Return the Kick Serve

When I was a kid (and some question whether I still am), I was a big fan of the SUPER BALL®. For those who don’t remember, it’s that plum-sized, brightly colored rubber ball, that takes crazy high-hops when you bounce it. It’s nearly impossible to tell which direction the ball will dart, and trying to catch one can make you look foolish and feel uncoordinated.

It’s a little like trying to return a heavy kick serve. If one of the toughest shots to learn in tennis is a kick, figuring out how to return one isn’t far behind. The ball jumps up and away from your strike zone, hindering you from taking a good crack at it. And if you’re trying to defend against an effective kick, it may feel like you need a stepladder to return it. Here are a couple of options when dealing with this potent weapon:

Let it spin out: If you’re not an aggressive player, you may want to move back well behind the baseline to allow the ball to reach its peak and start to drop down­many good clay-court players apply this tactic. A drawback with this strategy is that the kick serve pushes you wide of the court (out toward the doubles alley), but you will be able to take a big swing at the ball. And you’d better, otherwise your shot will land short and your opponent will gain control of the point. Another potential issue you may run into is if your opponent is capable of coming in behind his serve. Since you’re so deep, they’ll have plenty of time to get on top of the net and in excellent volleying position. That’s why I prefer to. . .

Move in and take the ball early: It’s always wise to mix up your return positions so your opponents don’t find you predictable. That being said, most of the time I find it best to move inside the baseline on a kick serve and make contact with the ball while it’s rising off the court. At this point the action on the ball hasn’t taken it out of the strike zone, and you don’t have to forfeit court position by moving back. It’s a trickier shot than letting the ball spin itself out, but it affords you the chance to be offensive with your return.