The Pickleball Serve

The serve is one of the most important parts of pickleball. For beginners, the main goal is just to get the ball over the net and land it in the right spot on the court. As you get better, you can start coming up with strategies to help your team begin strong right from the serve. No matter how long you've been playing, here are some key tips to help you serve with confidence!

Starting the Game

Serving is how a rally begins in pickleball. Traditionally, the person closest to the Northwest corner of the court serves first. This is a playful ode to the origins of pickleball on Bainbridge Island in Washington State. In tournaments and more competitive games, coin toss or number picking decides who serves first. Usually, the team that isn't serving gets to choose which side of the court they want to start on.

There's some strategy behind this choice, too. Things like the sun or rain make one side better than the other. Some teams also prefer to have the first chance to score. Remember, the starting team only gets one serve, beginning at 0-0-2. In the end, it often comes down to what the team prefers.

Serving with Confidence

Consistency, consistency, consistency in serving is the key! Getting the serve over is essential because there is only one serve per point. Remember that the goal is to play a point, not to win or lose on the serve. Working on consistency and control is the best way to prioritize your practice. Slowing down can help you gain more control over the ball and reduce errors.

Our friend, Alana from Pickleball Helpline, has a great video that gives practice tips for developing a consistent deep serve. Check it out here!

Developing a pre-serve routine can be helpful. Many golf, baseball, and pickleball athletes use routines to improve their focus. Try bouncing the ball on the paddle three times or knocking the ball against your paddle. Find something that feels natural to you and use it over and over.

Next, decide on a target before you serve. Consider a target, even as you are building consistency. It can be helpful to draw in your mind the path from your hand to the place on the court where you want to serve it.  For example, if you want to serve to your opponent's backhand, see the path the ball will take before you hit it.  

One way to improve consistency is to use a bounce serve. Rather than hitting the ball as it drops from your hand, it is allowed hit the ball after you bounce it once. The bounce serve can give you more control.

Once you get consistent, mix it up! Change the depth or placement of your serve. Spin serves can add a little fun and variation, but can be risky. It isn't much fun for anyone when an unsuccessful spin serve is repeated over and over. For a less risky variation, try mixing up the depth and angle of your shots to keep your opponents guessing. Remember, consistency is more important than fancy!

Master Your Serve and Style

The serve is your first chance to shine on the court. A consistent serve helps your team establish control and take charge of the court. To build consistency, try a pre-serving routine, vary where you serve the ball, and build in a spin to keep your opponents from getting too comfortable with their service return.

Saltie Rose women's pickleball apparel can also help elevate your performance on and off the court. Show your opponents that you are ready to play by showing up in our Pink Pickleball Bomber Jacket Set. To keep cool and comfortable during battles in the kitchen, try our Black and White Collection, featuring new TurboDry Fabric Technology. No need to worry about the shorts riding up; these high-performance, stylish pickleball outfits were designed for you. Hit the courts with confidence!