How To Hit A Perfect Kick Serve In Tennis - 3 Steps

How to Hit a Perfect Kick Serve in Tennis - Step-by-Step Tutorial

Step 1: Correct Grip

• Start by ensuring you have the correct grip for a kick serve. Aim for a grip between the Continental grip and the Eastern backhand grip.
• The Continental grip allows for proper mechanics above your head, crucial for generating the desired spin on the ball.
• Avoid using a forehand grip as it will result in open strings at contact and the ball flying off.
• The grip should enable supination before contact and pronation after contact, essential for a successful kick serve.

Step 2: Ball Toss

• Adjust your ball toss for a kick serve by throwing the ball more to your left and slightly behind your head.
• This positioning allows you to hit the ball from the bottom left-hand side, creating the desired kick and bounce.
• Experiment with the toss placement to achieve different levels of bounce and net clearance.
• Focus on getting a brushing motion from eight to two o'clock, similar to hitting a kick serve on clay or hard courts.

Step 3: Body Mechanics

• Maintain a sideways-on position throughout the serve, even after the ball has left your strings.
• For a kick serve, focus on the shoulder-over-shoulder motion, where the right shoulder drops in the trophy position and then rises as you swing up to hit the ball.
• Emphasize the right shoulder dropping and rising for maximum power and spin on the kick serve.
• Keep your body sideways on to the net as long as possible, allowing your racket to move smoothly from the left side to the right side for a fluid motion.

Additional Tips:

• Experiment with foot positioning to enhance your kick serve. Consider using a platform stance like Federer or a pinpoint stance.
• Adjust the position of your back foot to influence the angle and spin of your kick serve.
• For a kick serve, try turning your feet slightly further round to keep your back more towards the court, enabling you to hit an extreme kick with a sideways-on position.

By following these three steps and incorporating the additional tips, you can improve your kick serve technique and add more variety to your tennis game. Remember to practice consistently and pay attention to both grip and body mechanics for a successful kick serve.