One important component of the serve, the toss, requires diligent practice to master. A toss that is too high, too low or off line will make it virtually impossible to deliver your best serve. What's more, once it gets in your head that your toss is unreliable, it can create a crisis in confidence that takes a long time to rectify.
The Ideal Toss
Before practicing the service toss, know how high the ideal toss should travel. The book "Tennis For Dummies" notes that the serve ought to be struck when the toss reaches its apex. By extending your racquet upward to the position at which you would comfortably strike the ball in your motion, you will discover the point at which your toss should reach its peak each time.
Toss to a Reference Point
"Tennis For Dummies" recommends practicing your toss against a fixed reference point to avoid having to repeatedly raise your racquet to provide a target prior to tossing the ball each time. Look for a fence, wall or building on which you can locate a mark of some kind at a height that represents your ideal toss. A productive drill involves practicing your toss to this mark without even having a racquet in your hand to ensure that all the attention goes to the toss.
The Smooth Toss
In order to manage a consistent toss, your motion must be fluid, not herky-jerky. Try holding a cup filled two-thirds of the way with water, then practice your toss motion beginning with the slight initial drop through the upward release point. While you may find it difficult to keep from spilling some water at first, repeated attempts should make your motion smoother and keep all the water in the cup.
Land it on the Strings
Position yourself on the baseline as if to serve. Place a racquet on the ground with the grip/handle touching the toes of your front foot. The racquet should run parallel to the baseline in front of the rest of your body and back foot. This drill, provided by Revolutionary Tennis, seeks to strengthen the lateral positioning of the toss by requiring the ball to land on the strings of the racquet at your feet on each toss you make.
References
- "Tennis For Dummies"; Patrick McEnroe; 2011
- Revolutionary Tennis: Serve Ball Toss Drill
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