From Throw to Serve: The Overhead Motion with a Racket

A tennis serve progression that starts from something everyone can do: throwing a ball far. It looks after the shoulder and ends with serving to a target in the box.

How to play

1. Shoulder and shoulder-blade mobility with the racket: big circles and gentle rotations (4 min).
2. Partner overhead throws across the net: high elbow, trunk rotation and a step forward (5 min).
3. The serve toss: let the ball go straight up and land on the front foot; check it with a hoop on the ground (5 min).
4. Serve from mid-court with the racket: toss, back scratch, hit up high (8 min).
5. Serve from the mini court baseline to a hoop in the diagonal box; three serves per turn (6 min).
6. Gentle shoulder and forearm stretch while sharing which phase is hardest (2 min).

Rules

• Only the student in the serving line serves; everyone else waits behind the line.
• No more than twenty serves in a row per student to protect the shoulder.
• No one picks up balls in the box while others are serving.

Variations

Adaptations

• Students with visual impairments: the partner claps when the toss reaches its peak.
• Sore or hypermobile shoulder: serve underhand throughout and focus on direction.
• Wheelchair users: overhead serve from the chair, as in wheelchair tennis, with the toss slightly more in front.

Learning goals

• Link the overhead throw to the serve.
• Perform a steady ball toss.
• Protect the shoulder with sensible repetitions.

Equipment for a class of 25

• tennis rackets: 15
• low-compression tennis balls: 45
• portable nets: 4
• hoops: 8

Teacher tip

The most common mistake is a crooked toss: repeat the hoop phase until it lands inside. Don't fix the serve grip with beginners; a forehand grip is fine for now.

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