9 Ways to Improve Your Pickleball Return of Serve
Developing a good serve in pickleball is a great way to score a lot of points, but almost equally important is the return of serve. Here we discuss some strategies and tips to help you improve your return of serve and hopefully win more matches.
Tip #1 - Learn the different serves, so that you know how to return them.
In The Art of War, Sun Tzu says, "Know thy enemy." Since pickleball wasn't invented until 1965–about 2,400 years before Art of War was written, it's safe to say he wasn't talking about returning serves.
But, the sentiment remains the same. If you want to get better at pickleball, you have to know what you're up against.
There are three common serves in pickleball:
● High Soft Serve
● Power Serve
● Soft Angle Serve
In the High Soft Serve, the goal is to hit a ball that arcs high and deep into your opponent's court, causing your opponent to move and potentially get out of position. Ideally, this sets up a third shot that enables the serving team to score.
The Power Serve is low, fast, and deep. It's more challenging to execute, but it can cause your opponent to react quickly and increase the chance of a mistake.
The Soft Angle Serve is designed to move your opponent off the baseline and open a lane to drive the ball through on the third shot.
Want to learn more about serves? Check out a recent blog “5 Easy Tips for Improving Your Pickleball Serve.”
Now that you know the three main serves and what they are trying to accomplish, let's get into how to return them.
Tip #2 - Return the ball deep.
No matter what happens in the first couple of shots and volleys, most scoring in pickleball happens with all players near the net. So, when you return a serve, your goal needs to be to place it close to your opponent's baseline. Not only does this force your opponent to stay back longer than they want to, but it also provides you an opportunity to get up to the kitchen.
Unsure what the “kitchen” is? Check out our comprehensive guide to pickleball terms.
Tip #3 - The high and soft return.
At first glance, returning the ball high and soft may seem like a mistake. But, if you put enough arc on the ball and send it deep, any kind of edge or momentum your opponent had running forward will be stopped. Also, like it was noted in Tip #2, your goal is to get to the kitchen. Sending a serve back with a high arc provides ample time to do that.
Tip #4 - Get into a strong position.
A strong pickleball position means having you (and your partner, if playing doubles) at the no-volley line and your feet set evenly and ready for action. If you follow the previous tips, getting into a strong position shouldn't be a problem. As you improve your game and learn where your own strengths and weaknesses lie, you can adjust what a strong position means for you.
Tip #5 - Work the angles.
Whether sending the ball back hard or soft, deep or short, the best way to send your opponents off-balance and in a position to make a mistake is to aim your shots at the angles. Returning a serve right back to your opponent could allow them to use a strong forehand for the third shot. Which doesn't do much for you or your team's scoring chances.
Instead, look for the corners of the court and practice aiming at those over and over again.
Tip #6 - Force your opponent to use their backhand.
Most, if not all, pickleball players prefer to use a forehand shot. The backhand is more challenging, and it's more difficult to control where the ball will go. To take advantage of this, practice returning your serve towards your opponent's weak side. For a right-handed opponent, that's to their left. For a left-handed opponent, it's to their right.
Tip #7 - Develop top and backspin.
Taking your pickleball game to the next level means learning how to disguise where your ball will go or how it will react when it comes in contact with the ground or another paddle. Both of these can be accomplished by adding spin to your shot.
Topspin is when the paddle goes over the ball and causes it to spin forward as it returns to your opponent. The spinning on the ball drives it towards the ground quicker, meaning it will bounce lower or go off your opponent's paddle awkwardly.
Backspin is the opposite. For this shot, you get your paddle under the ball and force the spin back toward you. This causes the ball to have a higher arc, forcing your opponent to reach forward and become off-balanced.
Tip #8 - Avoid Predictability
It's essential to avoid returning serves the same way each time. Even if you master the high slow deep arc, there will come a time in the match to switch it up. The perfect time to do this is when you begin to notice your opponent hesitating to get up to the kitchen after their serve. You can also look to see if your opponent starts standing flat-footed. You can add or reduce your power and distance or change the angles you're aiming at.
Tip #9 - Remember to have fun.
Okay. Okay. Okay. This isn’t really a tip to improve your returns. But it’s important to never forget pickleball is a fun and competitive sport. For many, it's about getting outside and staying active. Remember the reasons you began playing this sport we’ve all come to love.
Remember to have fun out there!
