This Serving Toss Myth Will RUIN Your Tennis Serve!
In this lesson I will clarify a commonly taught technique that will ruin your serve performance.
In this lesson I will clarify a commonly taught technique that will ruin your serve performance.
Great job with the serve explanation
Thank you, Phillip! Kindly, John
Thank you, Phillip! Best, John
John, if I understand the advocates for a lower toss (hit almost at the apex), they suggest that it promotes a continuous motion and may be less likely to go astray. Higher tosses may cause hesitation in the swing, say these advocates. And that could cause loss of momentum and power
It seems some very good servers among current pros use a relatively low toss. I’m thinking of Isner, Lopez, Lloyd Harris and some others. Of course, many others with terrific serves toss higher.
Do you think the lower toss just requires too much of the ref player, preventing enough up and down motion and encouraging too much horizontal motion?
Hi Ron,
Thanks for your great questions. This is always a great topic of debate on the serve, and of course nothing is always or never. It depends on the individual. However, when developing the skills of a professional quality serve, a higher toss is generally going to help. And even at advanced levels, a higher toss is more the norm than not. The argument for a lower toss is to hit a ball that is stopped…that you have more time, but I don’t buy into that theory. Plus a low toss typically gets lower under pressure. Best, John
Great explanation, and very helpful…I have been specifically trying to get a higher ball “toss” so I don’t feel so rushed…still a work in progress.
Hi Harlan,
Thanks for feedback. Keep me updated on your progress. Best, John
Thanks for another great video on the serve John, and not to use a ‘J’ toss. I am trying to toss higher so that I can get a better racket drop with my still developing serve motion.
Hi John. I recall from something I read, that a player would have to be 7’3” tall to clear the top of the net with a ‘flat serve’. I remember watching Roscoe Tanner back in the day playing against Borg and seeing that very quick service motion to the so called Apex of the toss. He was around 6’1” if I’m not mistaken. He certainly made it work for him especially at that time. For local club players dealing with the elements such as wind, is a lower toss more effective assuming timing is fairly consistent?
Thank you
Mark