tossing behind my head

[tennisfreak412]

today, for once, I came out firing in my practice set and found myself tossing well for all of it, which I had been having a lot of trouble with recently. However, right after I finished, I decided to stay out a little longer and work on the first serve some more. When I did this, I found that my toss started curving behind my head much more. It wasn't like a left-to-right behind my head curve, but more of a front to back, as my tossing arm starts straight out in front of me on the serve, more or less perpendicular to the baseline. How can I stop my self from making the toss sail behind my head? I think that this will be key to my devleoping a really strong serve, because I've found that when I get the toss right, my motion is good enough, and ingrained enough, that I can serve well.

 

[c_zimma]

You may be leaning back while throwing the ball. That would cause it to sail over/behind your head. Practice your toss. Let your tosses bounce. The ball should bounce in front of your foot, depending on what kind of serve you want to hit. Just simplify your motion a little bit. Hope this helps.

 

[Lindros13]

I've found that when I lift my tossing-arm a little higher before releasing the ball, I seem to have more control over the toss. Less distance for the ball to travel on its own, and less or no movement of the wrist.

 

[FiveO]

I've found that when I lift my tossing-arm a little higher before releasing the ball, I seem to have more control over the toss. Less distance for the ball to travel on its own, and less or no movement of the wrist.

I was actually going to suggest that you may be releasing too late or too high as your toss arm is reaching the vertical. You do want to release the toss as high as practical but not as high as possible. At the very top of the toss the arm is moving rearward as in finishes its arc. Also at the very top of the toss motion it becomes more difficult to keep the palm in a flat "elevator floor-like" position.

A workaround is to maintain your toss hand in a "raising a toast glass" orientation throughout the toss motion. This can solve palm angle and wrist hinging on the release problems out of the equation.

Another likely cause is that you may be "body lifting" the toss. Any body bow or arching which occurs during the toss can have major effects on toss placing. Try to isolate the motion of your toss arm as much as possible from the motion of your torso. Along those lines, also examine if your tossing during a rearward weight shift as that tends to pull the toss back with it. Again isolate the toss and if you do rock rearward in your motion try to initiate the lift of the toss only after you have completed your rearward weight transfer or as you begin shifting your weight forward again.

5

 

[looseswing]

I think you should keep the ball in your hand and release it at various points in your toss to see where the ball travels. When you find a point that gets the toss where you want it just concentrate on letting the ball go at that point every time in your toss.

 

[Dan007]

Well for the 1st serve, you should toss the ball a little bit in the front and on the 2nd serve a little bit over your head.

 

[BeachTennis]

Good Drill

 

[metsjets]

there really is no quick fix for this. just practice. if you need to toss the ball 5 times before a serve, do it. try practicing tossing the ball up so it lands at 1 o clock for your first serve, and so it hits your head on your second.

 

[JakeJr]

In my foyer, I layed out a simulated baseline on the floor using duct tape on. I also created a box, (using the same tape) about the size on my racquet's sweet spot 18" in front of the 'baseline" at about the 1 o'clock position.

Now I can position myself at the 'baseline' and practice my toss anytime I want. I just toss, let the ball drop and adjust my toss until it more consistently lands inside the box.

This has helped with my toss accuracy and consistency.

Hope this helps.

Jake