Mastering the Serve in Pickleball
This week’s coaching insight centers on mastering the serve in pickleball. A misconception has arisen regarding the serve technique, with a player mistakenly believing she could strike the serve above the waist. This only applies to the drop serve, not the traditional serve.
Strategy for Effective Serves
To effectively disrupt your opponent’s rhythm, it is crucial to utilize a variety of serves. One reliable option is a deep serve, which consistently places pressure on the receiver. Here are some tips to enhance your serving strategy:
- Proper Follow-Through: Make your serve a powerful weapon by ensuring you complete your follow-through. Propel your body into the follow-through motion for maximum impact.
- Topspin Lob Serves: These are especially effective as they force your opponent to make adjustments, requiring them to generate their own power while moving backwards to accommodate the spin. Employ this technique with either a standard or a drop serve.
- Backhand Slice Serves: This type of serve can be particularly advantageous. Executing this serve as a drop serve reduces the chance of faults, so be sure to position yourself further back from the baseline. Align your feet diagonally towards your target, keep your paddle low before the strike, and remember to move your non-dominant arm back as you make contact. This strategy leads to a low, spinning serve that can be challenging for opponents to return.
- Open Stance Serves: Utilizing an open stance incorporates your hips and shoulders, providing less strain on your arm and body. This serve can be done using either a drop or traditional serve.
While the tutorial videos also feature additional serve types, including cuts and slice techniques, those will be discussed in the future. It’s fundamental to choose a topspin drive serve when playing against the wind while also using lob serves against aggressive players.
Upcoming Tournament
For those interested in further refining their skills, an upcoming indoor round robin tournament is set for June 22 at the Palm Desert Civic Center Park Gym. Participants can register through the Desert Recreation District website, where they can select their events. The total cost is $40 for four events, and singles players do not require a partner; options for doubles are also available, with assistance finding partners if needed.
This advice originally appeared in the Palm Springs Desert Sun, emphasizing the tactical importance of serving in pickleball.
