What To Learn First Flat, Kick, or Slice? | Tennis Serve Tutorial for Beginners & Intermediates

In today's video, I explain which tennis serve to learn first and present a tutorial on the flat, slice and kick serve with progressions for beginners and intermediates. I also discuss why the kick serve should not be learned too early in your development.

0:00 Progression 1 (Flat Serve)
4:54 Why Learning Kick First is Wrong
7:19 Progression 2 (Slice Serve)
8:56 Progression 3 (Kick Serve)
10:21 Why the Kick Serve is Difficult

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[pfpvilano]

The lag....single most impactful serve tip ever for me. In a week the results for me have been remarkable. Thank you!!

[walterhayley]

"Late starter at age 16?".... try 70! Ha, ha, ha...

[Symmetryful]

Nikola, just wanted to say this video has really helped me with my serve so thanks a million. I’m sort of in between the beginner and intermediate stage but felt I had to go back to the fundamentals on the serve as if I were a beginner. I didn’t realise something as simple as starting at the service line and gradually moving back (this is my own drill atm) could have such a profound effect on my ability to serve consistently.

[vectorthurm]

Yeah I took the bait and fell into kick serve trap. Pretty much spot on😂
I’ve been back on the practice court trying to groove in better mechanics!

[piotrgpt-]

I am so so thankful for finding this channel. It greatly improves my skills. And im thousands of kilometers away. Internet is awesome. People like you are awesome. Thank you!

[Javaslinger]

Perfect timing... I need this video in my life!

[matiasjank]

Hey Nick, would like a video in which you tell us which gear you recommend for tennis. Shoes, rackets, etc. Cheers.

[gdollars]

Awesome instructional video. Still working on my kick serve.

[davidhale]

You have a great range of serve videos available, some with more mechanical detail than this one. I appreciate your various teaching lessons. I think here the really touch part for me is the acceleration forcing the racket outward to leave the tip facing the French before the true upward element. I'll keep working. Thanks.

[Fernwald]

Topnotch advice on the serve, Nik. Also, your condensation of the techniques for the three service types goes right to the heart of the matter.

[zacharylore]

Thank you. I’m an amateur to intermediate and I was wrongly trying to hit kick serves as a second serve. It didn’t have any power on it and I was mainly using as a spin shot to increase the chance of getting the ball in. I know I have been hitting the ball very thin when I try to hit a kick. So I will stick with the flat and maybe try the slice.
I started tennis later in life and I have to realize that as a 36 year old with two young kids and a career that being an elite level player is not going to happen. I don’t really have the time to develop a kick serve. Thanks for the video.

[ll]

This is a great video for serve training. Thanks for sharing your experience with us!

[aehmerchant]

Very informative and helpful video Nikola! Thank you

[KenzoIMP]

Hi, recreational player here 🖐
So, I dislocated my shoulder 2 times in the span of 10 years, both times in the serve. The second time, I went to a specialist (doctor) who recommended to use a more 'pusher' aproach on the serve, instead of the classic 'raquet drop/pronation'.
Anyway, because of this, I am careful in my second serve, tossing the ball at 1 (not at 11) and cutting it up when it starts to drop. Not the 2nd greatest serve 😅
But my serve improved a lot thanks to your videos. Thank you!
Regards from Argentina.

[dalthiara]

great video and advice on the natural progression of the serve. Thank you !

[turemartin]

Great video. Just in time to me. Thank you.

[its-my-life]

Great lesson, many thanks. What I always find slightly confusing is the notion of throwing at one o'clock, throwing at 11 o'clock and so on. I mean, I know what is meant, but this always depends on your perspective / reference point, that is, where you are looking. I find it much easier, for example, to say: For a flat serve, toss the ball towards the right net post (i.e., the same direction your left foot points toward). That is much easier for me than the "o'clock" reference.

[Sweeney-Kubach]

When I was learning the kick serve my coach taught us to hit the kick serve with a wooden racquet, I know I am dating myself. Hahe when I was learning the kick serve it took me over a year of hitting serves everyday for almost a year, but I mastered it, the I started using a slice and kick together for a fourth option on my serves. The ball I hit literally bouncing off the court and it’s sliced from any direction I decide to hit. I did discover that most people have a problem hitting the slice kicker to their backhand, and I get a lot of short returns or even aces or unreturnable balls, the slice kicker took me about a year to develop it into a good weapon. I am also 5’7 and I think that helps me with my serve because I use my legs and hit the ball in front of me about 11:30 to 12:30 on different serves. Like Mac was saying, no body is trying to hide a kick serve, most people disguise their flat and slice serves, and just put the kicker to put the ball in play. Coach Nick have you ever combined other serves together and try completely different type of serves. Great job on the video coach and I appreciate your hard work and dedication to the game of tennis my friend.

[ahmadjamal]

Excellent video. I’d like to work on my game with you Nick. Hopefully once the USA / Canada travel opens up

[darkking]

I’m subbing since I’m a beginner…! Hope to see more beginner videos!! Love your videos!!