Beginner Tennis: Stop Chasing Your Ball Toss!
If you ask most adult players what they hate about tennis, the serve is usually top of the list.
Too inconsistent.
Too rushed.
Too many double faults.
Too much thinking.
And almost every time, they blame everything except the ball toss.
The toss gets brushed off as “just throwing the ball up.” That’s the mistake.
Tossing a ball to the same place, at the same height, with the same margin for error — under pressure — is hard. Much harder than people want to admit. And until you take it seriously, your serve will always feel unreliable.
This is why learning the basic tennis fundamentals matters — when the foundation is off, the serve is usually the first thing to fall apart.
The Hard Truth: Your Serve Is Only as Good as Your Toss
Most adult players don’t actually have a “bad serve.”
They have an inconsistent toss.
If your toss drifts:
Behind your head
Too far in front
Too low
Too far to the right or left
Your body has to chase it. When the body chases, timing breaks down. When timing breaks down, the serve falls apart.
This is why players feel rushed, off-balance, or like they’re guessing on every serve.
Why Adults Take the Toss for Granted
Here’s what I see constantly with adult players:
They practice serves by hitting buckets of balls
They never practice the toss on its own
They rush through serves to “get them over with”
They assume the problem is grip, pronation, or power
The toss doesn’t feel athletic, so it gets ignored. But it’s the most precise part of the serve.
If the toss isn’t repeatable, nothing above it matters.
Step 1: Understand What a “Good” Toss Actually Is
A good toss is not:
As high as possible
Perfect every time
Identical to a pro’s toss
A good toss lives in a small window.
For most beginner and improver adult players:
The toss should land slightly in front of you
High enough that you don’t feel rushed
Close enough that you don’t need to lean or chase
If you’re constantly moving your feet or upper body to find the ball, the toss is already wrong.
Step 1: Understand What a “Good” Toss Actually Is
A good toss is not:
As high as possible
Perfect every time
Identical to a pro’s toss
A good toss lives in a small window.
For most beginner and improver adult players:
The toss should land slightly in front of you
High enough that you don’t feel rushed
Close enough that you don’t need to lean or chase
If you’re constantly moving your feet or upper body to find the ball, the toss is already wrong.
Step 2: Practice the Toss Without Hitting the Ball
This is the part almost no one does — and it’s why progress stalls.
You need to separate the toss from the serve.
Here’s a simple drill you can do at home or on court:
Stand in your serving stance
Toss the ball
Let it drop
Don’t swing
Your goal is to see:
Where does it land?
Does it fall forward or backward?
Does it drift sideways?
Do this 10–15 times before you ever hit a serve.
If the ball doesn’t land in roughly the same area most of the time, you’ve found the real issue.
Step 3: Control Height Before Speed
Many adult players toss too low, then rush the swing. Others toss too high and lose timing.
Pick a height that gives you time.
A good check:
You should be able to pause briefly at the top of your motion
You shouldn’t feel like you’re racing the ball down
Control first. Speed later.
Step 4: Simplify the Motion
A complicated toss motion creates inconsistency.
Focus on:
A relaxed arm
A smooth lift, not a flick
Letting the ball roll off your fingertips instead of being thrown
If your toss feels forced, it probably is.
Step 5: Stop Blaming the Wrong Things
Here’s the reality most adult players don’t want to hear:
If your toss is inconsistent,
your grip doesn’t matter yet.
Your pronation doesn’t matter yet.
Your power doesn’t matter yet.
Fix the toss, and the serve starts to calm down.
Ignore it, and you’ll keep fighting your serve forever.
Progression: How This Actually Pays Off
When the toss improves:
The serve slows down mentally
Timing improves
Confidence rises
Double faults drop
And suddenly, serving doesn’t feel like a gamble.
This is why I’m strict about the toss with adult players. It’s not a detail. It’s the base.
If you’re serious about improving your serve, take the toss seriously. Practice it on its own. Respect how difficult it actually is.
Your serve will thank you for it.😉