Mastering Pickleball Serving Techniques

Last Updated: January 8, 2025 Author: Pickleball Pro Guide Team

Basic Serving Rules

Essential Rules

  • Serve must be underhand
  • Contact point below waist
  • Paddle head below wrist
  • At least one foot behind baseline

Service Motion

  • Upward arc required
  • No bounce allowed
  • Diagonal service court
  • One serve attempt only

Basic Serving Techniques

Stance and Position

  • Sideways stance
  • Knees slightly bent
  • Weight balanced
  • Non-paddle arm for ball drop

Basic Service Motion

  • Low-to-high swing path
  • Controlled backswing
  • Clean ball contact
  • Follow through upward

Advanced Serving Techniques

Power Serve

  • Deep backswing
  • Explosive hip rotation
  • Accelerate through contact
  • Target deep court

Placement Serve

  • Varied trajectories
  • Target corners
  • Use sideline angles
  • Change speeds

Common Serving Mistakes

Technical Errors

  • Contact point too high
  • Incorrect paddle angle
  • Poor ball toss
  • Wrist snap at contact

Strategic Errors

  • Predictable placement
  • Always serving hard
  • Poor target selection
  • Rushing the serve

Practice Drills

Solo Drills

  • Target practice
  • Service motion shadow swings
  • Ball drop practice
  • Service box accuracy

Partner Drills

  • Service and return
  • Placement challenges
  • Serve patterns
  • Service games

Practice Tips

  • Start with accuracy over power
  • Use visual targets
  • Practice consistently
  • Track your progress

Ready to Improve Your Game?

Check out our Return of Serve Guide to complete your serving game!