Advanced Tennis: Sampras Serve The Tossing Motion: Page 3

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As we have seen, spin is a critical factor in Sampras’ serve – one factor that sets him apart quantitatively from the other top players.

Spin is also critical on the toss – or rather the complete absence of spin. As the ball floats out of Pete’s hand, it literally hangs in the air,
a knuckleball with no visible spin. If you have the good fortune to see him play at close range, you can see the seams and read the number while
the ball is in the air – at least until the racket head shows up and delivers that searing, heavy rotation that sets Pete apart.

His release is so simple and soft that he imparts no spin whatsoever to the ball during the toss. This is a key factor is his tossing consistency. Players with erratic tosses frequently impart significant rotation to the ball, flipping it into the air with their fingers or wrists. This introduces another unnecessary variable that becomes difficult to control under pressure. Pete stays very relaxed and delivers the ball consistently to the same spot time after time. This relaxation on his tossing motion helps the rest of the motion stay…