How to Play Against a Kick Serve Specialist

The kick serve — a heavy topspin serve that bounces high and kicks to the side — is one of the most effective second serves in tennis at any level. A well-executed kick serve to the backhand can push you four feet off the court and put you immediately on the defensive. Here's how to handle it.

Why kick serves are so effective

The kick serve's effectiveness comes from its high bounce combined with directional kick. Unlike a flat serve that you read early, the kick serve continues to rise after the bounce — often to shoulder height or above on the backhand side. This forces you to either:

• Hit defensively from an uncomfortable height

• Move around it to use your forehand (which takes time and repositions you)

• Step in and take it on the rise (technically demanding)

The server also typically follows the kick serve into a comfortable position, knowing you'll be pushed back.

1. Move in and take it early

The most effective return against a kick serve is to step inside the baseline and take the ball on the rise, before it reaches its peak height. This is uncomfortable at first but dramatically reduces the kick's effectiveness — you're hitting the ball before it has fully developed its spin and height.

Take it early with a compact swing, redirecting rather than driving. Aim deep down the middle or crosscourt.

2. Use the slice return to keep it low

A slice return stays low off the bounce, which neutralizes the server's ability to come in behind an aggressive kick serve and attack a high ball. Even if the return isn't aggressive, a low ball forces the server to work from below their comfortable strike zone.

3. Run around the kick serve

If you have time, running around a kick serve to your backhand to hit a forehand is a high-percentage play — but only if you can recover position. Use it when the kick lands short of the service line (not a deep kick), giving you time to run around and recover.

Don't run around a kick serve that's deep and wide — you'll be too far out of position.

4. Identify the pattern

Kick serve specialists often rely on the same pattern: kick to the backhand, follow in, put away a high ball. Once you identify this pattern, you can anticipate it. Step in on the kick to backhand, return deep, and prepare for their follow-up to be a net approach.

5. Target their feet on the return

If they're following the kick serve to the net, aim low at their feet on the return — specifically at the service line. This is more difficult for them to put away than a ball at net height.

Summary