As a beginner pickleballer, simple and effective is the key to finding your stride on the court. A lot of on-court practice – which includes practicing all the important shots – plays an important role in improving your pickleball skills.
However, one of the most important shots to practice, mainly because it’s the only shot that starts each point on which you have the chance to score is the serve.
Unlike the fast-paced nature of live ball action where you have to make decisions within split seconds, the serve is a unique time during the game that gives you total control. You alone can decide when and how you wish to hit the ball.
But how can you improve your serve accuracy and gain absolute control of the pickleball court?
The purpose of this video is to give you clear and practical tips that can help you improve your on-court pickleball strategy – with focus on your serve accuracy. The tips are concise to enable you implement them during your next practice, but advanced enough so you notice the impact and difference right away.
Unlike in Tennis, you must make contact and serve the ball underhand, below your waistline. In addition, you must hold your paddle below your wrist.
Jordan Briones and Caden Nemoff – have designed a short, yet detailed pickleball practice video that will help you up your game as quickly as your next match. Here are a few pickleball serving and drill tips from the video:
Target Practice
Try to hit your target. In the shootout drill in the video, Jordan and his partner used small cones for target practice that were strategically placed deep in the middle and deep a few feet from the sidelines in each corner of the box. 3 cones in each service box so 6 cones total.
You can also make use of a soda can or a cup for your drill. While these targets are super small, it’s great practice so long as you get close and in the area. Once you’ve got contact with the ball, ensure you follow through with your paddle so it points directly at your target.
Release
Keep it simple – release the ball. Simplicity is important here so you avoid throwing the ball or tossing it like a Tennis serve. Simply reach out and release or drop it rather than toss it.
Deep Impact
This is the highlight of the cone practice. A pickleball serve is most effective when it is deep into the baseline of your opponent. The deep impact strategy makes it difficult for your opponent to return the pickleball with authority. This strategy also makes it difficult for them to get to the net as quickly as possible, and the harder it is for your opposite number to get to the net, the easier it is for your game. The deeper your serve, the better.
Mix it Up
Jordan Briones highlighted the importance of mixing up your serve. “Try some top spin, some side spins and even some lobs” he says. Mixing up your serve keeps your opponent guessing, and this can give you a huge winning advantage.
The goal is to practice. A consistent routine helps you find the rhythm that is just perfect for your game. Also, there is no such thing as the wrong or right routine, consistency is the key. The cone “small target” practice is just the ideal drill to perfect your serve.
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Yes absolutely. Since it’s an underhand serve it reduces your ability to actually do an ace. Only in tennis with the overhead serve do the mechanics/dynamics of that stroke give you a distinct advantage if delivered well. Pure offensive stroke. The Pickleball serve on the other hand is delivered from below and hence it is essentially a defensive stroke. Now it calls for a lot of creativity and variations or changeups as well as good technique. Keeping the ball deep does do that as pointed out and stressed here.
I have a well developed backhand serve that I call upon sometimes in order to give me the edge. The ones that pay off are the deep one with side spin to their backhand (right handed player) that comes in from the center into the body or midline of the opponent. Regardless of whether they’re left or right handed it seems to induce a weaker return. The other one is the short serve to their right that just clears the kitchen line and cuts across on the net side/half of ‘ no man’s/woman’s land.’ They’re forced to run up and off the court. Some players who read it early enough try to do an ATP but I know to expect it and can cut it off when they flick it low.
There are a variety of other effective serves that can induce a weak return or a mistake that end up out or in the net.
Servers also need to effectively hit a return deep or down the middle to keep them back or guessing who’s going to take that shot.
So, the serve is totally under your control and the key is to not only have a high percentage but a penetrating deep serve. Spins are invaluable if you can consistently apply them. I think it’s the more important off all the shots that sets the tone of play from there on.
Remember some versatile players can build a great defense and return it effectively. If and when that happens, you tap into your fund of variety and keep em thinking, lol! It’s a lot fun when you master your serve and feel confident that you can get an edge right off the bat, so to speak. Cheers! Thx Jordan and Caden!
Hi Jordan, I notice on your serve that after you hit it you step across the baseline one step with your right foot while Caden steps parallel to the baseline with his right foot keeping it behind the baseline. I serve the same way you do. I realize this is perfectly legal. I sometimes get advice that it is not a good habit to step in as you are position yourself further into the court with your momentum going forward which may make it more difficult to hit deep return of serves at the baseline. I still like stepping in like you because I feel like I can generate more power on my serves. I would love to hear your opinion/input/advice about this. Thanks. I love your videos. I have watched too many of them to count.
I love the idea of this exercise; but what is not mentioned is what are you and others doing to direct the serve to a particular spot. Are you changing the swing, or the grip or just physically adjusting your feet and shoulder pointing to where you want the serve to go? It would be great for us beginners to know what we need to try to position our serve to where we want it to land. Thanks for this and al the videos. I’m 82 year old and only been actually playing about 4 to 6 weeks not counting 2 weeks missed because of illness. Even when not feeling well, I’ve been able to practice my serve down my long foyer, past my hallway and into my living room, using your techniques. Today I tried your power serve and it worked for me. I’m thrilled! Thanks again for all you and others do in providing us with some many great tips and instruction. The next thing I need to work on and need instructions for , is how to quickly get to those short, angled return of serves and how to hit them. That’s a big problem for me. A video on this would be so beneficial.
Thanks June! So glad you find the videos helpful. Thanks for the feedback and suggestions, I’ll definitely keep them in mind.