The Optimal Tennis Serve Toss Technique
Вставка
- Опубліковано 26 вер 2024
- Get the Intuitive Tennis iPhone/iPad App 👉 apple.co/3c5IyJp
The tennis serve toss is such a complex movement that even elite tennis players struggle with it. In today's video, I explain toss fundamentals and demonstrate the optimal way to hold and release the tennis ball.
This video is not sponsored. Some product links are affiliate links which means if you buy something, I’ll receive a small commission.
🎾 Get 10% OFF on Kirschbaum Strings & Grips (ENTER CODE INTUITIVETENNIS AT CHECKOUT)
kirschbaumusa....
My Gear:
Racquet: amzn.to/3NbuMl6
Overgrip: amzn.to/39TYbTb
Shoes: amzn.to/3NfFQNZ
Microphone: amzn.to/3QLJwKA
Camera: amzn.to/3NfALpa
Tripod: amzn.to/3QLZZhC
Drone: amzn.to/3nal2gn
🖱 SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE VIDEOS LIKE THIS
👉🏻 www.youtube.co...
🤜🤛 Share this video
👉 • The Optimal Tennis Ser...
🎾 Second UA-cam Channel 👉 / intuitivetennis247
🎾 Premium Content 👉 www.intuitivet...
🎾 Video Analysis 👉 bit.ly/2Kz8AEK
🎾 Instagram 👉 / intuitivetennis
🎾 TikTok 👉 / intuitivetennis
🎾 Twitter 👉 / intuitivetennis
🎾 Facebook 👉 / intuitivetennis
#intuitivetennis #servetoss
What to do with the toss arm once we start approaching the contact 👉 ua-cam.com/video/g65JysBvGoE/v-deo.html
Hey Nick, do you ever receive videos for analysis?
how high to throw it? I was waiting for that the entire video..
This guy is one of the best online instructors in the Tube
Each time I have a problem with my game, or a blockage in the learning process, I always come back to your videos.
Was getting stuck not progressing with my serve only to realize that firstly (after watching all your tennis serve videos and some of my serves on videos), my toss wasn't consistant enough. :)
So again, a big thank you for your videos and your channel, masterclasses on masterclasses.
Great to hear! 🙏🙌🔥
Excellent and mostly overlooked by teachers.
Best tennis teacher on UA-cam. Thank you for all you do.
Thank you Ali
Your advice is truly 5 star, but really and truly, I need a shrink to help with my toss. I've had the yips for 20 odd years.
Ha ha, I've not heard that before. The yips, is that regional (i.e. where ya from)? Well, I am the King of the Yipsies (apologies to Romani readers). I have THE WORST toss in Western recorded history, I need to contact the Guinness people. The only thing that I find helps - because nothing could possibly make it worse - is: DON'T THINK ABOUT YOUR TOSS. You know your toss sucks, where's the surprise? Expect that there're gonna be a few (ha!) bad ones, but just let 'er rip and throw that $#;+ up there!
Practice? Sure, if you want to throw a hundred perfect tosses in practice. That will _really_ make you feel better about your toss when you begin your one-ball circus clown juggling act the very next match you have the pleasure of participating in. Going hoarse from saying "Sorry!"? Stop saying it! Your opponent knows you're over there boiling in Dante's Cauldron of Shame. Is he getting pissed? You bet he is. Boo hoo. It's not against the rules to "try, try again", just catch it and start over. DON'T HIT A BAD TOSS.
One final note: disregard absolutely everything I've just said. I am THE LAST guy you want to be taking advice from. In fact, you'd probably do well to take everything I've said and do the exact opposite. Hey, anything I can do to help. Well, best of luck with your toss. Rest assured that there is someone out here with a toss that'll make yours look absolutely Federesque...
Great lesson, Nikola! Leaving the hand parallel to the ground was such a great tip. It helps me open my fingers more smoothly, letting the ball float in the air with almost zero spin. Thank you so much!
🔥🙌🙏
Watched this video yesterday and played last night using the ball holding technique discussed at around the 4:30 mark. Served better than I have in quite a while, much more consistent and accurate. Thanks so much for the guidance, you have a new subscriber in me!
Thank you Nick! First Coach to ever show a close up camera view of the ideal hand and ball grip. Love your detail! So helpful!
I can’t believe I solved my toss problem watching your video !!! Amazing , I am so great full . I have been struggling with tossing the ball since 1977 when I started playing . You are a super coach !
Thank you. Glad you found video helpful
Nice extended lesson on the toss! Very important to have that flat release!
I’m “returning “ to recreational tennis which I absolutely adore !! And I have to say “tossing “ correctly is my biggest challenge.., hard to believe… the coach told me to throw it over the head… we’ll see! Thank you!
Absolutely amazing. I've said it over and over but your channel is the best I have see with instruction
🙏🙏
Great dissection of the toss. Thank you.
Finally found this. You have so many serve videos.
your video to explain the toss hold and release is the best I have seen!
No trainer has ever told me these tips. Simply amazing. Thank you
Hi Nick! Your videos are very helpful! I'm myself a tennis coach in Reunion Island and I often use your videos to explain some techniques to my students... Thanks and take care !
Thank you Laurent 🙏
Thanks. I'm right at this stage of learning the correct toss so this was super helpful.
Being an old high school tennis coach I really appreciate Nick’s lessons. Personally I emphasize that the toss is really a “ placement “. The serve is the only shot in tennis that a player is allowed to place the ball in a position that they want to hit it. If you’re not satisfied with your toss placement you can do it over. I also coach my players on how to read their opponents serve toss to get an advantage on the return. Some servers have definite tells that gives away where they are placing the serve or which type of serve they are going to hit. It’s like a baseball pitcher telling you that they are going to throw a curveball.
One of the best tennis channels out there by far. I feel like you're so underrated but all your videos are great for teaching and brought back my motivation to keep playing and improve every time!
Great job, Nick, by far the best instruction on the serve toss I've seen.
This is what I really need to solve it for years. And this video really improve my toss problem. Many online coaches discussed this issue but no one likes you explained so clearly, and it's really worked and helpful. My serve become better and better after watching this video，thanks!
🙌🙌
Best tennis channel on youtube by far. Greetings from Germany. Keep up the good work!
Danke Matze 🙏
This video, especially the part on how to hold the ball in your hand, has helped me cure my toss. For years my toss drifted behind me no matter which motion or grip I tried.
I have a Lot of problems with my service and specialy my toss. The Nicola's vídeos have been Help me in This way to fix my service. Thnks Nicola Aracic
AWESOME Nik. I've had a very inconsistent spinning toss, and I'm sure it'll now greatly improve after watching your great instruction. 👍👏🎾🎾
You are great man.
Great video.
Excellent explanation !
This is an excellent lesson thank you so much!
Thank you so much for this video. I love it! The toss release has been a challenge for me ever since.
Great video Nick. This will help me when I get back on court. 👍
great lesson, as always!
I prefer to grab the ball with three fingers, as if it were a cone. And I've been doing well. I remember that in a match I made 11 aces and already made aces in at the game point and in the 2nd service at the set point. I am satisfied. Thanks for the video.
Awesome video, very detailed
Great video! Not having the Flat ball was my problem. He showed how to do it.
This is excellent. Great detail on holding the ball properly.
This year I'd like to take my tennis to the next level. These videos are great resources!
Do it 🔥
Amazing flat release Nick. Always something to learn in your videos. Thanks!
very good lesson thank you
🙏
Thank u so much coach
Thank you so much Nick. I used your toss technique and improved my serve by more than 20%!
Well explained,
I had this problem for years.
Thanks.
great video - thank you
I had trouble with toss before watching this video. The flat release is very suitable for me. Most Japanese coaches don’t teach the detail of toss in amateur level.
Great 👍tips on the toss! I have been struggling for longest time and hope to make improvements following your tips!
Great advice. Thank you!
the toss is everything
this is really helpful and I am gonna share this with some friends! thanks!
Awesome stuff Thank You!
I’m struggling in my toss due to some instructions. I will try that technique and probably stick to it.
very good instruction as always. I see many coaches 'teaching' kids to serve but rarely cover the toss fundamentals
I think the coaches must watch thi channel too. :)
Thank you. I was serving really well for the last few months and all of a sudden, during fatigue and pressure moments, my toss would stick to my fingers and roll too far over my shoulder. It became a nervous tick and the more it happened, the more it got to my head. I applied your tip and I was able to regain confidence in my serve again. I didn't have problems with the toss before, but for some reason I began tossing the ball with my finger tips without realizing. Keep up the great content.
Omg, the same thing happened to me. My serve was very good but all of a sudden I could not toss the ball properly. And indeed the more it happened, the worse and insecure I started to feel, also I was panicking whether this time I will be able to toss it properly. I am glad that I share the same experience with someone, and glad that you managed to overcome it. I really like this channel, so the next time I play tennis I hope I can fix it.
On the retention of the ball before the release:
I totally recommend the tecnich for wich the thumb presses the ball against the center of the palm in order to block it and then remove the thumb just a split of a second before the real release. The ball spin is due to the ball slicing down the extended hand when the arm is already beyong the horizontality before the release or also by the rotation of the wrist itself. A ball closer to the wrist and previosly blocked minimizes ball spin. My point.
Please stop making these outstanding videos, Nick. They're too helpfull!! 🙃
🙏🙏
You always have excellent instructional videos. Like many players, I struggled with an inconsistent toss as a beginner. I saw a tip early on from Vic Braden that pretty much fixed it for me, though. He mentioned thinking about holding and tossing the ball like it was an ice cream cone. Basically instead of turning your wrist so that the palm is up while tossing, instead keep your wrist neutral (bringing the arm up and just letting go of the ball around eye level) so that there's very little wrist or finger action going on while tossing. That was my issue early on, too much wrist and/or finger action leading to very inconsistent tosses. I've always thought Vic Braden was an excellent instructor.
Super useful tips!
I hold my hand like I have an invisible ice cream cone and the ball is the ice cream held lightly between index finger and thumb. Prevents any finger-related spin on the ball and I barely have to move my thumb and index finger to release the ball instead of all 5 fingers. Works for me and I can get a pretty consistent toss.
Thanks!
Thank you 🙏 Much appreciated 🫶
Great video. Thank you very much. It helped me alot and it came just before a match I had. I won it because of my serves :). High percentage first serves in. I found the contact point very well with this toss technique.
thank you, this is so important
I needed this video.
Parallel to the ground ( palm release ) is a solid technique
Hi Nik - A big fans of your channel. I am 41 and have started learning tennis a year ago. I am very passionate about it and spend 4-5 days a week with my coach and/or friends on the court. My biggest weakness has always been service and in matches i lose most of the points due to Double Faults.
In service, my biggest mental block has been the coordination of various body parts in this complex motion especially when i take back the racket ( and in the process shift the body weight backwards) and then try to toss - the ball always is outside the court and i tend to contact the ball behind my head.
When i try to correct it, the ball tends to go too much forward into the court and i end up either attempting the ball ( and in the process hitting it into the net) or leaving it out.
When i focus on the toss, the rocking motion gets compromised and when i focus on rocking motion - the toss tends to be erratic. When these two fall in place, the racquet path tends to be very shallow drop.
Even after working for months, there seems to be no progress with my coach, nor many of the videos on you tube are helping me ( Except yours ).
I have now reached a breaking point where i have to either give up tennis or change the coach ( which i would hate to do as i am very emotionally attached to him) - Please suggest and if possible, help with a video or drills to get this problem sorted out.
Your problem is individual, I don’t know what’s wrong wo seeing it
@@IntuitiveTennis Got it Nik... I am inspired by the video you released today.. My takeaway from that is " Tennis reveals your character" and I am not going to give up and keep fighting :)
Thanks. I struggle a lot with my toss
THIS IS GOLD!!!!!
Wow..... very persuasive!
Great video Nick !!! I always like to pretend I am Spider-Man shooting a web to the ball after release :)
So you make this 🤘gesture after your release? Lol
Nice tip 🤟🏻
Hi.. Thanks for your tips and knowledge!!!... My question is What should we do with the arm-hand after tossing the ball??? (keep ot near the body as most players or take it back as Andy Murray??)... Thanks again and all the best!!!
Try this Javier 👉 ua-cam.com/video/g65JysBvGoE/v-deo.html
Do whichever is most effective 👍🏻
@@IntuitiveTennis Thanks!!!.. I was looking for this!!!
This is good info, tho' I recall having some v.g. service days when I could finger-roll the ball; seemed like I had exceptionally fine motor control those days.
Excellent explanation!!!! Thanks a lot!!!!! :-)
Amazing instructional content! Thank you so much for posting such premium content for free here. Can you recommend/teach any drills to perfect the ball toss?
ua-cam.com/video/Va9uJMa_QtQ/v-deo.html
Excellent video Nick. The ball usually spins when I toss it and its something I am working to minimise. I have question please. Would you agree that hitting a ball that is not spinning results in a faster serve? I would think it does, as the few times I have hit a dead still ball in the air the serve speed seemed faster.
Could be a little faster on flat toss
@@IntuitiveTennis Thanks, that's what I thought. As you say its the control you get which is the most important benefit though. This video has inspired me to do more serve practice with the focus on the toss. Just have to wait until 29th March here in England when the current lockdown restrictions end on outdoor tennis (indoor tennis still won't be allowed until a few weeks after).
Fantastic
💯
I've never seen a good explanation of the base of the fingers toss before. I settled on palm up, holding the ball with the pads of the fingers. Sometimes it does feel awkward though, so I'll give this a try again.
I'm a convert now. Holding with the ends of the fingers is more likely to result in spinning or flicking the ball. The base of the fingers hold helps with this.
What are your thoughts on Mouratoglou recommending a palm toss for consistency?
Great tips, but you left out one important point: learn to catch a bad toss. So many players swing at terrible tosses, but the rules allow us to catch as many tosses as we want. Patrick Rafter once commented that his toss was sort of erratic, and that meant he didn't exactly know where some serves were going to go. But he reasoned that his opponent also didn't know, so overall, it wasn't such a bad weakness to have.
I don’t recommend doing that 👉 ua-cam.com/video/S-vtW3_IwSc/v-deo.html
I notice the pros occasionally catch a bad toss and redo it. On 📺 is the redo unlimited until the clock expires? At the recreational level, I just hammer a miss toss and hope for the best. 😆
No limit really, and clock resets at each toss as you have clearly started your serve motion. Will people want to play with / against you afterwards when you keep re-tossing? Probably not, so invest some practise time 😁
Hi Nick. I've watched your both videos, this video and "platform stance vs pin-point stance" videos twice. But I think it's not clear, in which stance we should choose which toss types. For example in lateral platform stance should we choose paralel toss? You told about five different platform stance and two pin-point stance. And now you say we have three toss options. How will we match them? Thanks.
He does omit that information. Yet you can perhaps investigate and make assumptions. For instance Federer has a basic platform stance and has a parallel toss.
Talk about what you do with your legs and body when you toss. I think that's very important.
Hey Nick, when you say toss forward, how far forward from you (estimate)? Thank you.
how do you make sure the height of the toss is consistent?
Toss has been my greatest weakness in serve
My toss is better with the ball sitting on my palm. Yes, the ball tends to spin a bit, but my toss is straight and the spin does not affect me.
👏🏻👏🏻 thanks coach! I’m having a lot of trouble with my serve and I just realized how I toss the ball is one of the problems.
How do you toss when the sunlight is in your eyes? I been struggling with this for a long time ago. If you have any tips with tossing. I will be much appreciated.
👉🏻 ua-cam.com/video/7lq6RAycy9g/v-deo.html
Hi God, I have the toss somewhere like 3:48 style invented by myself when the time I didn't do any research, none issue for me any time, and somehow I think it's ok if someone got a sweaty hand. Could u respond to this thx~ (the ball release from between index finger and thumb, invented also by me XD)
If it works it works 🙌
@@IntuitiveTennis Appreciated 😄
Great video! Question about the forward toss though. You didn't mention what kind of take-back style it fits. Is it more for an Andy Roddick, short take-back? The forward toss feels more natural to me but i have a semi-abbreviated take-back.
ua-cam.com/video/R02cutZsVaE/v-deo.html
Does higher toss equate to more service power? I have a consistent serve but relatively low toss. Ppl told me that if I can toss higher, I'll be able to serve more aces. Thanks.
It’s always better to toss too high than too low 👉 ua-cam.com/video/G-KTKa-h8XE/v-deo.html
No, it does not. You want to hit your serve right when the ball is about to drop. You don't want the toss too high because as the ball drops, you're fighting against gravity to hit your serve. If you toss it too low, you won't get much extension and your fighting against the ball's momentum going up. When that ball is suspended in mid-air between going up and going down is the best time to hit the serve. Good luck!
My toss is low but I always strike it at mid- air. Just wanna know if the contact point is better at high point or low point.
High toss is the way to go
I'm a wee bit confused here. I recently watched one of you previous ball toss videos and the ball was kept in place with your thumb with outstretched fingers.
This is a great tutorial, but I’m struggling with the flat release. Even when it seems like I let go without it rolling off my fingers, it spins. Any advice?
No finger. Hold ball in your palm and with thumb slightly pressing it. You will get a good toss even though ball sometimes spins but your toss is straight and consistent.
Sometimes I have to catch and rethrow my toss like 3 times before I finally hit it.
A good and consistent ball toss along with trophy position, arm lag and forward momentum is such a critical element. I have always found(excluding slices) that when I hit a ace or solid middle of height of fence serve that the ball toss quality was key.
Say you are in poor wind conditions though do you recommend a lower ball toss and more towards your body?
In wind lower toss is necessary
@@IntuitiveTennis Ak
👍
The only thing I hate in tennis is the toss
Are you in lantana Florida?
Would you not recommend holding thé ball on the side like a glass of water or an ice cream cône? In that way preventing the ball from rolling?
If I'm not wrong, with the hand under the ball is the most efficient way to let the ball go up, and on the side way you might use wrist too much when tossing, all leading to inconsistency
People say this prevents elbow bending, but for me it has always increased the chance of the ball rolling off the finger tips.
Federer ua-cam.com/video/Q_HEfyjOPIk/v-deo.html
Using 3 fingers took a lot of wrist out of my toss
Can you put Chinese subtitles? Thank you!
Difficult but I will try
😮