Common Questions: Can You Bounce Serve in Pickleball?

TL;DR: Yes, you can bounce serve in pickleball. There are two serve options: the volley serve and the drop (bounce) serve. The drop serve, introduced in 2022, offers more flexibility, especially for beginners. Experimenting with both can enhance your game.

Main Points:

• Pickleball has two serve options: volley serve and drop serve.
• Drop serve has fewer restrictions, allowing more flexibility.
• Volley serve requires precise timing and an upward motion.
• Drop serves allow spin and two-handed shots.
• Both serve types are worth trying to diversify your game.

---

No matter what else happens in a game of pickleball, a serve starts each and every point. Serving is the foundation of all pickleball games. So, it’s important to clearly understand what you can and can’t do when it’s time to put the ball in play.

So, can you bounce serve in pickleball? More specifically, can you bounce the ball before serving in pickleball? When it comes to bouncing the ball and serves, what’s allowed and what isn’t?

Keep reading to find the answers to these questions and more.

Can You Bounce the Ball on a Pickleball Serve?

Here’s a basic yet crucial fact that helps to make bounce serves in pickleball a lot clearer.

When a pickleball player serves the ball, they have two major options. One involves bouncing the ball, and the other doesn’t. So, you can bounce serve in pickleball, but you don’t need to.

The two options are:

• The volley serve. A volley serve is very similar to a volley shot. The serving player drops the ball and hits it with an underhand stroke (an upward motion) before the ball contacts the ground.
• The drop serve. The drop serve, or bounce serve, is exactly what it sounds like. The player serving the ball can drop it, but not toss or throw it, from any height. The player can only hit the ball after it makes contact with the court.

Drop serves were introduced as a permanent rule change by USA Pickleball in 2022, as Better Pickleball points out. The drop serve in pickleball is worth considering because it features different rules than the volley serve. What are the differences in the official rules of pickleball for these two service options?

With volley serves, there are certain rules in place. For example, players need to move their arm in an upward arc when striking the ball, and cannot contact the ball above their waist. Additionally, the highest point of the paddle cannot be above the highest point of the wrist when the paddle makes contact with the ball.

With drop serves, the rules listed above don’t apply. You can strike the ball with a downward motion of your pickleball paddle, for example, or have the highest point of your paddle above your wrist.

Crucially, you can apply spin to the ball with your paddle’s motion and angle of contact with a drop serve. That’s not the case for volley serves.

However, there are certain rules that still need to be followed for a drop serve to be legal in pickleball. These include:

• Letting the ball drop without applying any force to it. That means no adding spin to a drop or throwing the ball to the court or tossing the ball upward for a higher bounce.
• Keeping both feet behind the baseline.
• Hitting the ball to the opponent’s service area diagonally opposite from the player’s service area.
• Not hitting the serve into the non-volley zone or kitchen.
• Serving the ball within 10 seconds of the score being called. This rule also applies to volley serves.
• Ensuring the ball drop can be seen by both the referee and opponent receiving the serve.

Should I Bounce Serve in Pickleball?

Both bounce serves and volley serves can be effective options for pickleball players. Drop serves can be more useful for new players and those still developing their game because fewer rules are in effect for this type of service. However, new players can and do use volley serves as well.

Drop serves are similar to many other shots taken in pickleball, which can make it easier to avoid faults and consistently put the ball in play. Volley serves aren’t extremely difficult, but they do require more in terms of coordination and precise timing. A drop serve makes it a little easier to get each point started.

Volley serves also require that players use a one-handed shot to hit the ball to their opponent. With bounce serves you can use a two-handed backhand shot. That means more options and the opportunity to add some power to the serve. It can also help keep your opponents guessing.

Our suggestion is to try out the bounce serve in pickleball and see how it works for you. You don’t need to stick to just one type of serve or the other, so learning both can give you more options on the court.

The Best Pickleball Gear for All Styles of Play

Whether you prefer the bounce serve, volley serve, or like to mix things up, you need the right pickleball gear to play your best. Pickleball Superstore brings you top options for paddles, balls, shoes, and more!

Find the best ball for your next pickleball outing!