The toss on the serve is crucial to the ultimate success of the stroke. Most servers don’t toss the ball high enough.

The primary source of power on any stroke in tennis is the coiling and uncoiling of the player’s shoulders. When this torque is timed correctly to the ball, the player’s swing is optimized.

However, timing is very important. If the toss is too low, the player may not have sufficient time to work the shoulders properly and therefore the player takes a shortcut to the actual hit.

If this is you, try a slightly higher toss. By lifting the ball just six inches higher you could create additional time to allow a fuller shoulder torque and a stronger overall throwing motion.

Occasionally I’ll notice an excessively-high toss, but it’s rare. In fact, for every one that’s too high there are 99 that are too low.
What is the exact correct height? You’ll know it when you’ve got it.

Gary Sherby is tennis director at Racquets and Togs Tennis Center, 115 Bradford St., just off the downtown square. His tennis tips appear Sundays.