THE SERVE
Introduction
The serve is the only shot in Pickleball where you have complete control. It sets the tone for the rally and can be a powerful tool in dictating the pace of the game. In this post, we’ll explore the key techniques for serving in Pickleball to help you elevate your game.
Five types of Serve:
1. The Drop Serve
Beginners can start with the drop serve, especially if you haven’t come from any kind of racket sport.
Hold the ball in a high, elevated position. Then drop it and let it bounce before hitting it into the diagonal service box.
Tip – More advanced players may like to add a ‘half-volley serve’ into their arsenal, just as an added extra to mix things up a bit
2. The Volley Serve
The fundamental serve in Pickleball is underhand and must be hit with an upward motion. The paddle must contact the ball below the waist, and the serve must land within the diagonally opposite service court.
Key Points:
· Grip: Use a continental grip for better control and versatility (put your paddle on the ground and pick it up as you would to use a hammer).
· Loose Grip: Don’t grip the paddle too tightly.
· Stance: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Your dominant foot should be slightly behind the non-dominant foot to allow for a smooth swing.
· Swing: Start with the paddle low and swing upward. Ensure you follow through to guide the ball into the service box.
Tip – More advanced players may want to use an Eastern grip or even a semi-Western grip (especially if you come from tennis). Try these out and see what’s most comfortable.
Tip – GET IT IN !
Remember – your opponents only need to win 11 points on their serve to win the game. That’s all! If you ‘give away’ points on your serve, you are WASTING opportunities. 95% of your focus on serving should be to GET IT IN ! So before you start to think about any other tactic on serving – GET IT IN !
3. The Lob Serve
The lob serve is high and deep, aimed at pushing your opponent to the back of the court.
Key Points:
· Height: Hit the ball with a high arc so it clears the net comfortably and lands deep in the service box.
· Depth: Aim for the ball to land deep in the service box, forcing your opponent to retreat.
Tip – HIGH & DEEP The lob serve makes an EXCELLENT default/standard serve. Your main aim with the serve is to push your opponents as far back as you dare. Practise your high, deep serve and see how deep you can CONSISTENTLY make the serve.
4. The Power Serve
A powerful serve can put your opponent on the defensive right from the start. To achieve this, focus on generating speed while maintaining accuracy.
Key Points:
· Paddle Speed: Generate more speed by rotating your hips and shoulders as you swing.
· Follow Through: A full follow-through is essential for maintaining power and control.
· Practice: Power serves are riskier, so practice is crucial to prevent faults.
Tip – USE A SHORT SWING
Although you may want to put more power on your serve, don’t be tempted to use a long backswing. Always keep your backswing short. If you’ve come from tennis or squash you may find this difficult, but persevere.
Tip – HARD TO THEIR FOREHAND
If the receiver is standing quite far to one side to safeguard their backhand, you can hit a ‘surprise’ power serve wide to their forehand. Don’t do this too often. If you’re confident, you can do this quite early in the game to take the receiver out of their comfort zone as they will have to stand a bit closer to their forehand – therefore leaving their backhand a bit more vulnerable.
5. The Spin Serve
Adding spin to your serve can make it more difficult for your opponent to predict the ball’s trajectory and speed. Topspin causes the ball to dip quickly after crossing the net, while backspin (or slice) makes it bounce lower. Spin is generated by the paddle and NOT the hand when tossing or dropping the ball.
Key Points:
· Topspin: Brush up on the back of the ball with a slightly closed paddle face to generate topspin.
· Backspin: Slice under the ball with an open paddle face to create backspin.
· Placement: Focus on placement as much as spin. A well-placed spin serve can catch your opponent off guard.
Tip – COMBINE POWER & TOPSPIN
This can be an excellent serve, but don’t bring it into your game until you can do this consistently. The topspin helps to keep your opponents back. Having said this though – unless you can do this without errors – the High & Deep serve will be the better default serve for everyone.
Strategy for serving – basic
Your main aim is:
KEEP YOUR OPPONENTS AS FAR BACK AS POSSIBLE
Use a deep serve to push your opponent back, to try and prevent them from hitting a deep return which will allow the receiver to join their partner at the kitchen line (to then volley and dominate the point).
BUT, beyond all this, is … GET IT IN.
Strategy for serving – more advanced
For more advanced players, the above is still VERY RELEVANT.
Drills to be completed.
You must practise the shot until you can reach the target number without hitting more than the allowable error count.
Total Beginners 2.0
25 serves in (2 errors)
10 high serves (2 errors)
Advanced Beginners 2.5
50 serves in (2 errors)
20 high serves (2 errors)
Low-Intermediates 3.0
100 serves in (2 errors)
50 high serves (2 errors
25 high & long* serves (2errors)
High-Intermediates 3.5
200 serves in (2 errors)
100 high serves (2 errors)
50 high & long* serves (2 errors)
*long serve means inside the deepest third of the service box (ie. within 5 feet or 1.5m of the baseline)
Bring your new skills into your play – it doesn’t matter if you win or lose. If you want to improve your game, you NEED to practise these things when you play.