Kickback can occur for a few reasons: 1. Don't start the saw with the blade against the workpiece. Allow the blade to get up to speed before pushing it through the workpiece. 2. Semi-cut workpieces tend to droop, and this droop can cause sideways friction on the blade, pinching it in place. Support the workpiece until the cut is complete. 3. Hitting a knot in the wood can cause kickback because knots are harder than the rest of the wood. Look for knots when measuring the wood and try to avoid cutting through them.