A kick serve, or topspin second serve, serves both an offensive purpose, clearing the net, and a defensive purpose, giving an opponent a tough return by creating a high bounce.
To execute a proper kick serve, swing upward and aim to meet the ball from an overhead position rather than meeting it flat. The primary goal when hitting a kick serve is to follow through and create a brush stroke up the back of the ball. And once it has been struck, the ball comes down at a different angle than a flat serve, the ball lands in, and jumps after bouncing off the court. To do this consistently, follow the cue: up to the ball, smooth finish.
Topspin serves are popular because, when hit with a higher trajectory, they create more dip, helping the ball drop into the service box. Because of the increased bounce generated by the spin, the returner may be put into an awkward position when attempting to play a return shot.
What Are the Physics Behind a Kick Serve?
Topspin affects the trajectory and bounciness of the ball. The addition of topspin drops the ball in the box and provides a higher margin of error over the net, making it safer to hit.
After bouncing, a topspun ball tends to rebound higher than a ball hit flat or with backspin. Because of this, even if the serve is not fast, it can still feel heavy to the receiver as it reaches their body line or above their ideal contact point.
For this reason, a kick serve is frequently taught as a second serve so you add spin and margin without penalizing yourself for every mistake with a double fault.
Grip, Stance, Toss, & Setup
For the majority of players, kick serves perform best with a continental grip, although you may find that your eastern backhand grip will work as well, to a lesser degree. The real importance of your grip is that you utilize an upward arc to hit the ball, which allows for easy, natural racket rotation at contact. If your racket grip resembles your forehand grip, it makes it more difficult to produce true topspin.
Your stance can be either platform or pinpoint, but the most important thing to consider is how to load, lift, and swing without losing your balance. A kick serve still requires both leg drive and timing. Therefore, a kick serve should not feel as if it is guided in slowly.
When considering your toss, a good general guideline for righty players is to place the toss slightly to your left, as it is for lefty players. It is not necessary for the toss to be excessive, but when you toss too far forward, players often flatten out their swing and go after the ball; thus, it diminishes the amount of rotation, spin, and control you have over your shot. A good feel cue is to toss the ball where you can reach up to get it, rather than running forward to retrieve it.
The Core Mechanics: How The Kick Serve Is Done
Imagine a kick serve as one flowing motion. Create a solid trophy position, then push through with your legs and hips to initiate the upward lift, which gives your arm time to accelerate vertically.
Many athletes have difficulty producing a kick serve because they try to create spin with their hands and keep their body low or collapse forward. In fact, a better focus when attempting to kick the ball is to lift through your body first, followed by arm speed. Your racket moves on edge briefly, with the strings not contacting the ball, and then naturally rotates as you accelerate upward.
You do not want to force a wrist snap. Remember to keep a relaxed arm, accelerate upward, and allow the racket to rotate naturally based on its motion. Contact is generally above the head and higher than on a flat serve. Some players say that their contact is sometimes farther behind them, but a safer way to think about it is that your contact area allows you to shape the ball upward. If your contact is too far in front of you, you usually create a flat hit or hit the ball into the net.
When building up to the contact point, your strings brush up the back of the ball to create a kick, which usually includes some sidespin, especially in match situations. However, topspin is the primary source of high bounces. Finish your motion with a smooth follow-through across your body and land under control. If your finish feels abrupt or you drop your head too soon, you generally hit the ball poorly.
Common Mistakes & Fixes
When your kick serve goes into the net, the three culprits are either a forward toss, low contact, or too much flatness on your swing. If this happens, simply toss the ball a little farther back over your head, reach really high when you hit the ball, and work toward a higher full basket for shape. This way you have a margin of error for your serve.
If your kick serve goes long, you are most likely hitting too much through the ball and not enough brush up, or you are tossing the ball too far forward. Change your goal from generating speed to creating shape with more arc, an upward swing, and a balanced finish. Most long serves move away from you if you stop trying to hit a hard kick before learning to hit a spinning kick consistently.
If your serve curves but does not bounce high, you are probably hitting primarily slice. A slice can be a good serve, but it is not a kick serve. To hit a solid kick serve, focus on lift. Your legs should drive up and the racket path higher than the base to create a more vertical racket path when hitting the ball.
A Simple Practice Progression
Start with shadow swings for practice. Make a motion with your racket, leading with the edge of the racket up toward the sky and finishing across the body, but you focus on your path and staying relaxed, not even thinking about the toss yet. Isolate the toss and toss and catch a ball at full extension in a stationary spot. If you develop a good toss, it makes learning the kick serve much more manageable. After you practice tossing and catching well, practice serving at half speed from the service line.
The reason for serving at half speed is to avoid overhitting the ball and help you feel the shape of the serve. Aim for the top of the net and allow the ball to drop into your side of the court. Once you develop your arc and create the same bounce each time, you have the ability to back up to the baseline, giving yourself the opportunity to keep the same intention by serving the ball at the same tempo.
To stay consistent under pressure, create a simple serving routine before each serve: one breath, one cue up, and then serve. Your only goal during the serve is to repeat your best serve in your tightest situations.
Practical Checklist
An effective kick serve is delivered when your grip helps you develop an upward swing with your toss so that you have an upward reach. Instead of having to chase your toss, you deliver the ball upward from your legs and have a clear brushing contact at the peak of your swing. The finish is smooth and ideally balanced, not forced.
Pros Who’ve Mastered Kick Serving
A number of pro players become associated with elite kick serves due to their ability to marry heavy topspin with accuracy. As a result, they deliver more than a dependable second serve, and it also functions as a point starter.
Rafael Nadal
A great example is Rafael Nadal, whose left handed kicker, especially when served wide, is well known for its ability to jump high and pull returners off the court, creating space for Nadal’s next forehand.
Serena Williams
Serena Williams consistently has success using a kicker to give herself an opportunity for a reliable second serve while still sending the ball into an uncomfortable contact height.
Pete Sampras
Pete Sampras is recognized for having an extremely dangerous second serve due to both his spin rate and ability to disguise it.
John Isner
John Isner creates a high bouncing kicker serve by using both his height and his second serve.
Take Lessons in Mountlake Terrace at Basha Tennis to Improve Your Game!
A kick serve is done by combining the right setup with an upward swing, high contact, and a relaxed arm that allows natural racket rotation. The fastest way to learn this shot is to prioritize shape over speed and, of course, it does not help to get some professional help.
If you live in the Mountlake Terrace area and are interested in learning kick serves and a number of other useful tennis strokes, stop by Basha Tennis and sign up for lessons today. We offer tennis classes for juniors, adults, and private lessons.
While visiting our website, take a moment to check out some of the educational content we have on hand. Namely, our tennis blog and glossary of terms.