how to handle a kick serve in doubles

[Mick]

how would you play against a doubles team where one player has a great kick serve and both players can volley pretty well?

my partner and i faced such a team this morning, and I didn't know what to do when this guy was serving. I have played against guys with great kick serves in singles before but in doubles, unless you hit a perfect return, one of them would immediately put the ball away because he is already up there at the net waiting for the ball.

my solution at the time was to try hold my our team's own serves because we could not come close to breaking that guy's serve.

 

[Rui]

Kick serves don't come as fast, so I would position myself closer to the baseline to return it. Then I would read the serve and move forward to blunt the effect of the spin.

This also has the benefit of (usually) pinning the netman to his place because the return will be coming back sooner than they like.

 

[Bagumbawalla]

First of all, don't wait until your next match and, then, wonder what to do.

Start learning and practicing how to handle the kick serve and how to place it where you want.

Find somebody who can hit you kick serves and just get to practicing. There are different ways to return the serve (forehand or backhand) depending on what you want to do.

One thing you might try is the lob return. Just lob it up over the net person's head and over to the corner opposite from the server. That gives you some time and makes them think about what they are going to do with the ball.

Another possibility is a slice that just drops over the net, near the sideline, on the server's side. The server has to rush up, dig for the ball and, hopefully, pop it up for an easy put-away from your partner. Since the ball is high, anyway, it is not that difficult to slice down and through the ball for your return.

You can, also, step in and take the ball on the rise, while it is still in your "comfort" zone and drive through it cross court or down-the-line as you see fit (or even right at the netman).

But, what you need to do first, is practice those things, so they will come effortlessly the next time you need them.

 

[naylor]

Kick serve return

I played an interclub doubles / mixed match yesterday. In 3.5 hours, I didn't drop service once and I only double-faulted once. My standard serve to the backhand is always a kicker to the backhand side (quite often, on first serves). For variety on first serves, I flatten it out (but still to the backhand), or sometimes I go for a slice down the T.

The biggest mistake returners make is to stay square to the net, and then try to somehow block it swinging with their arm only, or trying to chase the ball as it kicks away. The chances of putting a good, dipping cross-court block or a decent lob over my partner are small.

When I return, I take the backhand. My standard technique is to stand behind the baseline, but then (as the server tosses the ball up) take a step forward. It means 1) I'm moving into the incoming ball, and 2) my shoulders are turning to anticipate a backhand. If it's reasonably flat (and therefore low), I can continue moving into it diagonally and either take a full backhand topspin swing at it, or shorten the stroke and play more of a block, but both with enough control and placement to go crosscourt. If I get more of a kicker, I can continue moving further out diagonally and still go for a topspin return (and quite often I will "go hard" at the netperson, since I'm hitting from outside the trams into the court), or I can try to take it early with a higher sliced cross-court backhand (which the netperson tends to leave as they're covering the hard down-the-line.

In either case, the trick is I play the ball, rather then let the ball play me.

 

[Fedace]

how would you play against a doubles team where one player has a great kick serve and both players can volley pretty well?

my partner and i faced such a team this morning, and I didn't know what to do when this guy was serving. I have played against guys with great kick serves in singles before but in doubles, unless you hit a perfect return, one of them would immediately put the ball away because he is already up there at the net waiting for the ball.

my solution at the time was to try hold my our team's own serves because we could not come close to breaking that guy's serve.

No other choice but to stand in close and take it on the rise. Shorter backswing and rip it with topspin crosscourt. but if you don't have this ability, then try to take it on the rise and chip it crosscourt and come in. or Stand so far to the side that you can rip the forehand.

 

[Mick]

thanks a lot guys, for your inputs ! your recommendations all make a lot of sense and i definitely would have to practice returning this kind of a serve in order to become more successful at it

 

[Blake0]

I recommend hitting it on the rise and hitting CC. Maybe try lobbing the net guy. Also try hitting it with loads of spin so the ball dips down into their feet, while the servers trying to move up. Other then that all i really got is slap the ball as hard as you can and pray it goes in .

 

[Nellie]

Well, the ideal strategy will depend on your level and skills, but I tell you what works against me when I am serving good kicking serves - deep moon balls crosscourt back to the server. Just block the return back, moving forward with an open racquet face (preferably with the racquet face near your head for better control). You will miss some until you find the range, but must kick serve come pretty consistently in speed and spin, so you likely can adjust to most servers. This return has the effect of restarting the point, avoiding the net man, and slowing the server to the net. Even if I (server) hit an overhead, it is usually from such a deep position around the baseline that you have good chance of staying in the point. It is really tiring to have to back-peddle over and over to get to that return, so even if you lose the first couple of times, keep lobbing the return back, and the other team will change strategies. If you are playing a team where one of the players can hit overhead winners from the baseline, well - you are likely outclassed and should enjoy the match.

 

[Ambivalent]

Step up and take the serve on the rise. Hammer it at the net man if appropriate, or a solid drive crosscourt.
One thing we worked on with our coach during varsity season was to stand in the doubles alley with your body angled at about 45 degrees towards the netpost. Basically, what i mean is for you to stand on the baseline, in the doubles alley, and rotate your body until you're almost facing the right netpost. When the serve comes, shuffle a little to the left and drive an inside out forehand return or right at the netman.

 

[Solat]

Step up and take the serve on the rise. Hammer it at the net man if appropriate, or a solid drive crosscourt.
One thing we worked on with our coach during varsity season was to stand in the doubles alley with your body angled at about 45 degrees towards the netpost. Basically, what i mean is for you to stand on the baseline, in the doubles alley, and rotate your body until you're almost facing the right netpost. When the serve comes, shuffle a little to the left and drive an inside out forehand return or right at the netman.

the OP said that the opponents were great volleyers so hitting straight at the net guy probably would result in losing the point pretty quick

 

[Bud]

how would you play against a doubles team where one player has a great kick serve and both players can volley pretty well?

my partner and i faced such a team this morning, and I didn't know what to do when this guy was serving. I have played against guys with great kick serves in singles before but in doubles, unless you hit a perfect return, one of them would immediately put the ball away because he is already up there at the net waiting for the ball.

my solution at the time was to try hold my our team's own serves because we could not come close to breaking that guy's serve.

It's one of the toughest situations if you and your partner are generally weaker than the other team.

I find that teams that are good serve/volleyers... that have developed effective kick serves, absolutely hate lobs. They are so used to winning points from a good serve, weak return and a poach at the net. You'll see it in their demeanor when they start receiving lobs on the return.

A kick serve is easy to lob back since the ball is already bouncing high. You just stick your racquet out and up at a slight angle letting the momentum of the incoming ball do the rest. It's simply a matter of finding your range to place it deep enough inside the court. It changes the entire dynamics of the point when the opposing team receives a deep lob from a good kicker. It also allows you and your partner adequate time to move to net to volley their reply.

 

[Bud]

Well, the ideal strategy will depend on your level an skills, but I tell you what works against me when I am serving good kicking serves - deep moon balls crosscourt back to the server. Just block the return back, moving forward with an open racquet face (preferably with the racquet face near your head for better control). You will miss some until you find the range, but must kick serve come pretty consistently in speed and spin, so you likely can adjust to most servers. This return has the effect of restarting the point, avoiding the net man, and slowing the server to the net. Even if I (server hit an overhead) it is usually from such a deep position around the baseline that you have good chance of staying in the point. It is really tiring to have to backpedl over and over to get to that return, so even if you lose the first coupe of times, keep lobbing the return back, and the other team will change strategies. If you are playing a team where one of the players can hit overhead winners from the baseline, well - you are likely outclassed and should enjoy the match.

Bingo... from the mouth of a kick-server!

This is exactly what I'm talking about in post #11.

 

[Bud]

Step up and take the serve on the rise. Hammer it at the net man if appropriate, or a solid drive crosscourt.
One thing we worked on with our coach during varsity season was to stand in the doubles alley with your body angled at about 45 degrees towards the netpost. Basically, what i mean is for you to stand on the baseline, in the doubles alley, and rotate your body until you're almost facing the right netpost. When the serve comes, shuffle a little to the left and drive an inside out forehand return or right at the netman.

I've tried this and against really good volleyers it's completely ineffective. They softly hit the ball, angling it away from the guy close to the net. The guy who just returned the kick serve by wailing it at the net guy is way too far back to reply.

 

[Ambivalent]

I've tried this and against really good volleyers it's completely ineffective. They softly hit the ball, angling it away from the guy close to the net. The guy who just returned the kick serve by wailing it at the net guy is way too far back to reply.

If you're playing against someone who could do that, you should be able to deal with kick serves if you went into the match with any hope of winning. The above strategy is for 8.0 to 9.0 level doubles, where the kids (and even adults) have adequate groundies and serves, but are uncomfortable at net, like 90% of American players.

 

[Bud]

how would you play against a doubles team where one player has a great kick serve and both players can volley pretty well?

my partner and i faced such a team this morning, and I didn't know what to do when this guy was serving. I have played against guys with great kick serves in singles before but in doubles, unless you hit a perfect return, one of them would immediately put the ball away because he is already up there at the net waiting for the ball.

my solution at the time was to try hold my our team's own serves because we could not come close to breaking that guy's serve.

If you're playing against someone who could do that, you should be able to deal with kick serves if you went into the match with any hope of winning. The above strategy is for 8.0 to 9.0 level doubles, where the kids (and even adults) have adequate groundies and serves, but are uncomfortable at net, like 90% of American players.

Read the OP's description of his situation. We're not talking in general. He states that the opposition are good volleyers and that he is having an issue handling the one server's kicker.

So, the OP is playing against a team who can volley like that, he's is having some trouble with the kick serve return and he is hoping to win with some decent advice. That's why he created this thread.

 

[beamjayman]

Before you do anything else, play both back when returning against a great server, it makes a world of difference.

 

[LuckyR]

Read the OP's description of his situation. We're not talking in general. He states that the opposition are good volleyers and that he is having an issue handling the one server's kicker.

So, the OP is playing against a team who can volley like that, he's is having some trouble with the kick serve return and he is hoping to win with some decent advice. That's why he created this thread.

I agree that advice should be directed at the OP's problem. I have best luck, charging the return and chipping CC as the server is likely going S&V and using the lesser pace of the kicker to get closer to the net and getting an easier than average first volley. By charging the net you are catching him farther back and any ol' dink return will catch him at his shoetops and since you are approaching as well a pop up return of the return will get crammed down his throat.