TOPSPIN SERVE Problem...

[aptennis91]

Hi, I've been trying to get a reliable kick serve as my second serve.
I currently use a weak slice serve as second serve.
The problem is if I get it in, it does not pop very much and will be punished.
If I try to get my topspin higher, it will not get in..
I heard some people use eastern grip, but is that the backhand grip or the forehand grip..
Also, any tips other than racquet drop and knee bend??

[10s talk]

if it is to slow move your contact point forward...


just hit up with a slightly horizontal racket face

[split-step]

In my opinion, when you first learn the kick serve, it will be weak and lollipop like. Just look at young juniors hit kick serves.

The thing is to practise increasing your racquet head speed as you hit up on the ball. It will feel at first like you are going to hit the ball over the back fence. THe spin however will bring it in
With practise you will eventually have a kick serve that clears the net with good velocity, spin and bounce.

[Noisy Ninja]

Hi, I've been trying to get a reliable kick serve as my second serve.
I currently use a weak slice serve as second serve.
The problem is if I get it in, it does not pop very much and will be punished.
If I try to get my topspin higher, it will not get in..
I heard some people use eastern grip, but is that the backhand grip or the forehand grip..
Also, any tips other than racquet drop and knee bend??

It's an eastern backhand grip that some people use to hit the kick serve.
If you're not getting much pop/movement on your kick serve, you're probably not imparting enough revolutions on the ball. You can't be tentative hitting a kick serve; your racquet head speed has to be relatively high in order to impart the amount of spin needed to induce the movement indicative of a kick/twist serve.

[wihamilton]

A pretty common drill is to kneel at the service line and practice hitting the ball over the net but still landing it in the service box. Of course, you should be practicing brushing up on the tennis ball -- putting topspin / sidespin on it -- as opposed to just dinking it over the net.

You can also take the opposite approach and stand near the back fence and try to land the ball in one of the service boxes.

[BullDogTennis]

you've got to practice, and you cannot baby it.

[Mr. Anderson]

The only problem sometimes, with me and a topspin serve, is that sometimes I brush it too much and the ball is all spin but it doesn't even go over to the other side resulting in a double fault. People say "brush straight up like in a line!" but when I do this that is the result, so I think that you have to go forward with the racket while brushing up instead of just brushing it

[Djokovicfan4life]

The only problem sometimes, with me and a topspin serve, is that sometimes I brush it too much and the ball is all spin but it doesn't even go over to the other side resulting in a double fault. People say "brush straight up like in a line!" but when I do this that is the result, so I think that you have to go forward with the racket while brushing up instead of just brushing it

I think all this talk of brushing can confuse people sometimes. Pros don't hit 90+ MPH kickers by simply "brushing" the ball.

[Mr. Anderson]

I think all this talk of brushing can confuse people sometimes. Pros don't hit 90+ MPH kickers by simply "brushing" the ball.

That's what I said, that you have to somehow through it too; do you know how to do this or any tips to have a fast yet safe topspin serve? Because, just asking, if you attempt to hit a topspin serve, that is "brush" up at it but hiiting through it forward, can that be done? I didn't really understand what I said myself lol

[Service Ace]

That's what I said, that you have to somehow through it too; do you know how to do this or any tips to have a fast yet safe topspin serve? Because, just asking, if you attempt to hit a topspin serve, that is "brush" up at it but hiiting through it forward, can that be done? I didn't really understand what I said myself lol

I know exactly what you're saying and I struggle with this problem a bit too. What I found has worked for me is to keep with the practice of brushing straight up through the ball and generating the forward momentum with my body. By falling into the court, I can get the pace and distance while still imparting the topspin with the upness of the swing.

Of course, my mind is still struggling with the idea of moving one part one way and the other another so I sometimes find myself swinging down/forward into the ball which negates the spin or just sends it directly into the net. You'll probably struggle with that too (maybe not). Still, when all goes right, I can hit a ball that kicks up to your head and hits the fence on one bounce. I think once I get the duality of the motion programmed into my brain, I can really start developing a pro kick serve.

[harr]

I think all this talk of brushing can confuse people sometimes. Pros don't hit 90+ MPH kickers by simply "brushing" the ball.Andy Murray seemed to be trying it in his match against Gasquet, but then I don't think he was reaching that sort of speed -- apparently his kickers were slower in that match than Mauresmo's usually are, but I don't actually know how fast that is.

[Nellie]

Well, a professional can likely hit about 130+ with a dead flat shot. so going to 90 mph with a top spin is a big drop - using 40% of the energy to the spin.

If you are reasonably athletic person serving 80-90 MPH flat, you would exect to hit about 50 MPH topspin, which will feel really slow.

Here's my advise - practice the kick serve until you can get a good bounce reliably. At that point, you can adjust to get more pace.