The Biggest Kick Serve Myths | Why They Will Halt Improvement

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In today's video, I present the four biggest kick serve myths and explain why they will halt improvement.
0:00 Let the Ball Drop Lower
3:46 Lateral Approach
5:48 Later Swing After Contact
7:04 Massive Kick
Mentioned in Video: Diagonal Swing Path on Kick 👉 • American Twist Tennis ...
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👉 • The Biggest Kick Serve...
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#intuitivetennis #kickserve

[@IntuitiveTennis]

Kick Serve Progressions 👉 kzbin.info/www/bejne/mZ-zc6GrfpKEjrs

[@petertrahan9785]

The racquet moves up, the ball moves down. Whether we choose to call this action "hitting up" or "hitting down" is a matter of semantics. It's not worth arguing about. But it can indeed confuse the player and cause us to do the wrong thing. Words do matter. What might help one person, might hurt another. People use words differently and the same words conjure different things to different minds. Great demonstration as always, Nik!

[@floyd9223]

once again, the best serve coach on youtube. just look at the way HE serves!

[@ggar9623]

its amazing how you break all these myths that coaches charge money for saying, i also found a lot of those things and theories not working for me and in general not making a lot of sense, but what did i know correcting a teacher... im glad i heard you saying it, BTW i aaalways hated that "on your knees" drill, it destroyed my knees and i never found any feeling serving like that, but i did it when the teacher told me too, its frustrating having gone trough a lot of that stuff and never made any improvement from those silly advices and stupid drills, the things that made me improve were repetitions and live corrections on technique while doing those repetitions, and then, as your channel says, making it all intuitive, once you find the correct feeling in each stroke you know what you have to seek for

[@IntuitiveTennis]

Well said 🙌

[@aaronrussell5047]

This makes so much more sense than the other kick serve videos I've seen. I'm 47 and just getting back into tennis after playing a lot when I was younger. I have a very solid flat and slice serve, and after watching a lot of instructional videos from other youtubers, thought I should try learning a kick serve. All of these other instructors make it sound like it's a fundamentally different swing. I go out and swing parallel to the baseline and catch the ball very low in the toss, and the ball is no more effective than a tap serve, and I frame it a lot. It lands very shallow and really doesn't kick. I've been worried I would mess up my good service motion by trying to develop this further. Now I see it is a subtle change to the standard serve swing, just like the slice and flat are fairly minor adjustment. I look forward to trying your approach.

[@yuyifu]

These myths have been perpetrated by many other online coaches, but they just don’t make sense to me. Thanks for another great video, Nick!

[@bmtspain6839]

check out this one :):):) kzbin.info/www/bejne/m2muhoVqYsRpmac

[@chrischo7464]

Now I know why my kick is so weak that always gets punished or goes in to the net. Great lesson 👍👍👍 thank you !!

[@raresticks]

Let’s just face it guys, Nick is the ultimate myth buster of all online instruction. There is so much misinformation put out there that at times it does more harm than good. Of all the shots the kick serve is the one that is susceptible to the most abuse by otherwise well-meaning coaches. Thankfully, there is someone with a deep understanding of bio-mechanics and an unequaled ability to communicate that knowledge with the players in the most productive of ways. 🎾👏👏👏

[@germanslice]

Some coaches isolate away the legs when teaching the kick serve because they want the body to stay quiet during the toss, but if I want to hit a kick serve well I just simply toss up the ball and just buggy whip the ball using the edge of my racquet to spin it over the net with some pace and that makes it kick. Kick serve dosen't need to leap 8-10 metres up into the air, it just needs to bounce off the court more faster than the normal serve and have some heavy spin on it with some pace. One of my favourite serves I used to do is making the ball go down the middle t and the ball bounces all sideways away from the player with the kick once it lands on the court. So you can do the normal kick serves or kick silder serves by adding slice to it.

[@davidarmola6218]

I couldn't say it any better myself. Thank you !!!

[@germanslice]

@@davidarmola6218 Its also fun skidding the serve under their frames when hitting sliders when they go to swing at the serve and think the ball is going to come up as just a normal serve but at the last second they go to swing at it, and they commit into the swing and the ball just skids under their racquet frame and aces them.

[@c0mpuipf]

this guys nails it; instead of wasting time watching youtube instructions just get a coach for an hour and he'll give you the right advice; i did that, and just watching these vids like wtf this is bullshit content

[@james2578]

raresticks your comment is probably the most stupidly worded comment on the internet. and that's quite some feat. 'of all online instruction' what opinionated rubbish 'so much misinformation' again fail to mention so, so much good information 'susceptible to most abuse' elegantly put crap 'deep understanding' this just shows you have no understanding 'unequalled ability' this shows you need to get out more, and mix with more people and more minds instead of staring online to make your analyses finally, 'let's just face it' no one with a brain will 'just face it' you clearly will because of your limited minds ability.

[@tennisking2011]

Nick is the only guy I listen to on KZbin! Best tennis coach

[@kevo99able]

Dang couch. The last point brings it home for me. I do have a reliable second serve but am not satisfied with the “kick”. As long as it lands in I won’t double fault.

[@chrisdesilva4665]

The Kick serve / Topspin serve is an off pace "semi slice" serve being struck away from your body with your racket ending on forehand side instead of across your body on your backhand side, if you say this to a person like me that already knows how to hit a slice serve everything clicks intuitively, there's really no need to say bend more, toss higher, let the ball drop more, contact higher, that just confuses me and makes the whole fluid motion very robotic, unratural and rigid like so many other videos on YT. . Nic made a slow motion video of different serves with different camera angles a year ago, pay attention to the front angle and you will see the loading and unloading positions between the flat, slice and kick serves are all the same EXCEPT the kick serve ends with his racket coming down on his forehand side, the flat serve ends up on his backhand side and the slice serve ends up semi central to his body. I have the screen grabs of all the different finishing positions studied them and that's why I have a kick serve that's very reliable today so thanks Coach Nic 😉.

[@virgm.616]

This video along with the “How to Get More Height on the Kick Serve”and “Flat, Kick and Slice Serve Lesson” videos are the best instructional videos on the kick serve. These videos greatly improved my kick serve. Other videos out there did not go into the details that these videos went into. I only wish the information in these videos was available when I started to develop my kick serve a few years ago. Great job! Keep your great videos coming. VM

[@bmtspain6839]

i made this one 5 months ago, and yes he makes good videos kzbin.info/www/bejne/m2muhoVqYsRpmac

[@carlrickens4857]

Great stuff Nick

[@jumpkickingnara]

Honestly wish I had seen a video like this sooner. My kick serve has suffered development issues throughout the years and you definitely fixed it. The main points being the lower toss and hitting into the court. Thank you!

[@vive7c]

I would use 4:48 drill to teach myself NOT to use my legs when I first started out practicing my serves. I had a tendency to do too much foot and leg movement. I would stop myself and hit serves on one knee. To teach myself only upper body form and eliminate lower body. Then after some time when I felt confident in my form, I started to implement lower body. Great video as always! Not much different in slice serve and flat serve. Well okay maybe not. I’ve hit slice serves for a lot of hours. Flat serve only yesterday because of something someone said. Now I’m coming down on the ball for my flat serve and I was amazed with the results. The consistency was there and oh my god the speed. There were one or two that I literally stood there for 10 seconds flabbergasted thinking “did I really just serve that” It’s a whole different ball game now.

[@huynhanhtin90]

thank you very much for fixed my weak kick serve, your video make so much sense

[@joernmatthias128]

Exactly, believe me I've experienced this myself. Just parallel the baseline won't work. There are definitely myths that have to be done away with. Stay healthy , you're awesome. Joern from Germany under lockdown.

[@joernmatthias128]

Merkel hardly leaves me any room for practicing. Today, a storm and hail chased me off the court. Greetings from Joern in Germany under lockdown

[@akshathashok9085]

hey coach can you make a video on the kick serve that changes direction when it bounces

[@dougnaquin7611]

Funny, but Patrick Moratouglou did a video just today instructing a student to let the ball drop and hit up. I agree with you, however, if the kick is to be effective and not sit up for the returner.

[@davidarmola6218]

Excellent analysis and explanation. Simple and easy to understand. This is how communication and instruction is given. No window dressing, straight forward and to the point. Thanks Again Nick !!!

[@s4ed]

This is the best explanation of the kick server, answered so many of my questions, especially the swing trajectory. Thank you.

[@Skarmeta1]

Right to the important things, as usual. Please continue the amazing job! Regards! :)

[@marcelovoto3536]

The best advice for a second serve patern and mind set so far! TKS Nicola!!

[@YesSirPi314]

This is the best kick serve instruction, very thorough, , thanks Nick!

[@mrcool1st949]

I recently learned the kick serve thanks to intuitive tennis. The feel I use to do the kick serve was actually one I already intuitively knew, I just had no idea that it was the one I should be using for kick, but I didn't use that kind of feel a lot and therefore I didn't really take note of it until last week or so. The thing I tell myself to get the image and feel I use for the kick serve is actually wrong strictly speaking, but it's the best thing I could come up with to bind my kick serve feel and image to. Before I start my serve, I tell and imagine myself "hitting up & over the ball", which is based on the feeling that I am making contact almost above the ball, and the feeling that my racket is going over around the ball while I am pushing the ball down with my racket. Of course that's impossible, first I can't be hitting above the ball, I probably still hit the ball at the back, but it feels like I'm hitting above - behind the ball, and secondly I'm not hitting over around the ball, since I won't be hitting the ball at all, and third there is no way I'm pushing the ball down, since the contact is instantaneous. But what I've noticed after watching the video I took of myself, is that the part where I feel like I'm hitting over around my ball, is actually getting rotated around and I end up with my arm turned inside (wrist facing to the right) as well as causing my racket head to swing to the right, and the part where I feel like I'm hitting above the ball, is the result of my racket head making contact with the ball while the racket is mostly sideways, which combines with the "over around" part and generates the top spin I need. This only works as intended if I go through the full range of motion of the serve. Doing a static serve results in mostly disaster, but with torso rotation and the leaning, everything goes smoothly. What is especially amazing is that I already intuitively knew the feeling, I just needed to identify the feel, but since I know the feeling, which turned out to be a feeling I actually knew really well intuitively, I have insane amount of control over the serve. It's probably the thing in tennis I'm able to control the most, which is insane since I only learned the kick serve last week. Want it shorter in the box, no problem! Down the line, too easy. Hitting it to the side of the box at the very edge plus bounce it higher? Piece of cake! I feel like I have absolute control over my kick serve, I don't think I'll have a problem with aiming with or having control over the kick serve 99% of the time. I'm really glad, it feels like a miracle! I wanted a second serve that I could truly rely on, I wanted to learn how to do the kick serve recommended for a 2nd serve, and in less than a week after finally learning it, it's my most reliable serve and is on a level way above I expected to have it at this point. I'm truly grateful to Intuitive Tennis, for helping me understand the kick serve, and for helping me unlock and realize all that untapped potential I didn't know I had. I don't know if I would have ever learned that this was the kick serve I've been looking for, and that I've been longing for, I can't tell you how much I really appreciate it! 🙏😭🎾

[@michaelobgy]

Great job! I love this clarification “ no massive kick” because after all what it matters is to put the ball into play and be consistent!!

[@ztennisfan9134]

Great insight Nick. Because of trying to master the "kick" serve during my teens i damaged my shoulder and stopped playing tennis for a decade. Inaccurate coaching techniques contributed to that and how i wish someone told me to stop trying to "kick" my serve before i caused damage.

[@joolm4976]

Thank you. It helped me a lot

[@rds4629]

It's interesting to see your take on the lateral approach. I admit that's how I visualize it. I do struggle to keep my shoulders from opening up to early otherwise I find the kick serve ends up going to their forehand or even ends up as a slice serve.

[@M18S18]

Another great video! Pure engineering approach. Thanks, Nick! I d love to see your structured guide about Serving tactics (which type of serve should be used dependding on the position and situation). Looking frwrd to see it))

[@IntuitiveTennis]

I kind of did that here 👉 kzbin.info/www/bejne/mqHWiamtaKx-iKc

[@M18S18]

Thanks, Nick! Will go through

[@K4R3N]

My kick serve gives 4.0 guys trouble and it's not massive or sick

[@davidjefferies9214]

How can anyone dislike this video??? Such great explanations!

[@paucceri]

after trying all the "mental models" for kick serves i could find on youtube, i have to say tthat the worst are: "brush up on the ball" and "let the ball drop". the best, for me in my experience, are to hit the ball 90 % like a "normal"serve. the only thing to focus on for me is to push up aggressively from the legs and to finish with the racket open at waist level. this produces an aggressive kick which is replicable because it doesnt rely on very specific tiny movement, but rather just a large macro-scale motion or idea which is easy to remember and to pull off even when tired mentally or physically. i can recommend just watching everything out there and giving everything an honest go for a week or two. obv content like this from IT just saves you a lot of time.

[@PICAFUMO675]

Great video!

[@tunguyen825]

Thanks Nick for a great lesson. Another popular topspin serve tip is to brush the ball from 7 to 1; when i do this, the ball will travel up and down (often sail long). Is this tip also a myth? I think to hit the ball down to the court, we have to make contact on the upper half of the ball, right?

[@glenross9163]

Wow, so many other coaches are teaching these myths! No wonder I can not hit the kick serve.. Thanks for clearing things up!

[@rbutthamilton]

I have suddenly lost confidence in my kick serve for the last month. Hope this will help. Thanks Nick

[@Escorpio123PS]

Dominic Thiem has the sickest kick serve I've ever seen.

[@bmtspain6839]

maybe watch raonic and cuevas

[@rafaellozada2544]

Isner wants a word

[@XTjonaW]

Such good explanation again 🔥💯

[@IntuitiveTennis]

🙏

[@talesara74]

Agree with everything ecept the drill sitting. The purpose of this dril is for feeling of spin and being sideways. Body is forced to be in sideways.

[@Josher447]

great timing mon

[@AndroAlien52]

Almost 100K!!!

[@errajota]

In fact, in a previous video i was wondering, that: What Is the maximum hit speed and angle of incidence for a "In" flat serve? The answer is (no wind considered) roughly 76 m/s or 170 mph in a 7.9 º dowside flat serve. The fastest tennis serve ever registered, recorded was that from Sam Grot at a speed of 263.0 km/h (163.4 mph).

[@stevenmckelvey4210]

I was aiming more 8 (o'clock) to 2 and getting better success than 7 to 1. This video explains a lot!

[@ksagstertohi6156]

Nick, The ball is, indeed, hit up. The trajectory looks like it is going on a downward (negative) slope on pictures due to an Optical illusion known as The deTriljo Effect which is widely recognized in Field of Optical Physics which is my chosen area of expertise. I have a Masters and have written extensively on the subject of 3D Laser Holograms have worked for Kodak for 25 years. Please feel free to write if you have any questions and I’ll be happy to explain further. Best, Kramer S

[@richgiannola821]

Nick Where do you make contact on the ball. Do you slightly favor the trailing side of the racket ? Thanks

[@hochiglenn]

I have trouble double faulting, most of the time too long by less than 6 inches or so. Is it your opinion that the racquet drop behind the head needs to be tip down to the ground when behind the back to increase spin? I thought I do this but maybe not enough. Also do you teach grazing the ball to get more spin?

[@kikibeldandy]

Best online coach.

[@GiuseppeSan]

Gosh I wish this video existed like 12 years ago

[@ruipedro4195]

Hi Nikola, do you know of some exercises to improve my quickness and also my coordination and focus between my eyes and hand? I saw a player, in an ATP tournament, do these exercises with a coach, before going on the court. He only used a tennis ball. I think they were warming up. Do you have a video about it?

[@IntuitiveTennis]

I don’t have any exercise vids but will feature some

[@jasonmoon3703]

Another great video! BUT, hitting up or down on the kick serve is relative. It is relative to your tennis level, height, swing speed, spin rate, etc. Nick you are not a typical recreational player. Of course with your swing speed and height (thus high contact point), you don't have much room to hit up and make it down to the service box. For a short "recreational" player, he or she will have to hit up to have the desired margin over the net. I'd guess even some of WTA players hit up on the kick serve, if you let the initial launch angle be the judge. I am thinking Sara Errani, an Italian player for example. I think your videos help countless players, including myself, improve and learn about the game. I am a big fan and I enjoy your videos very much.

[@MomentumTennis]

Spot on ! I bet dislikes came from people who doesn't understand kick serve hah.

[@eze333]

For me personally, anything other than hitting the ball at its apex gives me less time. Once I begin tossing higher than the apex, the ball will be moving through contact, actually giving me less time for solid contact whereas at the apex, the ball is suspended in mid air, thus giving me a better chance of catching it correctly. This is how I generate power but also have control with ALL of my serves. Not just the kick serve.

[@pencilcheck]

I learn this the hard way, by trying everything taught online. Then I realize that I was doing all wrong and imitate from the top ATP pro player and gotten much better result.

[@xXpeeteerXx]

What if you’re only 5’6”? Height plays a lot in to the hit up/down

[@Javi_C]

👍

[@markorkato6722]

Does being tall help?

[@kvaansharifi4692]

I wish you could be my coach!

[@TheDmonet]

I don't know, in this video Federer's 2nd serve swing path seems more lateral than diagonal. Seems the power comes from a toss slightly into the court and torso rotation. Of course this is pro and there are different approaches, but just pointing it out. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hn3aq2akpLKnbtE

[@IntuitiveTennis]

This a warm up serve hit with 25% effort. Problems with slow mo footage 👉 kzbin.info/www/bejne/gGqUhXlop9iHjLs Look up Rogers match kick

[@drbonesshow1]

Most tennis instructors need a kick-in-the-arse serve.

[@adamdvx1604]

Patrick Mouratoglou (coach of Serena Williams and ex-coach of Gregor Dimitrov, Baghdatis, Jeremy Chardy) just released an IG post saying you need to let the ball drop on the kick serve 🤔 Check it out: instagram.com/p/COShZFTn07n/ @patrickmouratoglou

[@martianmatters]

The mister Man, Sir!

[@patrykz3]

been playing 15+ years, still can't hit a nice consistent kick serve :(

[@neygercey7899]

TMI...

[@imateapot51]

I have seen a few players, juniors, who have a pretty good flat serve and then do a gym class tap it in for the second serve. The two serves are not that different in terms of mechanics. If you have a good flat serve and no kick serve you probably will not be reading this or watching youtube videos.

[@christiandelapena8623]

I disagree. More topspin will be generated when waiting for the ball to drop down.

[@qoreanelkarim5993]

Can you send me a racket I am from Africa I love this game very much I always follow your channel

[@harryguate]

An advice for you, give more practical examples, while you are talking, must of the people get buring when only hear somebody speaks and speaks. I hope this comment would be helpful for you.

[@to174jay9]

great video. The still shots helped so much. Should the KS toss be into the court, and is it necessary to toss behind you (11oclock)?