The pickleball serve has evolved A LOT in the past few years…
When I started playing in 2020, the serve was just to start the point. Majority of people just hit it softly and focused on getting it in…
Today, it’s a totally different story. The serve is a weapon and the goal is to get a short/bad return from your opponent.
Before we get into the 3 simple tips to skyrocket your pickleball serve, I am going to quickly answer some frequently asked questions…
Pickleball Serving FAQs
What is the proper way to serve in pickleball?
Here are a few things to remember to correctly serve in pickleball… 1) stand behind the baseline 2) serve into the diagonal box 3) have an underhand swinging motion 4) make contact with the ball below your waist
What is an illegal serve in pickleball?
An illegal pickleball serve is when you don’t have an underhand swinging motion and/or contacting the ball when your paddle is above your wrist.
Can you bounce the ball before a pickleball serve?
Yes… this is called a “drop serve.” A lot of beginner players start with a drop serve but usually transition into a standard serve contacting the ball out of the air.
Do you get 2 chances to serve in pickleball?
No… in pickleball, unlike tennis, you only get one attempt at your serve
3 simple tips to skyrocket your pickleball serve
Depth is more important than power
At some point on the pickleball journey, most people want a better serve… and to most people better means harder.
Power can be effective if, and only if, you combine it with depth.
Remember, the goal of the serve is to get a short/bad return from our opponent and/or not allow the returner to get into the kitchen line.
A deep serve makes your opponent contact the ball further away from the net… this causes a few things to happen. 1) less likely the returner will be able to make it all the way into the kitchen 2) more likely they will hit a short return and leave you with an easier shot 3) a harder shot for them makes it more likely for an error or returning the ball into the net
Topspin is king
This is a more intermediate/advanced skill but something we can all work towards…
Why is topskin so great you may wonder?
It makes the ball bounce higher and skip into the returner…
This makes the returner’s job even harder… especially if the serve is deep.
A deep serve with topspin is the goal!
Don’t be afraid to miss
I know the serve is the only way you can score points so you don’t want to forfeit your chance… but if we are afraid to miss, we will never practice and implement deep, top spin serves that will take our game to the next level.
There is a fine line on this topic though… you don’t want to go out and miss 90% of your serves and upset your partner.
I would recommend practicing on your own until you gain some confidence then implement into practice games. Or you can play with a friend and just let them know you are practicing a new serve and may or may not miss more than usual.
I heard one of the top pros say if he doesn’t miss 10% of his serves, then he wasn’t being aggressive enough. I like this mindset. The 90% of his aggressive serves that land in definitely cause enough free points and short returns to make up for his 10% misses.
Hope you enjoyed these 3 simple tips to skyrocket your pickleball serve. Let me know how they work or if you have any other tips that have helped you… Comment below!
