Freedom said:
Topspin is different from kick. Topspin bounces high, but along the flight path.
Kick is the same thing as a "Twist". It bounces high and at an angle from the flight path.
That's what causes A LOT of confusion when it comes to tennis terminology. Of course
"some" people will use the term
"Kick Serve" to describe a
"Twist". I know about that fact but just do not advocate the use of terms that I feel can cause confusion, especially to newbies.
Look up
"Kick Serve"and some "web" definitions will describe it as a
"Twist Serve". Look at the web definition here:
Definitions of Kick Serve on the Web:
Serve in which the racquet brushes the ball from about 8'oclock to 1'oclock (midway between a topspin and slice serve)
A twist serve (or American twist) is a type of serve in tennis. It is also called a kick serve. http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&...ck+Serve&sa=X&oi=glossary_definition&ct=title
Now "TECHICALLY" that is not the best use of the term
"Kick".
"Kick" simply means to jump up/bounce up. For instance, when commentators describe
Rafael Nadal's FH groundstrokes, they describe that it
"kicks" up high — meaning that it jumps up high. So what I am getting at is:
kick DOESN'T mean
"jump while spinning away from an opponent!" It simply means "bounce up, 'noticeably high' (the degree of being "high" is subjective upon each individual, but I think in most cases, a bounce at or above one's torso level can be agreed upon as being "high"). That is why using the term
"Kick Serve" interchangeably with
"Twist serve/American Twist serve" is "TECHNICALLY" not the most accurate way to be using terms.
Of course I am not saying that you are wrong for referring to a
"Kick" as a
"Twist", because this
"misconception/ill-informed use of the terminology" is common among the tennis community, therefore "some" people should know what you are referring to when you use that word. Of course, when getting into details, technical, or when distiguishing one type of serve from another, that is when one should realize how the use of such an "inaccurate" term is unsuitable.
In conclusion, it is better to adapt to the "more precise" terminology. A
"Topspin" is the same as a
"Kick/Kicker". A
"Twist/American Twist" is different than a
"Topspin/Kick/Kicker".
Perhaps the reason why it has been accepted upon, —
using the term "Kick" to describe a "Twist" — is because "technically", the odds of imparting a "true" 100% topspin from 6-12 o'clock is
"close-to" zero
(it would NOT be right to say that it isn't possible! The variable of getting a PERFECT spin from 6-12 o'clock IS there, therefore it IS possible. I OFTEN times come across people saying that it CANNOT happen, all of the time. It IS wrong to say that it CANNOT happen. It CAN HAPPEN! It's just not very likely to happen due to the probability of most of the other variables being "off" from the EXACT 6-12 o'clock rotation. ). Still, however, I don't see that that should be the way to go.
The thing is, when one is attempting to execute a
"Topspin/Kick" serve, they should be attempting to attain spin from 6-12 o'clock anyways, and so it is the fact of getting the spin
"close-to" 6-12 o'clock that should determine the term used in describing the serve being attempted. After an actual serve has occurred, I doubt that one could "precisely" tell whether or not the spin on the ball was "exactly" from 6-12 o'clock
(of if course, for example, if there were to be some very noticeable side spin imparted, one can safely say that it was not a "true" topspin ball), unless they are superhuman and can make micro-measurements be eye! So when a serve is to be attempted, one should use the appropriate term to describe the serve that they would
"ideally" want to execute.
I know what I'm talking about. 
