to think of how a clock works (pendulum) and try to emulate that with your arm. Don't move your wrist or your elbow, your toss should be all about your shoulder.

 

[Jonny S&V]

Can't find a photo of this, but I've seen a few pros hold their pointer and thumb together, cradling the ball against the fingertips.

I've tried this and found the practice easy enough to prevent wrist flick or finger squeeze.

ON that note, there's a BAJILLION drills and discussions out there on how to practice a toss. Racquet cover at the feet. Toss till you can toss+catch without moving 10x in a row. Etc etc.

When I was a kid, my uncle had me do the toss+catch dozens of times till it was automatic.

That's exactly what Pat Rafter did. Just tube 'Rafter's Serve'.

 

[JCo872]

Hi guys, my biggest problem is my toss. I can't seem to find a comfortable way of tossing. Everytime I toss the ball, my wrist seems to push the ball all over the place. I can't seem to get a consistent toss. How do you hold the ball? With finger tips? With palm of hand? I'm lost. I need a cure for this problem. thanks..

Keep these reference points in mind:

Keep your arm straight (don't bend at the elbow)
Release the toss at "head" level
Extend the tossing arm straight up to the sky
Initiate the toss before the rest of the serving motion

You can see an example of these points here:
http://www.hi-techtennis.com/serve/toss_sample.php