Kick Serve

This area of the website focuses on the kick serve. We teach the kick serve in two basic ways. First, we explain the fundamentals of this type of serve. The things that every good player does the same when they hit the shot. Second, we present a series of progressions that you can follow to construct a fundamentally sound kick serve. We strongly recommend that you learn how to hit a kick serve once you’ve mastered the basics of the flat serve because it’s A MUST for any player working to compete at a high level.

FUNDAMENTALS

Introduction to the Kick Serve
This video introduces the kick serve fundamentals videos and explains how we teach these lessons. We expect that you have watched the serve fundamentals videos because we teach the kick serve by comparing it to the flat serve.

1 Where to Toss the Tennis Ball
The first difference between the kick serve and the flat serve is the location of the toss. You need to toss the ball so that, at contact, it is directly above your head.

2 Amount of Shoulder Turn
As you’ll see in video #3, the direction you swing a pronate on a kick serve is different from a flat serve. To facilitate this motion, you need to turn your shoulders a little bit more.

3 Swing Direction and Pronation
The direction you swing and pronate has to let you brush up and across the back of the tennis ball. That will put the correct spin on the ball.

4 Follow Through
The follow through on a kick serve differs from that of a flat serve because the way you were swinging prior to and at contact was difference. While the fundamentals of the follow through are still there, the direction in which your arm and racket moves is slightly more to the side of your body.

PROGRESSIONS

Introduction to the Kick Serve Progressions
Once you’ve watched the above fundamentals videos, you’re ready to build your kick serve using the videos in this series.

1 Swing and Pronate
The first step of the kick serve progressions is to learn how to swing and pronate correctly. The motion is very, very abbreviated to start so that you can focus on this one mechanical element of the shot.

2 Follow Through
Once you’ve got the swing down you can add the follow through. The entire swing should be done very, very deliberately. Work the technique.

3 Move Back
It’s now time to move back and swing a little bit harder. Despite the faster swing, you need to make sure that your correct mechanics remain intact.

4 Full Kick Serve Motion
You can now move back to the baseline and try to hit a “real” kick serve. Start with an abbreviated backswing. Then use your entire service motion.

MISC.

Comparing the Flat and Kick Serves
This video looks at the trajectory of the ball on the flat and kick serves and talks about how each serve pressures your opponent.

  • yaron

    simple answear, kick serve. it depends how you hit the ball, not the court you use.
    you can meet the ball from back to top, and you will get a normal topspin.
    you can meet the ball 50% back 50% sideways and spin it 50% upward and 50% sideways and you will get that ‘monster kick’ serve.. ofcourse it takes alot of practice… good luck

  • yaron

    simple answear, kick serve. it depends how you hit the ball, not the court you use.
    you can meet the ball from back to top, and you will get a normal topspin.
    you can meet the ball 50% back 50% sideways and spin it 50% upward and 50% sideways and you will get that ‘monster kick’ serve.. ofcourse it takes alot of practice… good luck

  • Anonymous

    Will, I hit with a windshield wiper forehand and I usually catch my racket. Today, I tried not to and I liked the results at first. I was hitting harder, more spin, angles, etc but then as time wore on me and my partner got out of ryhthm a bit and when I was hitting forehands, I think I was trying to force myself to stop the racket like what would normally happen if I was to catch it. I am wondering if catching the racket would literally make my WW FH worse than if I didn’t or is it just all in my head?

  • http://www.fuzzyyellowballs.com/ Will Hamilton

    The lower your finish the harder it’s going to be to catch the racket. To be honest whether or not you catch the racket really shouldn’t affect your mechanics leading up to the follow through — sounds like you’re thinking about it too much / focusing on the wrong things. Make sure you’ve got the 5 fundamentals and you’ll be good =)

  • Orion

    Excuse me
    In video, you guys said that using eastern backhand grip is acceptable.
    My question is: When I use eastern backhand grip, should I pronate as I use the continental grip or I have to pronate the other way??

  • Orion

    And which part should I make contact with the ball??
    Top?? middle or bottom??

  • Karan

    I dont know whats going on, I cant see any of the videos on the tennis lessons pages. Have they been taken down or something? I subscribed to the “Improve your forehand in 45 minutes” link on the main homepage but still nothing comes up. Any tips on whats going on would be great!

  • Soongyu

    Very nice website!!

  • alex24

    whats the difference between a kick serve and a twist serve?

  • Arnoldbundaon

    yap! as what i observe the pro when they serve, they use kick serve to allow a big wide space for the next shot. i like kick serve but im not used to it.

  • Julius_tolentino72

    i wish i could work on my serve,i’d like to know how a KICK SERVE is done correctly

  • KD Guest

    —same way as continental.—

  • KD Guest

    —just like wills groundstroke videos the strings should be flat on the back of the ball. at the instant of contact the racquet should be hitting the middle of the ball. however, for kick serves, the toss should be closer to over your head in order to create the proper topspin.—

  • KD Guest

    —that is definetely a twist serve. kick serves do behave that way, but nowhere near as much. to get the rightward jump i imagine your talking about, it would be a twist serve. the twist serve is a combo of topspin and slice, but topspin is the more emphasize spin. it causes the slice on the ball (however much there is on said twist serve) to act in the opposite direction after the bounce.—

  • typicaliswagdistrict

    they’re the same thing. different names, same exact thing.

  • Alexisj

    i love this serve!

  • Jpjohnson94

    I am so good at this serve now……..thanks guys!!

  • Elkjaer

    Great lessons Will, thanks a lot!!!

    Now I learnt flat serve thanks to you and tomorrow I’m practicing kick serve, I hope the same results :D

  • Andrewdong2003

    ryudfdrtdcserde

  • Andrewdong2003

    srdfgchtbyg

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_VFT2MGZEX3KELYQFOHC2UXZRIM Anonymous

    I can’t see the videos even though I’m subscribed. D: Please Help

  • Grammar Police

    Andrewdong2003, please do not spam the comments section.