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TennisOne Lessons
A More Consistent ServeVia a Better Toss
QuestionI have been trying to get my topspin serve to be more consistent; but it's always going into the net or missing long. I am a B club player who serves with a continental grip. I practice my serves with a bucket every chance I get but when it's crunch time I can't seem to do it. Please help! AnswerSee animation of good ball toss. There could be many reasons for an inconsistent serve, including: 1) improper swinging technique; 2) not enough or too much use of the wrist; 3) and pulling your head down too soon. But as a tennis pro who watches hundreds of club players serve every week, I would say the most common reason for players to serve inconsistently is their bad ball toss (and trying to hit those bad tosses). To develop a consistent serve, your racquet must travel the same path every time you go up to connect. Hence, if you are having to chase, or lean (forward, back or to the side) every time you try to serve, you'll never develop a consistent serve--which will break down even more at critical pressure points in the match. Here are two tests to check how consistently you toss the ball. You must be able to repeat each of the tests 10 times in a row to pass. Get into your regular serving stance and execute your ball toss with your normal racquet motion.
If you pass both the tests (remember both tests 10 in a row), you can skip reading the rest of this lesson. But if you fail one or both, I highly suggest you read this lesson twice and start practicing your ball toss during your lunch breaks.
I prefer to start my service motion just above my waist. My tossing arm is just far away from by body where I can keep it straight (my arm is not so straight where my elbow is locked). On the second and third frames I bring my tossing arm and the racquet arm down to where I am parallel to my front leg. Again take note of my tossing arm, it's perfectly straight. Also notice my knees are not bent. The knee bend starts after the ball toss, not when you start the motion.
Here I am about to start my toss. Again my arm is straight, wrist is locked and the ball on my finger tips. A key element on these pictures is my starting point for my ball toss. Once I have separated my racquet from the tossing arm, I don't take the tossing arm to the side of my hips to gain momentum for the toss. This is a key mistake club players make; this extra motion gives too much speed on the tossing arm, causing the elbow to bend as the ball is released.
On the first frame I am about to release my toss. Again the key element is my straight arm (hard to see from this angle). On the second and third frames I have tossed my ball and then started my deep knee bend. My tossing arm does not stop once I release the ball, just like on ground strokes, I follow through for a consistent ball toss. In conclusion: Hold the ball with your finger tips, keep your elbow straight, and wrist locked. The only movements on the toss are from your shoulders to make the arm go up and down and the fingers to release the ball. If you are moving or twisting any other part of your tossing arm; it may result in your toss being shaky, especially when it's 5-6, 30-40. See animation of good ball toss. Send email to the author We encourage you to email your comments (pro, con, appreciative,
whatever) directly to the author. To send email to Monty Basnyat, click here. Go To: Back to TennisONE Home Page webmaster@tennisone.com
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Take note on how I
hold the ball. You always want to hold the ball gently with your finger
tips and not with your whole hand. When you hold it with the tips,
it helps to prevent the ball from rolling off your fingers, which causes
errant tosses and excessive spin. 
