The serve has more moving parts than any other stroke, so it can be easy to get caught up in its minutiae. Of them all, the ball toss is the most crucial component. A bad toss can ruin even the best service motion; a good toss can hide or fix imperfections, and help you make proper contact.
You can improve your ball toss from almost anywhere. Sit on the edge of a chair or couch and turn your body so that you’re sitting at an angle, like you would stand at the baseline preparing to serve. Your front foot should almost line up parallel to the couch or chair. Extend your hitting arm fully and point your racquet straight up to measure how high you want to toss the ball. Aim for just above the top of your racquet.
The same way there is a technique to the swing, there is a technique to the toss. Your tossing arm should be straight, and the ball release should be around eye level, which will help your consistency. Start your tossing arm lined up with (or on top of) your front thigh. The tossing arm starts the body and shoulder turn; you don’t want to flip the ball with a bent arm, or release the ball from too low. Hold it loosely with your fingers.
