Why a High Toss on the Tennis Serve Works Better for Most Players

[@IntuitiveTennis]

Optimal Toss Technique 👉kzbin.info/www/bejne/i5qVXqp6orN6fLs

[@ericdurand9593]

Low toss advantages: difficult to read, less changes in windy conditions High toss advantages: more time to get into the rythm / motion, added momentum from the ball drop (concept widely recognised in table tennis serve). Somewhere in the middle is what works best for the vast majority. Each of us can try to fine tune what works for them Thanks Nick, another great one 👍👍

[@charlesdang2557]

Nick, a great answer to a very important issue. Your research and presentation is as close to a nail in the coffin as we are ever going to get. I will put this to good use. Thanks!

[@JnRGaming]

this is exactly what i needed to see! your short toss looks identical to mine! I definitely need to toss it up higher. Always putting out the best tennis content on youtube. Much appreciated as always Nick!

[@IntuitiveTennis]

Thank you

[@rtalac]

If you wish to hear real research, check Vic Braden - the serve video. You will learn how to serve and also avoid shoulder injury.

[@dennisthegreek5336]

Lloyd Harris is another very good example of explosive rhythm and low toss serve. The ball drops 10cm or maybe less when he serves... Jenson Brooksby also has a very low toss.

[@tennisteuton]

Pretty much at the beginning of my training, I had the ball machine feed me high balls because I wanted to practice overheads. That was an interesting experience for me, as I realized I could hit the ball a lot higher than I thought I could. Just having a better understanding of my vertical range of motion has helped my serve and allowed me to better synchronize my (high) toss with my racket.

[@dwightlewis2026]

There has long been an EVIDENCE-FREE argument presented against the high toss: greater timing challenge and thus a loss of consistency. There are many tennis videos out there today sadly claiming exactly that. But the reality is this: a high toss allows GRAVITY to supply far more kinetic energy - FREE OF CHARGE - to the falling ball than a low toss that can in turn be BORROWED to augment the racket's energy. That is, GRAVITY can now be added to the power of the serve. Also, the anti-consistency argument is compromised because the player is also NOT RUSHED on the serve and thusly can focus MORE on BOTH stroke timing and optimizing power mechanics than would otherwise be permitted for the low toss. You have got it exactly right, Nik.

[@formica.]

Kinetic energy makes your serve faster?? That makes no sense. The ball is falling vertically, with no velocity in the horizontal plane. You are serving horizontally at right angles to the toss, actually even a little bit up in an arc to overcome gravity to get the ball over the net.

[@ruimartins2065]

High toss enables body inertia through the ball thus more effortless power like Nick said. Well done 💪

[@jeremyrogers1247]

An advantage of a higher toss is that when you make contact with the ball your racket arm will likely be fully straight and thus less prone to hitting long. On the other hand a low toss for many recreational players often leads them to bending their arm on contact, opening up the racket face to the sky in the process. I am trying to get a higher toss on my serve, not easy, as like you have rightly said Nick, many players at all levels of tennis often struggle with the toss.

[@IntuitiveTennis]

Extension on the serve kzbin.info/www/bejne/fYuXdadpo7SUrJI

[@naymorningstar]

Low toss has always worked better for me because I've played a lot of volleyball before, and since you're not adding a racquet to the equation of your serve, you're taught to toss low (contact at apex) to keep it more consistent and have less of a chance of bouncing off of your palm. I applied this logic to my tennis serve, and the flat serve was the first serve that really worked well. It took me a few days to get my kick serve more consistent, but being a very explosive player with an already working and very abbreviated arm swing from volleyball allowed me to translate it to tennis. I agree though, that the longer drop of the ball helps a lot of beginner players that I see trying to work on their serves.

[@IntuitiveTennis]

Low toss can work if it fits you. My daughter plays volleyball so I studied the serve quite a bit. And the toss is extremely high. I’ve heard professional vball players say they draw power from the ball falling 👉🏻 kzbin.info/www/bejne/sHylgI2rrZuXlZo

[@naymorningstar]

@@IntuitiveTennis For jump serves, yes, but for overhead and jump floats no

[@IntuitiveTennis]

@@naymorningstar or course

[@jamesm6377]

I also saw a video (possibly TW science of tennis) that showed that a falling ball hit flat will have topspin (its just physics) .. one more reason to let the ball drop. There is a bit of a compromise here in that it is less reliable to throw the ball higher to the correct spot. So too high is not good either.

[@carlosm4215]

Muito bem, Professor Nicola. 👏👏👏 Ontem estava pensando sobre isso e hoje temos este seu vídeo com profundidade e riqueza analítica, mesmo sendo curto. Righting portuguese for showing the wide world visionable is getting possible 👏👏👏 Thank you! From south BR!

[@BenPhanStudios]

This was super helpful, thank you!

[@jamescampbell390]

Staff Gradf had a high toss and it definitely worked

[@krishnar3493]

Thank you, coach.

[@PrecisionPointTennis]

Super helpful. Thank you

[@IntuitiveTennis]

💯

[@info781]

Great video, I have a slow take back and need the extra time. During a match I get tense so the toss gets lower and lower I need to work on keeping it over 12 feet. I am 6'2' tall.

[@umutkara739]

Thank you.

[@peterbedford2610]

Higher toss always helps me

[@IamnotJohnFord]

Play with the height to see what works well for your service motion rather than adjust your service motion to suit your toss. If I'm having serve problems the first thing I examine is my toss. Of course, it's one of the first parts of a serve, but it's beyond that. With a low toss people have to rush the serve. That's okay if you are athletic and explosive. But, most of us need that extra part of a second to get everything moving in the right sequence and direction. Besides, a high toss helps assure I'm reaching up the hit my serve. I'm way less liable to hit it into the net. True, it shouldn't be so high as to destroy the momentum of your serve, or result in a poor toss, or even contribute to excessive speed of the ball on the way down.

[@formica.]

The problem with a higher toss is consistency. If the ball doesn't leave your hand perfectly straight, any sideways angle takes it farther from where you want it to go. The higher the toss, the faster it comes down, and it is harder to time hitting a moving target than one frozen in space. It is easier to toss repeatably to 8 feet than to 9 feet, in fact my eyes can hardly tell the difference. And then there are the windy days. Definitely the worst thing about my serve is toss consistency and timing. Having to make adjustments to my serving arm because the toss is in a different place every time. I have coped by lowering the toss and making my serve more compact. But I don't disagree with the video. I should spend more time practicing my tossing motion, maybe hang a string in a tree at an optimal height and tune my arm. Like shooting hoops!

[@johnkaikunli]

My high toss ends up in the Pacific Ocean!

[@lethor9203]

Nice tips, thanks. But still, some of the greatest acers have a low toss, Feli Lopez for instance has a very low toss. And even Federer is a lot lower than some high tossers, such as Berdych and Del Potro. So, they are not at all high-tossers.

[@sassanxersi1027]

I had two hip injuries during tennis serve, one of them very severe. One month in bed and 6 months suffering. Can these injuries be the result of my low toss and violent rotation? Now that I watched your video, I think these two can be connected.

[@K4R3N]

What does Shamir prefer? High or Low toss?

[@IntuitiveTennis]

Shamir lets it drop quite a bit

[@K4R3N]

@@IntuitiveTennis how's he doing? Recovering?

[@IntuitiveTennis]

@@K4R3N doing some light hitting but ankle problem is persistent

[@m.k.7176]

What is the theme song ?

[@foxfroze4308]

Its good, but when there is wind you either can't serve at all or you need to adapt and throw lower

[@claudioprado389]

A high toss it is better cause it will give you more time to prepare the racquet path. Am I correct?

[@IntuitiveTennis]

Sure

[@dmitryprivate6558]

Recreational players often use the low toss because a high toss requires a better toss technique. And since most rec player struggle with their toss, they toss lower to minimize the toss problems.

[@IntuitiveTennis]

Yes there is a feeling of comfort in keeping the arm bent and making lower contact at the rec level. To have any chance of improving the serve this must be corrected

[@drbonesshow1]

Finally, something from this guy that makes sense both physically and geometrically. Now if only he could explain why that's what I do with the Physics of Tennis.

[@IntuitiveTennis]

You manage to turn your sole compliment into another insult 😑

[@drbonesshow1]

@@IntuitiveTennis You really think so? Correct the wise man never the fool. Another insult? I should say not.

[@IntuitiveTennis]

@@drbonesshow1 oh my bad, I misread what you wrote. First glance I thought it said I don’t know anything about the physics of tennis.

[@Sebastian-wz1wh]

I find high toss works better for me too

[@Bboykidcombo]

👑🥎👑 Thank u for you're daily content 👑 U the man!🤜🤛 🤝

[@chandraveersaran3752]

Hey Nick! Can you please make a video on the proper way to move between strokes and the proper footwork to get in position to execute various strokes (forehand, backhand, volleys, etc.)? I know this has been briefly discussed in some of the videos. However, it will be very informative to have a dedicated video on the topic. Thanks for your efforts, coach!

[@johnhan3632]

Holy crap first comment. Thanks for the great tips Nick!

[@IntuitiveTennis]

🥇🙌

[@MrRockrobstr]

I need time to build speed.

[@yakzivz1104]

high toss works better for me as well.

[@gillesderais834]

highest toss is probably Caroline Garcia's

[@kikibeldandy]

I have a high toss

[@garramiro]

I though Roddick had a low toss. I guess I was wrong.

[@IntuitiveTennis]

The ball drops quite a bit on Roddicks serve.