Many tennis players find returning the kick serve to be one of the most difficult shots they have to deal with. This is because when the ball lands it bounces much higher than normal and may also spin away from you. This puts the ball well above the height at which most people are comfortable swinging their racquet. There are however, a few techniques which you can put into practice to help you become adept at returning the dreaded kick serve.


1.  Watch the ball toss

Before your opponent has even served, you can prepare yourself in advance for the type of serve coming your way. Just watch how they throw the ball up in the air before they serve. It they toss it towards the back of their head rather than straight up or in front, they are most probably going for the kick serve.

2.  Preparing to return

As soon as you can figure out whether you'll need to return on the forehand or backhand, commit yourself to turning in that direction and make sure you turn your shoulder well forward, angled towards the net. Also, don't grip the racquet too hard. Leave your grip nice and relaxed right up until point of contact. If you grip too hard before you're properly set up for the shot, you're left with too little time for adjusting your grip.

3.  The aggressive option

One technique for returning the kick serve is to opt for an aggressive return which means taking the ball on the rise.  You'll need to step forward and hit the ball as soon as it's bounced and is on the way up.  You don't need to hit the ball hard. Instead, harness the power from the serve and drive the ball through and try and hit it deep either down the center or cross court. By doing this you get your return back early, thereby giving your opponent less time to react.

4.  Double-handed backhand returns

If you're forced to return on your backhand side and you're using a double handed backhand, then a good option is to try and reverse the topspin as soon as the ball begins rising up. Aim to hit the ball at around chest height and return with an undercutting slice drive. Make sure you turn side on and really drive the ball through. If you chop at the ball you'll be more inclined to float it long.

5. Single-handed backhand returns

Returning the kick serve using a single-handed backhand can be difficult as it requires a great deal of wrist strength to achieve the amount of power needed to reverse the aggressive spin. In this case, your best bet is to try and punch the ball back using more of a closed face racquet head rather than the open face you'd be using for a heavy slice. For example, instead of slicing down with your racquet as normal, try swinging outwards on a level plain across your body.

6. Step back

If you're not an aggressive player, you can always try stepping right back far enough to allow the ball time to drop back to a height you're comfortable with. This option is a good choice if you're playing on a clay court because they tend to slow the ball down more than other court surfaces. When you return the ball, go for a high topspin aimed for the back of the court, thus allowing you some recovery time.

Learning how to return a kick serve in tennis will take some time so try and find a partner who can deliver these serves on a consistent basis for you to practice against. You can choose to be aggressive and return early, taking the ball on the rise or stepping right back, allowing the ball to drop to a comfortable height. But whichever method you choose, your main goal should be to use the speed of the incoming serve to generate power rather than swinging your racquet too much. Before long, you'll be returning kick serves like a pro.