Monday, February 15, 2010

A simple exercise, the service toss, that many of you are familiar with. We'll again practice this each and everday.


What is the most important shot, yet hardest to master in the sport of tennis? The Serve. I want you all to visit this you tube site and watch the video there on the service toss. Listen and pick up some necessary tips to improve your service toss. Note why Brad Gilbert thinks the toss is so important.

Brad Gilbert is one of the best in the tennis coaching business, he resurrected Andre Agassi's career in the late 1990's and spent time after that coaching Andy Roddick and Andy Murray, both in the top 10 now. This simple activity was something we did each and everyday of the first part of practice. Gilbert thought it so important that he and his partner invented a teaching aid for that specific reason. To mold it to you muscle memory in the most effective and efficient way.

The advice he gives about the toss is point for point the same as I gave all tennis team members each and every time we practiced such. Many of you didn't seem to like it. I hope this video sways your opinion now of its importance.

Notice the target dot in the video that he uses to practice the toss. Please hear where Brad recommends to start the toss and where to release the toss. Remember put a very little bit of pressure on the ball with the forefinger and thumb of your toss hand. Notice Brad and Venus above holding their toss arm up after the release of the ball. See his eyes and head still held up after the release of the ball. Notice where he holds the tennis ball in his hand. It was great to find this new training aid product, on brad's "square hit" website.