How to Hit a Kick Serve in Tennis

Steps

1. Stand with your body square to the court. This means to stand with your shoulders lined up parallel to the baseline. Such a stance is important during most serves, but is especially important for a kick serve. Having your body square to the court allows you to impart as much spin as possible.
2. Hold the racket with a Western grip. A Western grip is attained by putting your index knuckle on the small side bevel of the grip.

   • Using a Western or semi-Western grip when hitting a kick serve allows for maximum spin and power. Using either of these grips makes the serve easier to hit.
3. Toss the ball behind your head. While standing with your shoulders square to the baseline, throw the ball behind your head but into the court. This allows you to reach back and hit up on the ball, thereby creating maximum topspin.
4. Swing up on the ball. Start with your racket below the ball and swing up and through the ball. Done properly, this will create topspin on the ball (forward spin in the vertical plane).
5. Hit through the ball. The spin on a kick serve causes it spin downward into the net. Therefore, it is important to hit through the ball and to get it over the net.
6. Finish at the hip opposite your serving hand. This is a must when attempting any kind of serve, but it can be tricky when executing a kick serve.

   • Some people tend to finish with their racket on the wrong side of their body which prevents them from hitting through the ball and gaining any real power.
   • Remember, a kick serve is the same as any other kind of serve and it is absolutely critical to finish with your serving arm across your body.
7. Aim deep in the court. You want to aim deep into the service box and quite possibly past the service box so that the ball doesn't hit the net or go short in the service box.

   • Topspin causes the ball to go shorter in the court than a flat serve or a slice serve, so you will have to compensate by aiming deeper into the court. The result will be that the ball to lands perfectly – deep in the service box, then kicks high.
8. Stay close to the baseline as you follow through. Don't finish with your body too far into the court.

   • Aiming deep and trying to hit hard through the ball often causes players to finish standing several feet inside the baseline. This can be troublesome because, when you are in this position, the returner can more easily hit the ball back at your feet. This may cause you swing awkwardly and, potentially, mishit the ball or, at least, hit the ball back slowly.
   • Try your best not to end up too far into the court.
   • If you find you can't do this, be prepared to back up quickly immediately after serving the ball.
9. Practice until you master the topspin serve. Get a bucket of balls and practice. This might seem obvious, but practice and only practice will lead to perfection of the kick serve.

   • Try going out to the courts with a friend and practicing. Having a receiver who gives constructive feedback will be helpful in quickly establishing a powerful kick serve.
   • You will find the kick serve to be a wonderful asset as you "up" your tennis game.
10. Practice in a match. The only way to know for sure that you have the kick serve mastered is to pull this serve out as a second serve in a match. Once you are able to get it in regularly, and deep in the service box, and with power in the pressure of a competitive match, you will have mastered the kick serve.