Best Techniques for a Beginners’ Serve in Pickleball

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Callan Dawson 

This video goes over the basics of the pickleball serve. There are multiple serving techniques that can be utilized effectively by newer players. The primary fundamental of the serving motion is hinging from the shoulder, similar to when you’re dinking.  

The first technique is the underhand serve. This technique is used just to get the ball in and can be used if you’re really struggling. It’s a basic serve with your chest pointing to where you want the ball to go and everything hinging from our shoulder, while keeping the paddle in front of you.  

If you want to generate a ton of power on your serve, there are two options. The first option is starting a couple of feet behind the baseline and stepping into the serve. This is called the step serve. The second option is to keep your body pointing to your opponent, but rotating your body before the serve. It’s similar to an open stance forehand in tennis where you generate sideways momentum. 

Giving your opponent a different serve every time can make their serves 5% to 10% worse, making your third shot drop a little easier. If you ever play a slice or a turn serve player, you should hit a lob serve 100% of the time because it turns their slice into more of a push, eliminating the amount of RPMs on the ball. 

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