| Tackling the Temperamental Toss | |
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With this straight-line tossing motion, you can release the ball with your tossing arm fully extended upward, and the ball will not drift behind you. You don't have to worry about precise timing, because with the ball moving on a straight line, it will always be moving in the same direction no matter when you release it. Releasing it as late as possible is ideal, because it puts your tossing hand closer to your toss target, but if you release early, the ball won't fly forward the way it would with a circular toss path.
Does the slant-it-up-and-forward toss guarantee perfect results?
Yes! You'll be earning millions in short order! (We wish.)
OK, even if you can't have perfection, you can have a pretty reliable toss, especially if you keep in mind these other important tips:
- Hold the ball in your fingertips, and release it by opening your whole hand at once, like a big flower suddenly spreading its petals.
- When you practice your toss, do your normal windup with your serving arm. The windup motion changes your body's balance and momentum. A toss you practice without your windup won't work quite the same with one.
- Remember that, with your tossing arm extended, the distance from your hand to your point of contact is only a racquet length or so. Your two arms are probably the same length, so the difference for the racquet arm is simply the length of the racquet.
- Contrary to a popular myth, you will need to vary your toss slightly for different types of serve. For most serves, you should toss the ball roughly to the height that the tip of your extended racquet reaches when you execute a real swing, including any extra height you get by leaving the ground. You'll meet the ball after it drops several inches from the tip's height to that of the sweet spot. The "perfect" toss would go just to the height of your sweet spot, but tossing it several inches higher, then letting it drop leaves you a safe margin to avoid tossing too low, for which there's no way to compensate. For twist and topspin serves, a longer ball drop can enhance your spin.
You'll find these further resources particularly helpful:
How to Practice a Perfect Ball Toss
