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Kick Serve
Also known as: topspin serve, twist serve
A kick serve is a serve hit with heavy topspin and side spin so it clears the net with margin and then bounces high and to the side, making it a reliable second serve.
By brushing up and across the ball from a toss slightly behind the head, the server adds spin that pulls the ball down into the box and kicks it up off the bounce. The high, awkward bounce pushes returners back and out of position, which is why the kick serve is the dependable second serve at higher levels.
Example
Down a break point, the server uses a kick serve that lands deep and jumps up to the returner’s shoulder height.
Related terms
- Trophy PositionThe trophy position is the peak of the service motion — hitting arm raised, body arched, tossing arm extended — resembling a trophy. It loads the kinetic chain for the serve.
- 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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