Learn Kick Serve

The ball toss for a topspin/kick serve should not be into the court as for a flat, hard first serve

Work on getting the spin.

Samantha Stosur’s Second Serve

The powerful Aussie’s kicker is one of the strongest in the game

1. When trying to hit a kick second serve, many players blow it before they even swing the racquet. Why? Because they toss the ball from the palm of their hand and release it too early. Stosur holds the ball with her fingertips and doesn’t let it go until her hand is above her shoulder. This gives her control. If you can’t consistently place your toss behind your head, you won’t master the kick serve. Stosur uses an Eastern backhand grip, which helps her brush up on the back of the ball.

2. You won’t find a better model for kick serve preparation than Stosur in this photo. Her balance is perfect. Her feet are close together, her knees are bent, and her back is straight. Her tossing arm is fully extended and the racquet is in the trophy position, with her hitting elbow behind her at about shoulder height. From this position she can explode up into the ball and hit it with both spin and power.

3. Stosur extends her legs up, but also into the court (notice the angle her front foot makes with the ground). As she drops her racquet down, she arches her back slightly so she can get under the ball. Stosur’s arm has tremendous snap; you can see how flexible and strong she is just by looking at the rotation of her hitting elbow.

4. Stosur makes contact near the tip of her racquet and grazes the ball with the strings so she can brush upon the ball. Contact at the center of the strings won’t create any spin. Stosur’s legs have pushed her off the ground and into the court. She keeps her tossing arm tight to her body, which ensures that she won’t open her shoulders too soon. Look at the muscles in her hitting shoulder and arm: They’re all flexed and working together. Stosur is being aggressive, which is essential for a great second serve.

5. Stosur’s hips rotate toward the court from her sideways starting position. Her right leg kicks backward and her weight heads toward her target, the ad court. Stosur is one of the few women on tour who do this every time they serve. Many of the other players, even a few of the top ones, fall backward or to the side on kick serves. If you do that, you’ll rob your serve of power and spin.

6. Stosur watches the ball all the way over the net, and she’s in good position to prepare for the next shot. Her racquet finishes to her right rather than across her body, which is unorthodox and not something I would recommend for a club player. However, it has worked for other pros as well, such as Boris Becker. Stosur has total control of her body from start to finish, which is the only way to hit a kick serve this good.

Article by Former No. 1 Lindsay Davenport won three Grand Slam titles and an Olympic gold medal. She is an analyst for Tennis Channel.