5 Videos You Should Watch to Improve Your Pickleball Serve
From just getting started in pickleball to learning the latest deadly drop serve, watching tutorial videos can help you master the pickleball serve.
Serving Rules and Basic Serves
This is a great video from Dick’s Sporting Goods that covers pickleball serving rules and illustrates the proper pickleball serve technique for four serves, including the “just get it in serve”, the lob serve, the power serve, and the angle serve.
Key takeaways:
The best pickleball shots are the ones that start with a mastery of the basics.
Once you have mastered basic body mechanics, then you should employ more advanced techniques.
The Best Serving Tips for Beginners
The next video is from Primetime Pickleball and covers 5 powerful pickleball serving tips for beginners that are especially important for new players to master.
Key takeaways:
Use your whole body, not just your arm.
Use a closed or semi-open stance when serving.
Keep your swing loose and smooth.
Keep your backswing controlled and avoid reaching.
Drop the toss.
Mastering Body Mechanics and Spin
Our third must-see video from Pickleball Kitchen will improve your pickleball game and help you win more matches. This beginner’s guide moves from basic serves to advanced techniques and can benefit anyone looking to enhance pickleball serves. The clear explanation of body mechanics and instructions for how to orient your pickleball paddle and follow through will make you a better pickleball player.
Key takeaways:
Basic serves start by standing behind the baseline, using the “skillet method,” and completing the follow-through with a bowling motion.
Intermediate serves utilize body weight and a simple step forward while serving to propel the ball forward, increasing power.
The hips and trunk of the body being aligned properly allows for the most consistent serves with a low to high forehand motion.
More advanced serves focus on adding topspin, and topspin serves are achieved by adjusting wrist motion and grip along with proper body mechanics.
Don’t collapse the wrist when trying to create spin, and make sure the paddle strikes the ball out in front of the body with a relaxed wrist.
Power Up Your Serve on the Pickleball Court
This full video from Primetime Pickleball offers 3 essential pickleball tips on generating power for deep serves that make the return of serve more difficult and set up the third shot nicely.
Key takeaways:
Do use a semi-open stance driving from the back leg for maximum power.
Keep a loose grip while serving, and snap the wrist at the end of the serve.
Always use a low to high motion and allow your body to move through the motion entirely.
The Best Pickleball Drop Serve Tips
This last video is also from Primetime Pickleball and illustrates five things you may not know about the new drop serve because of rule changes. It’s important to note that as of 2023, it is no longer legal to spin the ball with your hand as part of a drop serve or volley serve, according to the USAPA.
Key takeaways:
You can drop the ball anywhere on the court during a drop serve as long as both feet are behind the baseline.
Even though it is legal to let the ball bounce twice before hitting it, this results in a low bounce that may be difficult to hit over the net.
If you don’t like how a ball is bounced initially, you can catch it before hitting it, and drop it again.
Final Thoughts
Serving is important for pickleball players, and having a pickleball strategy that starts with the serve will help you win more matches. If you don’t have a certified pickleball coach to help you, watching pickleball videos like these will help you learn the proper techniques you need to succeed.
