Have you struggled with something for a long time and then realized that the solution to the problem was much easier than you really anticipated? That’s exactly the case with your Kick serve problems. There is a little science behind the tip that you are going to learn in this article. Do not be scared, adding bounce to your Kick serve is no rocket science! People force a lot of spin on the ball to get more bounce in the Kick serve, but this is not the right thing to do.
Kick serve is a blend of speed, spin and a proper height over the net. The coming sentence is the solution to your kick serve bounce problem. The more the height of the ball over the net, the more it will kick after the bounce. Yes, so very simple. Don’t believe us? Check for yourself. Drop the ball from different heights and then observe their bounce back action. It is as sure as death and taxes that the ball must have bounced more when dropped from a greater height. So, in a kick serve what you should be thinking about is how to get the ball higher over the net.
Basics involved:
- When you are going to hit the kick serve, you should not be hitting at the middle of the ball and your aim should rather be the bottom inside of the ball. You need to brush this side with the racquet. Also the parts of the ball to be aimed differ for left-handed and right-handed players.
- Do not cover the ball with the racquet in a kick serve, it will force down the ball into the net.
- In a kick serve, you do not have to hit when the ball is at full height, in fact, let it drop down a little and then kick the racquet, brushing the aimed side of the ball, to the fullest.
What to do to practice:
Place a bucket upside down or something on which you can place one of your leg. You can place it in the court as we are initially working on the technique only. Then place the leg which is opposite of your playing hand, i.e., if you are left- handed, then place the right foot on the placed platform and if you are right-handed, then place your left foot on the platform. Why do we need to do this? To align your shoulders in a proper angle so that you can raise your racquet to the needed extent(full swing extent).
Now, toss the ball and let it drop just a little and then swing your racquet in a chopping motion. Remember to have your hand extended fully as you brush and chop the ball. Swing it up and out high to heighten the ball. More height is equal to more bounce/kick. It is just like hitting the topspin lobe upwards instead of sideward.
You can refer to the Kick serve shots of legendary players like Andy Roddick, Stefan Edberg and Pete Sampras. They have been known as the best for the speed and height they put in their kick serve. To place in a nutshell, a great Kick serve will be the one where you perform a proper toss and then hit the ball in an “8 O’clock to 2 O’clock” motion, having both topspin and sidespin in the shot. This drill will certainly help you to add more bounce and kick in your serve. Kick serve makes the best second serve and that is an enough reason for you to learn it effectively. Good luck.
