Tips on the Toss
- Thread starter rhcolt07
- Start date
spaceman_spiff
Hall of Fame
Try standing in the corner of the court, right where the fences meet, and practice tossing the ball straight up the corner. If you scrape your knuckles on one of the fences, you did something wrong; don't do it again. You can also do this at home in the corner of a room.
Well, the toss is more like a push rather than anything else. Imagine pushing the ball up a large pipe. Try to have the ball leave your hand late - shoulder height or higher and keep your little finger out of the whole process. The toss should be at least a few inches above where you normally strike the ball.
LuckyR
Legend
I like yur advice except for tossing at least a foot higher than the strike zone maybe as high as 18 inches higher. Why? your serving percentage will go up (especially on "flat" serves) since the downward motion of the toss imparts topspin to the serve even when hit "flat".
skiracer55
Hall of Fame
It's not a toss...
...it's a lift. Lift it to where you want to make contact and you're all set. Toss it and you have no clue where to contact the ball...
...it's a lift. Lift it to where you want to make contact and you're all set. Toss it and you have no clue where to contact the ball...
theRadical
Rookie
The toss is all about practice. just do it a couple hundred times and eventually it will b second nature.
Try standing where you would serve normally, then take your racquet and lay the handle down in front of your foot on the court.position the racquet head in the direction of where you want the toss to go. then toss up the ball and try to make it hit the strings of your racquet.
Try standing where you would serve normally, then take your racquet and lay the handle down in front of your foot on the court.position the racquet head in the direction of where you want the toss to go. then toss up the ball and try to make it hit the strings of your racquet.
18 inches higher? Err, is this not bad advice? I've never heard people advising a high toss as a good thing, from my understanding and coaching you want a toss at the right height to hit the ball when it's as stationary as possible.
Comments from you or others?
. I was always told to call it a 'place' I do this with kids I coach and also beginner adults, but for older kids of higher standard (or adults of similar ability) you usually need to place the racquet a bit further in the court to simulate the contact point, assuming the player is launching up and forwards into the court. Great drill though!
S
sportsmad
Guest
well heres my tip for the flat serve,
ball in hand palm up .its important your palm be parallel to the ground.
use your front knee for a guide and drop you hand down so your knucles touch your knee.now keeping a straight arm and using your knee as a guide place the ball straight up to the highest point you can reach with your racquet.now practise this technique and your serve will greatly improve, there is not much that can go wrong with this very consistant toss and it is the toss i have used since i was a juniour, possibly the best tennis advice i have ever reiceved.
ball in hand palm up .its important your palm be parallel to the ground.
use your front knee for a guide and drop you hand down so your knucles touch your knee.now keeping a straight arm and using your knee as a guide place the ball straight up to the highest point you can reach with your racquet.now practise this technique and your serve will greatly improve, there is not much that can go wrong with this very consistant toss and it is the toss i have used since i was a juniour, possibly the best tennis advice i have ever reiceved.
LuckyR
Legend
Well thats the advice in: The Physics and Technology of Tennis by Howard Brody. I don't think anyone here has more physics understanding of the game than him...
