Kick Serve
Also known as: topspin serve, twist serve
A kick serve combines heavy topspin with side spin to clear the net safely and then bounce high and kick sideways. This makes it the standard high-level second serve. This is because of its margin and awkward bounce.
It differs from a flat or sliced delivery in both toss placement and swing direction. The toss sits slightly behind the head. This means further back than for a flat ball. This means and the racquet brushes upward and across the ball from roughly the 7 o'clock to the 1 o'clock position (for a right-handed server). This motion imparts topspin and sidespin at the same time. The topspin pulls the ball downward into the service box with good margin over the net. The sidespin makes it bounce sharply to the receiver's backhand side (for a right-hander serving to the deuce court). This produces a kick that forces the receiver off the baseline and into an awkward hitting position.
Its reliability on the follow-up delivery comes from the safety margin rotation buys. A flat ball hit long is a double fault; a heavily rotating one hit long may still drop in. Net clearance is typically higher than on a flat ball. This means topspin does the work of pulling it down after the tape, rather than asking the server to thread a narrow window. This is why it is the follow-up of choice at higher levels. This means margin and an awkward bounce together, in a way neither the sliced nor the flat version manages.
The physical demands are significant. The brush-across motion requires substantial shoulder internal rotation and trunk rotation in the opposite direction from a flat serve. This means the body arches and the path crosses from low-left to high-right for a right-hander. This places specific demands on the shoulder and requires thoracic spine flexibility. This is one reason it is labelled advanced. This means the motion is mechanically unlike a flat delivery, needs deliberate practice, and can strain the shoulder if the technique is imprecise.
Start by practicing the toss placement only, without swinging. Place the toss behind your head and feel the body arch it requires. Once the toss placement is consistent, add a slow, deliberate brushing motion up and across the ball. Speed comes after the direction of the brush is reliable.
Vary the bounce target between the deuce and ad courts. From the deuce court the ball jumps to the receiver's backhand. From the ad court it jumps into their body or to their backhand depending on the exact spin. Being able to place it either side of the box from both courts makes the delivery by a lot harder to return and adds a tactical dimension beyond pure spin production.
Example
Down a break point, the server brushes hard up the back of the ball, clearing the net with a foot of margin, lands deep, and bounces up to the returner's shoulder. This means forcing a defensive reply.
Why it matters
This is the difference between a reliable follow-up delivery and a defensive one. Players without it are either tentative on the follow-up or give away easy points double-faulting flat. Developing a consistent one unlocks the ability to be aggressive on both deliveries.
How it shows up on video
From behind the server, watch the toss placement and swing direction. The toss is visibly further behind the head than a flat one. The swing path crosses the ball from low-to-high and left-to-right (for a right-hander), finishing on the opposite side of the body rather than straight ahead. The trajectory is distinctly higher over the net, and after the bounce the ball rises sharply and kicks to one side. This means the spin is visible in the ball's trajectory both before and after bouncing.
Common mistakes
- Tossing the ball too far in front or too far to the tossing-arm side. This prevents the behind-head brush angle and produces a flat or sliced ball instead.
- Brushing straight up instead of up-and-across. An upward-only brush produces topspin without the sidespin, resulting in a high, slow ball that jumps upward but not sideways — easy to return.
- Decelerating through the ball out of fear of missing. The racquet head has to accelerate through the brush; slowing down cuts rotation, which cuts margin.
- Tensing the arm and shoulder, which restricts the crossing path and usually produces a sliced ball instead. A loose arm is what completes the full brush-across motion.
In SwingVantage Motion Lab
SwingVantage can identify whether toss placement and swing direction match this pattern or whether the motion is drifting toward a flat or sliced one. The crossing swing path and high-arc ball trajectory are both visible from standard camera angles and give clear feedback on whether spin is being generated correctly.
Frequently asked questions
How does this differ from a topspin or twist delivery?
A pure topspin delivery brushes straight upward for a high bounce, but without strong sidespin — it goes high but kicks less sideways. Adding sidespin to that topspin produces both the high bounce and the lateral jump. A twist is an older name for an extreme version with exaggerated sidespin. The three terms overlap. This one is the most widely used today.
Is it risky for the shoulder?
The crossing swing path and required shoulder internal rotation place demands on the serving shoulder. Players with existing shoulder issues should develop it gradually and with proper coaching oversight. For players with healthy mechanics it is no more injurious than any other delivery. This means the risk comes from poor technique (especially a collapsed elbow or an extreme body arch that compresses the spine) rather than from the motion itself.
Related terms
- Trophy PositionThe trophy position is the checkpoint at the peak of the service toss. This means hitting arm up, body arched, tossing arm extended. This means where the kinetic chain is fully loaded and ready to fire upward.
- TopspinTopspin is forward spin imparted by brushing up the back of the ball. It makes the ball dip down into the court and kick up high after the bounce.
- AceAn ace is a legal serve the receiver fails to touch with the racquet, winning the point outright. The headword "ace" is used as-is across languages.
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