Three Cues to Flatten Your Serve Toss for More Consistency

Bottom Line

A more consistent serve toss usually comes from making the toss simpler: release the ball around eye level, lift with a straight tossing arm instead of flicking from the wrist or elbow, and place the ball slightly in front of the body where your service motion can meet it cleanly.

Cue 1: Release Around Eye Level

Do not carry the ball too low and then flip it upward. Tennis.com advises that the tossing arm should stay straight and that the release should be around eye level, which supports consistency. Tennis Companion similarly places the ideal release point between eye level and the top of the head. For a flatter, calmer toss, think: lift first, then open the fingers without a shove.

Cue 2: Keep The Arm Path Straight

A flat toss is not a low toss; it is a clean toss without extra curves. Start the tossing arm near the front thigh, lift it straight, and avoid bending the elbow or flipping the wrist. Tennis.com warns against flipping the ball with a bent arm or releasing from too low, and the U.S. High School Tennis Association explains that wrist and elbow movement can send the ball in the direction those joints move.

Cue 3: Place The Ball In Front

The toss needs to land where your serve motion can make proper contact. USTA says the toss must be in the right place because the serve motion depends on it for clean contact. USTA also recommends releasing from the fingertips rather than the palm to improve placement and help the toss finish in front of the body instead of behind it.

Practice Drill

Stand in your serving stance and make tosses without swinging. Keep the tossing arm up after release and let the ball fall. Tennis.com recommends using a target box just outside the front foot to check whether the ball is landing in the intended area. If the ball keeps drifting behind you, simplify the hand release and keep the elbow and wrist quieter.

Sources

Improve Your Game: Tips for a Consistent Ball Toss: USTA.com

Tennis 101: Perfecting the Serve: USTA.com, January 01, 2017

Improve your service toss from anywhere: Tennis.com, July 16, 2020

Technique: The Ball Toss: USTA Player Development

Perfecting Your Serve Ball Toss Technique + Tips & Drills: Tennis Companion

Three Toss Tips for the Serve: U.S. High School Tennis Association

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