What’s Up With The Toss?

For sure the game has changed, and will keep changing

The same goes for the toss

Years ago on Tennis Channel there was a clip of a doubles exhibition – with Rod Laver, Arthur Ashe, Bjorn Borg and Ilie Nastase.

Just an exhibition, but I remember thinking they all had the same serve – rhythmic, tosses not overly high, and knee bend active but no extreme jumping.

The following is YouTube clip of the match – not excellent quality but it is fun to see these guys – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRog5S0fQd0

Interesting how the serve looked in that era

During the first week of the 2020 US Open, there was quite a bit of dialogue about issues with the serve, about either the mechanics or simply the toss.

And for sure compared to Laver, Borg, Nastase and Ashe, now tosses seem higher, in some cases much much higher

But, returning to the US Open, the announcers and journalists described “wandering ball tosses”

Mary Carillo, the NBC analyst and former French Open doubles champion, said, “It’s almost always the same culprit: nerves.”

Jason Goodall tried to ask Naomi Osaka about her serving problems (his term) and she demurred without an answer.

Coco Gauff averaged 15 double faults in 4 matches

Sara Errani served 14 doubles with 60 errant tosses

And even Karolina Pliskova struggled with her ball toss.

In each case I believe the culprit is tossing rhythm, and in each case the errant toss is much too high.

Further, the overly high toss puts a hitch or stop in the motion, and that adds to the necessary effort to regain racquet momentum.

I know the following with Marin Cilic looks unusual, but he simply tosses the ball high enough to meet the ball at full extension.

Same thing with Roscoe Tanner, as well as Mike and Bob Bryan and even Ivan Ljubicic – certainly there are others – this is just a sample

So for you – focus on rhythm and timing, and tinker with the tempo of your toss.