Recently, I worked with a 4.0 level player who had impressive skills, a strong serve motion, and the ability to hit flat serves at 100 mph. However, his second serve lacked any topspin, which is essential for both safety during play and putting pressure on opponents.
To put this into perspective, consider how Novak Djokovic executes his kick serve. The ball not only arcs down into the service box but also bounces high enough to challenge even taller opponents. This effectiveness hinges on the topspin that Djokovic generates, allowing him to strike a balance between safety and aggression.
Understanding the mechanics of spin is crucial for any player. Spin occurs when the racket accelerates past the back of the ball in a defined motion. For topspin, the racket should swing upward past the ball. In contrast, swinging from high to low produces backspin or slice. For right-handed players, the kick serve requires a blend of upward and outward motion. This dual-action yields both topspin and sidespin, resulting in the desired curve and significant bounce.
So, what was my student's issue? He was inadvertently setting himself up for failure with his racket position. At the point of contact, his racket was almost vertical, leading to an incorrect motion that produced only sidespin—thereby eliminating the critical topspin and leaving him exposed on second serves.
Interestingly, he was following common advice by hitting the ball at its peak and striving to make contact at the highest point. Sounds reasonable, right? But let’s analyze Roger Federer’s approach. Federer allows the ball to drop after his toss, enabling him to maintain an upward motion with his racket as he contacts the ball. If the racket is fully extended at its peak, it can’t accelerate upward through the ball—there must be room for upward movement.
Federer meets the ball with his racket angled at about 45 degrees, facilitating a movement that generates topspin. This angle is pivotal for achieving optimal ball placement.
To help my student correct his technique, we started with a simple drill. He held the racket horizontally and rolled the ball up against his palm. This exercise was designed to reinforce the feeling of the racket traveling upward through the ball.
The second exercise involved rolling the ball along the top of his hand and off his fingertips, simulating a more realistic serving motion. Here he could better grasp the upward trajectory needed for proper topspin.
The third and most impactful drill set him up with a shortened racket motion, focusing solely on driving upward past the ball. For the first time, he noticed a curve in his serve, signaling that he was on the right track, even though the ball didn’t land perfectly in the box yet.
This emphasized the most significant fix that most players overlook: understanding where to meet the ball and the direction the racket should travel upon contact. After just a few minutes, he could hit full serves with better upward trajectory at contact. While he still had progress to make towards that 45-degree angle, he saw significant changes right away. The ball bounced twice as high after just one practice session.
If you've been struggling with kick serves that lack curve or bounce, you might be making the same mistakes he did. The solution is simple: it’s not about hitting harder, altering your toss, or changing your grip. It’s all about ensuring your racket moves upward and through the ball, rather than across it.
Focus on these techniques, be patient with your training, and you’ll soon see the improvements in your serve. Elevated topspin and bounce are closer than you think.
Your Coach,
-Ian
