Serve Tossing Arcs

What is the actual path of the ball from the release of the toss until contact? In a previous article we identified the differences in the contact points between the first and second serves. (Click Here.) Now let’s look at the actual ball paths of the tosses to make these contact points happen. The contact point varies somewhat between the players, but on the first serve contact is somewhere to the inside of the hitting arm and at about the front edge of the face or body. On the second serve contact is closer to the head looking left to right, and about over the center of the head looking front to back. But let’s look more closely at the actual arc of the ball in the toss—including the height and the movement from side to side and also front to back. This can help players visualize the arc of their own tosses. Tossing Arm Motion The arc varies somewhat with the players depending on the actual tossing motion and the contact point, so let’s look at the variations among top players. Let’s start with the path of the tossing arm. Variations in the movement of the tossing arm to…