06/03/2026
The Serve is the most important shot in tennis and the toss up or placement of the ball is the most important part of the serve. Well done to Ashley Duke Tennis for another tennis lesson .
Ashley Duke Tennis
Iโve never liked the phrase โtoss the ball upโ when teaching the serve. Iโve always preferred โplace the ball up.โ
โTossโ creates the image of throwing the ball into the air. Let's be honest, if someone said โtoss the ball to me,โ you probably would throw the ball to them in an underarm fashion and not control it very well. But if you place the ball to someone, you guide it much more accurately.
The same idea applies to serving.
Here we can see Iga ลwiฤ
tek placing the ball up into position. What really helps her achieve this control is keeping the palm open and facing up as she releases the ball.
A simple way to picture it is this:
Imagine placing the ball onto a shelf in front of you without sliding the ball. Try this, without spinning the ball out of your hand. If you can do this, you've nailed it!
That same feeling will help you guide the ball smoothly into the perfect contact point. Next time you serve, practice placing the ball up with an open palm.
