training

Thatcher Weldon launches up into his serve. Because he releases the ball (far left) while his racket is still low, his hitting arm will need to catch up to the ball. This will cause Thatcher to 1) swing in an awkwardly rushed manner or 2) toss the ball higher than necessary in order to buy time. (Or a combination of those two conditions.)
   A high toss not only puts the contact zone beyond the desired apex, but it can tend to make the server launch early. More than a few players come off the ground so early they are actually striking the ball when their bodies are on the way back down, which means they are being aided somewhat by the force of gravity. If they had connected on the way up, however, they would have gained the full explosion of the lift-off.
   At right, Thatcher's racket is preparing for its final climb to the ball. His feet are off the ground, following a powerful body launch. The question is, "will Thatcher be utilizing 100% of that launch when his racket contacts the ball?" He might even end up striking the ball on the way down, aided only by gravity.
   Those questions are impossible to answer from these photos, but one thing is certain, Thatcher's serve is booming louder with every match he plays.

Roeding Park assistant pro, Craig Hannen, is about to contact the ball at far left..

At immediate left, Craig's hitting arm is almost ready to strike, and though the ball has just been released from his fingertips, it doesn't have far to reach the contact zone.

At right: Do you think Craig's toss is higher than it needs to be?

Hannen has an effective serve with good extension, but if his toss were lower, his opponent would have less time to read the delivery. It would also be easier for Craig to time the hit (or play in a hurricane, for that matter.)

Two of the highest service tosses in the world belong to Fresno players, Andy Monreal and Mike Nicasio. (Think of the top of a telephone pole when you try to imagine the height of these ball tosses.) Both players serve reasonably well considering the disadvantage they are under (and we do mean under.) It is literally like these guys are practicing their overheads every time they serve, which handily, keeps that shot tuned up even if they stay in the backcourt the whole match.

When we say low service toss, we simply mean that the toss is not too high and that the contact point is right at the apex, where the ball will hold momentarily before it drops downward. The trick is to combine contact at the apex with a fully extended body and arm, thus assuring maximum leverage and angle over the net. Players who complain that they need to toss extra high in order to have time to hit the ball should learn to slow and delay the tossing arm, so that the hitting arm can begin its motion and be ready to strike when the toss is lowered to its proper height.

Players like Hallstone who end up windmilling the serve often let the racket pause too long in a low position at the start of the motion. At right notice the red left frame as compared to the blue left frame above it. Then compare the right red frame with its blue counterpart above.

Fritz Wilke is another local player who windmills the serve. And this is a real shame, because Wilke, unlike Hallstone, is a very big man. With a proper motion, Fritz's serve would become HUGE, and even a tour player would take him seriously when he steps up to the line.

Ken Hallstone is one of the most fanatical net rushers of all time. A deceptively tough senior player, Ken is pictured at right He has always been handicapped by a very poorly hit serve because his instinct is to windmil the ball with a straight arm (in the same manner a good player hits a skyhook when the ball is suddenly too far behind him to execute a proper overhead.) But over the years, Hallstone has basked in the delights of his 2 mph serve, proclaiming that it allows him all the more time to run to the net.

And yet recently, Ken has undertaken a campaign to improve the delivery, presumably because he finally got tired of his friends snickering behind his back. The lower photos boxed in red show his incorrect skyhook type motion. At right in blue, is what he is striving for, where his elbow bends more during the lift and then opens up into the hit

Left: Standout junior, Chris Caruso gets excellent extension on his serve. The ball is at the apex of the toss, where it will hold momentarily, insuring Chris an almost stationary target for his racket.
Noting the advantages of a lower toss, players in the modern era have delayed their service tosses considerably when compared to the more synchronized motions of classic times. Delaying the toss (and thus giving a headstart to the racket arm) also allows the body more pre-launch focus and balance before the lift-off. Notice, Caruso's feet are off the ground, as are all big servers today.

Ben Lutes is a little guy with a fiery game of footwork and power. At right, he has just connected with a wicked lefthanded "kick" serve. His expression seems to be saying, "Yes, that felt like an ace. Wait. Maybe it's going to be just out."
Lutes has a wristy serve capable of slice or kick; and he does a good job of keeping the opponent guessing. However, he could benefit from more extension. Compare his photo to that of Caruso at left.
It is likely Lutes tosses the ball too far forward to get under it properly for a kick serve. He compensates by kind of crouching beneath it, instead of arching back and then straightening up in full extension at contact. Another local legend who uses a similar crouched delivery for kick serves is Bob "Pismo" Reinhardt.