No one’s toss is perfect. Not mine. Not yours. The question is how imperfect is acceptable?
In this article, we will discuss that question and also offer ways to learn to toss better. We will also share tips on how to improve the epidemic of wayward service tosses that cause thousands of tennis players to moan and groan every day they play.
Tip #1: Don’t throw the toss
Throwing the toss instead of softly placing it is probably the major cause of erratic tossing. Perhaps it comes from learning as children that balls are thrown? To overcome this mindset, consider this: For all tennis players the distance from the extended tossing hand to the racquet’s contact point is always 18 inches. Always. Take a tennis ball and toss it 18 inches and then catch it again in your tossing hand. You’ll quickly understand that you do not need to “throw” anything. You do need to gently toss or place the ball into position. Pretend you are playing catch with a three-year-old. You would get up close and toss the ball very slowly, wouldn’t you? That’s how softly you want to toss the ball for your serve. Now, you may end up tossing slightly higher than 18 inches. But realize that the higher you toss, the more problems you will experience. The rule is “the higher the toss, the more inconsistent the placement, the more erratic the serve.”
Tip #2: Fixing the high toss
Since most remedial measures start with knowledge, reading Tip #1 may have been helpful, but now let’s get practical. If you want to lower your toss, you may need some help. The training aid called the Toss Doctor (photo #1) is simply a foam ball on an 18-inch long elastic string. All you do is toss it up and catch it again in the same hand. Sounds simple? It really isn’t. It may take five or ten tries to accomplish. Once you get a feel for a lower toss, toss a regular ball and serve it. You’ll quickly see that your toss is now considerably lower.
Tip #3: Some tossing varieties are worse than others
Some variation in toss placement is actually manageable, but variation in tossing heights will lead to major inconsistencies in your serve. The reason? Good serving is based on consistent rhythm. The toss may be a few inches to the right or left, but if the height of the toss varies greatly from serve to serve, your rhythm will have to change. This creates major problems. One way to become consistent with the height of your toss is to find a room with a somewhat high ceiling since you may need ten feet or more. To develop a feel for tossing at a consistent height, toss the ball so that it gets close to the ceiling without bouncing off it.
Tip #3: Know your point of contact
This tip is a major point for beginners and recreational players but is often overlooked. Reach your racquet up and try to feel exactly where you want to contact the ball. A little device that can help tremendously is called the “Serve Doctor” (photo #2). It’s an inexpensive teaching aid that consists of a telescoping pole with a rope tied to one end and Velcro fixed to the end of the rope. Attach a tennis ball to the Velcro and have a friend or coach hold it up into a position for you to actually serve the ball off the rope and over the net. Repeat this 10-15 times for a quick feel for the location of your contact point on the serve. After that, alternate between hitting the ball off the Serve Doctor and tossing the ball for yourself. Try to softly place your service toss in the same position as the contact point you have located.
Tip #4: How to stop tossing behind you
Once you’re able to toss at a consistent height and you start to get a feel for your point of contact, another problem that can still challenge many servers is tossing behind them. The cause of this is usually the weight shift going from front to back as you toss. This causes the tossing arm to go up and back over your head, with the ball going in that same direction. A quick fix for this one is to stand just a few inches outside an open tennis court gate. From there, toss and then catch the ball again with your tossing hand on the other side of the gate. Using the fence gate as a guide will force you to toss straight upwards and not behind you. Just try to keep the ball from hitting the fence and also make sure not to move your feet to catch the ball after you’ve tossed it.
Tip #5: Moving your feet can hurt your toss
Speaking of moving your feet, I always chuckle when I see players serving like they are at a disco or doing a cha-cha-cha. Think of it like the foundation of a tall building. If the foundation shifts unpredictably, then anyone on the top floor is going to be wobbling off balance. This is what happens to your toss if your feet are entered in a dance contest as you toss. If you’re a serving dancer, just place a second racket over your feet as you practice tossing and serving. Even if you move your feet unconsciously, you’ll see that racket moved. With practice, you will gradually be able stand still while you serve.
Tip #6: Check your point of release
Another consideration on the toss is the point of release. To keep it simple, think of it this way. Release high and toss low. This effectively keeps the ball in the air as short a distance as possible and will result in a more controlled and consistent toss.
Tip #7: Spin to get it in
We all know that spin increases the effect of gravity by causing friction with the air. This is why it is so important for the advancing player to be able to hit spin serves. The question is how should we adjust the toss for a slice serve and also for a kick or topspin. Some have said that at the highest levels of play the toss should appear similar to the opponent to add to the disguise of the serve, making it that much more effective. Although this sounds good in theory, in practice we observe that even the best players have patterns to their serving. For example, most will kick their second serves. My suggestion is toss a little to the right and in front for a slice serve and to the left for a kick. If you push off with your front foot you will want your kick serve to the left and also out in front of the baseline. The general idea is to set the toss to the place where the racket angle can most easily impart the desired spin.
Tip #8: Dealing with the sun and wind
Finally, let’s address the challenge of what to do under various conditions that make even a good server with a consistent toss struggle. First let’s deal with the sun. If the sun is shining directly in your normal spot to toss, you have no choice but to adjust your toss to one side or the other. Just remember that you want to keep your serving rhythm the same by not tossing higher or lower. Then, just adjust the racket face with your wrist to direct the serve into the correct box. Windy conditions can be even more challenging. I remember playing an open tournament in West Texas. The wind was so strong that it created a dust storm. In face, one time I tossed the ball up and it was blown so hard the ball nearly hit the back fence! Under any type of windy conditions, the approach is simple. If you already have a low toss there is not much more to do. But, if your toss is high, you have no option other than to lower that toss as much as possible. While the answers sound simple, serving under difficult conditions will always be challenging. The final piece of advice is to keep a cool head and remember that your opponents are serving under the exact same challenging conditions.