How to disguise your kick serve?

[1337Kira]

I know, I know, there's already 14019285159028 threads on kick serves. Sorry if I'm beating a dead horse but...
How do you disguise your kick serve?
Basically being able to hit all your serves with the same toss.
Everytime I try to hit a kick with a flat serve toss, it just ends up being a slice.
Bleh.

 

[stormholloway]

You need to learn how to hit the kick serve then. Once you figure out how to hit it you can start disguising it.

 

[1337Kira]

I can hit it if I toss it more to my left.
The farther right it goes, the less "kick" I get.

 

[snvplayer]

It's very tough to do..
I haven't played many advanced players, but I can only recall one guy who I couldn't tell if he was hitting a kick serve.

His kicker didn't have as much side spin, mostly topspin.
He said he had worked a lot on that..

What's more important is your execution. You can disguise all you want, but you want it to be effective more than important.

 

[YonexFanatic21]

Try using the same throw you usually do on other serves, but then when you bend your knees bend more into the ball its hard, but you can try it

 

[LeftySpin]

This sounds like Sampras. I guess it just really depends on how well you can brush on the ball. I never liked hitting above my head so I just use the same toss. But I am going to have to say my kick serve isnt that good

 

[Solat]

the idea is to be able to hit your flat serve from the toss further left thats the key

 

[Totoro]

For those students that want that kind of outcome (varying serves with same toss) for the kick i tell them to throw themselves towards and under the ball. This gives you an upward brush on the ball. Flats or slices fall more to the left. Hope this helps

 

[WBF]

The toss is an important part of the kick serve from what I understand. If it isn't effective, work on the kick, not on disguising it. That sort of serve should give people trouble regardless of whether they know its coming.

 

[OrangeOne]

I dress mine in an elephant suit.

 

[Moz]

I would have thought there is limited benefit disguising a kick serve as a flat serve as it's apparent as soon as it leaves the recquet whether it is a flat or spin serve. The only benefit being if the opponent chooses to position differently according to the serve.

Perhaps your focus should be on being able to alternate slice, topspin and kick serves with the same toss. That way the mystery as to what serve it will be can last until it lands. I find that helps on my second serve as it's a little harder to distinguish between different types of spin serve than between flat and kick.

 

[Moz]

Also, to echo other posters. This is a nice to have after you can consistently nail the kick with good direction and consistency.

Is your cake ready before you add the icing?!!

 

[TennisProdigy]

I dress mine in an elephant suit.

U do that too? I thought I was the only one...

 

[SlapShot]

Until you get to a high level, you really shouldn't worry about disguising the kick as much as you should worry about placing it and making it an effective serve. I've found that even if they know it's coming, a kick serve can really keep people off balance if you can move it in the box and keep it to their weak side.

 

[GuyClinch]

heh. You guys are good. My serves have some random spins because my toss just goes off. It really does jump sometimes on clay though.