Pickleball Serving: How to Serve in Pickleball

Every single point in pickleball starts with a serve. No matter where or when you play pickleball, the serve is a constant of the game.

Whether you’re new to pickleball or just want a refresher, understanding the basics of the pickleball serve is vital. It’s easy enough, but there are some key things to know the next time you head out on the court.

How to Serve in Pickleball for Beginners: The Basics

The serve in pickleball is not meant to be a major offensive weapon, like we see in tennis. Instead, it’s mainly intended to put the ball in play.

However, some players argue that a well-paced and placed serve will give you the weak return you want. That’s a good point, and it can be useful for more advanced players. However, the biggest thing for newer players to remember is the main goal of serving: getting the ball in play.

We took a closer look at serving in pickleball in another blog post. For now, we’ll highlight the four most basic rules of serving in pickleball:

1. The ball has to stay in bounds. Specifically, it has to land in the opponent’s service box diagonal to the server’s position.
2. The ball needs to bounce on the opponent’s side of the court.
3. Serves have to happen at the baseline.
4. The serve cannot land in the no-volley zone.

You must serve underhanded, and the rules are particular on exactly how to do that. We cover more specifics on how to serve in pickleball in the next section.

Similar to tennis, the serve must land in the opposite diagonal service box. Make sure it doesn’t land in the kitchen or hit the kitchen line. That will count as a fault, giving your opponents an advantage.

A rule update made in 2021, which went into effect in 2022, allowed drop serves, as the Professional Pickleball Association explains. The server has the option of dropping the ball and hitting it after the bounce.

The Specifics of Serving in Pickleball

The official rulebook states that the serve must be hit below your navel at the point of contact. Additionally, your arm must move in an upward arc.

The highest point of your paddle must be below the highest part of your wrist. One foot must remain on the ground before and during contact, and both feet must stay behind the baseline.

A good serve in pickleball is one that lands in bounds, so practicing consistency will always be an essential aspect of serving. So, after you’re making basic pickleball serves, more often than not, there are a few types of pickleball serves that get attention and are widely used during play.

More Advanced Pickleball Serves

The Spin Pickleball Serve

There’s some confusion about this serve because pre-spinning the ball with your hand as you toss it is banned under pickleball rules. However, it is legal to apply spin to the ball with your paddle.

Wondering how to spin serve in pickleball? The idea is pretty simple. You need to hit the ball at an angle with your paddle to create friction and spin the ball. Once you’re comfortable hitting the ball dead-on with your paddle for a serve, start experimenting with the angle of your paddle to create spin.

The Drop Pickleball Serve

Drop serves can give your serve a different angle and arc as it approaches your opponent’s service box. Here are the basics for how to drop serve in pickleball:

• Drop the ball from any height.
• Do not toss or apply spin or extra force — just drop the ball.
• The ball must bounce once before it’s hit.
• You do not need to hit the ball below your waist.
• Your paddle can be above your wrist when you make contact.
• You can hit the ball with a forehand or backhand motion.

The Power Pickleball Serve

This serve is hit hard a low and is meant to be offensive. This serve will hopefully reward you with a weak return of serve, giving you an excellent opportunity to come in and take the net.

A good strategy is to aim it at the returner’s weaker side and place it as deep as possible. The best time to pull out the power serve is when you notice the returner is staying near the baseline.

The Moon Ball Pickleball Serve

This serve is a high, deep serve that lands near the baseline. It’s a great change-up that will force the opposing team to generate their own power. Just make sure this serve lands deep, or you’re setting yourself up to get burned badly on the return.

The Short-Angle Pickleball Serve

Aim this serve towards the sidelines, just after the kitchen line. Pull out this weapon when you see your opponent returning behind the baseline.

The short-angle serve is typically hit softly, which makes the short angle all the more effective. And if you’re able to put any spin on the ball, it’ll really make this an effective shot.

Final Thoughts on How to Serve in Pickleball

No matter which serve you use, remember to call the score before you serve. If you don’t, it’s considered a fault.

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