How to Develop a Real Kick Serve
Every developing player has a topspin second serve that gets the ball in. A real kick serve is different — it jumps up and away from the returner, often above shoulder height, and it's one of the few shots in tennis that gets meaningfully harder to return the better it's executed. Here's what actually separates a kick from a generic topspin serve.
It starts with the toss
A flat or slice serve toss sits out in front of the body. A kick serve toss sits further back — above or slightly behind the head — so the racquet can brush up the back and side of the ball rather than driving through it. This single change is responsible for more kick-serve improvement than any swing adjustment.
Practise the toss alone before adding the swing: if the ball wouldn't land near the back of your head or slightly behind it, let it drop and re-toss. A wrong toss makes correct mechanics almost impossible.
Continental grip, always
As with every serve variation, continental is non-negotiable. An eastern forehand grip physically cannot produce the racquet-face angle needed to brush up the ball — you'll either flatten out or spray the serve wide. If your kick serve has plateaued, check the grip before anything else.
The swing path: low to high, brushing up and across
Where a flat serve drives through the ball, a kick serve brushes up the back of it and across, from roughly 7 o'clock to 1 o'clock on the ball (for a right-hander). The racquet head should be accelerating upward and slightly sideways through contact, not just forward.
This is where pronation matters: let the forearm rotate naturally through contact rather than muscling the ball forward. A loose, fast wrist and forearm moving through the correct path creates far more spin than a tense, powerful-feeling arm moving in the wrong one.
Use your legs and back, not just your arm
The archetypal 'banana' body shape of a kick serve — knees bent, back arched, then explosively extending upward — comes from leg drive and hip extension, not spinal strain. Bend the knees more than you would for a flat serve, and think of jumping up and through the ball rather than reaching for it.
Drills to groove it
- Toss-only reps: 20 tosses with no swing, checking the ball lands in the correct behind-the-head zone every time.
- Shadow swings: rehearse the low-to-high brushing path without a ball to feel the pronation and racquet-head speed.
- Target the body: aim kick serves at the returner's body/shoulder rather than the corners at first — that's where the kick actually creates problems, and it's an easier target while you're grooving the motion.
- Compare video: film your kick serve next to a flat serve to see the toss and contact-point differences directly.
Common mistakes
- Tossing too far forward, which forces a flatter, less-spinny contact.
- Muscling the shoulder instead of pronating through the forearm.
- Only ever hitting kick serves in one direction (the T) — practise it out wide too.
- Expecting instant results — a genuine kick serve typically takes months of dedicated toss and swing-path work to feel natural.
Frequently asked questions
Where should the toss be for a kick serve?+
Further back and slightly to the left (for a right-hander) than a flat serve — roughly above or just behind your head rather than out in front. This toss position lets you brush up and across the back of the ball, which is what generates the topspin.
Why can't I get enough spin on my kick serve?+
The most common cause is an eastern/frying-pan grip instead of continental, or a toss that's too far in front — both push you into hitting flat instead of brushing up the ball. Fix the grip and toss first; spin follows naturally once the swing path is right.
Is a kick serve hard on the back?+
It can be if you rely purely on spine arch for the toss-behind-the-head shape. Generate the arch from bent knees and hip drive rather than lower-back hyperextension, and build up volume gradually rather than hitting hundreds cold.
Struggling with the fundamentals before adding kick? Start with the basics.
Read: 5 Common Serve Mistakes →