5 Different Pickleball Serves to Keep Your Opponent Guessing
In pickleball, only the serving team can score. That alone makes developing a strong serve paramount to your game. But, there are other reasons why having a good serve is essential:
● It dictates the flow of the game.
● It could set up a stronger third shot.
● It sets up the volley (typically beginning around shot four or five).
● It's fun. Duh!
But, while having one good serve is vital, having multiple serves to keep your opponent guessing is even better.
In this article, we will explain five different serves, how to use them, and the benefits and disadvantages of each.
We've got a lot to cover. Let's get started!
Serve #1–The Power Serve
The Power, The Rip, The Drive–few serves have so many different names. But, almost everyone has their favorite power serve. After all, what's more fun than hitting a ball directly into your opponent's gullet or watching them flail about trying to get to it? Whatever you want to call it, the power serve is designed as a low, hard serve that forces your opponent to react quickly.
How to Hit a Power Serve
Hitting a good power serve is all about the follow-through. You want to put your body in a good position and swing through the ball, rotating your hips to finish with your paddle up by your opposite ear. The tendency to look out for is using too much of your wrist and not your entire body. Flicking or swatting at the ball makes it harder to control and can lead to faults.
Another mistake players make is that they might tense up right before swinging and use too strong of a grip on the paddle. The extra tension can cause them to send the ball sailing across the court. On a scale of 1-10 for grip, you want your power serve to be somewhere in the middle so that you are loose, but firm.
Where to Aim & When to Use a Power Serve
With the power serve, you can aim just about anywhere. But, aiming your serve at your opponent's weak side is likely going to give you the best outcome. This forces them to quickly move out of their good position and use their backhand to return it. Most players are weaker with their backhand shots.
The best time to use a power serve:
● When your opponent is playing in front of the baseline.
● If your opponent likes taking a step forward as the serve is coming.
● When your opponent is leaning towards their left or right.
Another time to consider the power serve is when you need to mix up the timing or flow of the game. If they are expecting a slower serve, because that's what you've done previously, it's a good idea to mix in a power serve instead.
Benefits & Disadvantages
The benefit of the power serve is catching your opponent off guard, leading to a quick point or a weak return of serve.
The disadvantage of a power serve is that your opponent can use the moment from the ball to hit a harder shot back at you or that it won't provide you with enough time to get in a good position for the third shot. Also, you could hit a net fault because the ball is flat and low.
Difficulty Level
A power serve only takes a bit of practice and is a great option for anyone.
Difficulty: 1 out of 5
Serve #2–Centerline Serve
It's natural for players to get into a rhythm and anticipate how their opponent will serve. The centerline serve is a nice changeup from your regular, run-of-the-mill serves that you'll be doing most of the time. The goal of a centerline serve is to change angles on your opponent and force them to make a move they weren't ready for.
How to Hit a Centerline Serve
When setting up the centerline serve, you'll want to move your body as close to or directly on top of the centerline (without going over it). When you swing, you want to swing as though it's a normal serve, but you aim the ball to bounce just inside your opponent's centerline.
This takes a little practice, but swinging your hips and arm out a little bit more than normal could help you deliver a good centerline serve.
Where to Aim & When to Use a Centerline Serve
Aim this serve directly down the centerline and try to just land it inside the box.
The best times to use the centerline serve:
● When your opponent is hugging their corner.
● When they are playing up in front of the baseline.
● When they have a tendency to move toward the corner with their first step.
Benefits & Disadvantages
The benefit to this serve is that it forces your opponent to think about a broader range of shots that could be coming their way. You want to keep them guessing and force them to be more reactive than they want to.
The biggest disadvantage of using this serve is that you really need to be lined up on the centerline, which could telegraph your plans.
Difficulty Level
The centerline serve by itself is relatively easy to execute. You can make it more difficult by adding in some spin or power.
Difficulty: 2 out of 5
Serve #3–Kitchen Corner Serve
The goal of kitchen corner serve is to hit the ball just outside the corner of your opponent's kitchen. If placed well, your opponent's momentum should lead them off the court and provide you with an excellent third shot if they can hit it back over to your side.
How to Hit a Kitchen Corner Serve
Stand at the far corner when trying the kitchen corner serve. Hit the ball softly so that it drops down just past your opponent's kitchen and continues moving away from their starting position. Hitting this serve well requires a light but firm grip.
Where to Aim & When to Use a Kitchen Corner Serve
Aim just past the far corner of your opponent's kitchen.
The best times to use the kitchen corner serve:
● When your opponent is close to the centerline.
● If your opponent has trouble getting to balls quickly.
● If they are playing far back, behind the baseline.
● When you need something different to throw at them.
Benefits & Disadvantages
The most significant benefit of the serve is that it scores you a quick point when it works well. But, even if your opponent manages to hit the ball, they will be entirely out of position for the next shot so their weaker return of serve should set you up for a great third shot opportunity.
The hardest part of this shot is that it requires a soft touch to land it just outside the kitchen, but it has to be hard enough to get over the net. It's easy to get a fault with this serve.
Difficulty Level
This one requires a good bit of practice but makes a massive difference in your game when you get good at it.
Difficulty: 4 out of 5
Serve #4–Lob Serve
Another serve that goes by many names is the lob serve; it's also called the sky serve, the high soft serve, the moon ball, etc. The goal is to hit the ball high and deep and frustrate the heck out of your opponents.
How to Hit a Lob Serve
The lob serve is all about putting a huge arc on the ball and forcing your opponent to step backward to return it. Bring your paddle as low as you can and drive it up through the ball to hit it. However, watch out because you could easily make contact with the ball when it's above your waist, which makes it a fault.
Where to Aim & When to Use a Lob Serve
You can aim this serve anywhere as long as it's high and deep.
The best times to use the lob serve:
● To change the pace of the game.
● When your opponent is aggressive and likes to move up quickly.
● When they are playing in front of the baseline.
● When you want to frustrate your opponent.
Benefits & Disadvantages
The benefits to the sky serve is that it is so slow and soft, requiring your opponent to supply their own power and that it forces them to go back deeper and wait for it to bounce. The bounce should also be higher than usual, which means they will have an awkward return of serve shot attempt.
The biggest mistake when trying the lob serve is hitting the ball when it's above your waist. Since the rules say that contact must happen below, you could get called out for a fault if you swing too late or don't get your paddle down low enough. If you are playing against former tennis players, they might be accustomed to returning these types of shots and make you pay dearly for it.
Difficulty Level
The lob serve takes some practice, but it is not inherently difficult to execute.
Difficulty: 2 out of 5
Serve #5–Spinning Serves
Perhaps the deadliest serves for any pickleballer to learn are spin serves. However, since the rules change from year-to-year, you'll need to catch up on the latest from the USA Pickleball Association. For example, a spin serve called the chainsaw–where players used the paddle to add spin to the ball–became very popular over the last few years but was recently banned for 2022. So, keep in mind that if you're going to develop a spin serve, a) make sure it's legal, and b) don't be surprised if it's made illegal the following season.
How to Hit a Spin Serve
There are different ways to spin the ball, but the 2022 rules state that they must be done with one hand and not two, and the paddle cannot aid in the spin. What is allowed is a one-hand spin, where you toss the ball up in the air–adding rotation as you do–then hit the ball as it falls below your waist.
There are several different options, but here is an example of one of the best.
Where to Aim & When to Use a Spin Serve
Aiming is all about understanding how the ball might react when it bounces on your opponent's side. It could bounce into your opponent or away from them. Ultimately, there is no wrong place to aim, as long as it lands inside the lines on its first bounce.
The best times to use a spin serve:
● Anytime, as long as you are good at it.
● If your opponent is unskilled or not used to returning spinning serves.
● To keep your opponent guessing.
● To frustrate them.
● If you notice your opponent favoring one side of the box over the other.
Benefits & Disadvantages
The benefits of a spin serve are that the ball bounces unexpectedly when it strikes the turf and really forces your opponent in a difficult position. Even if they make contact, the rotation on the ball could still cause a lousy return.
The disadvantages of spin serves are that they are challenging to master, they could be outlawed the following year, and you might make a lot of enemies on the court.
Difficulty Level
Developing spin serves takes the most practice and reps.
Difficulty: 5 out of 5
There you have it, five different serves designed to keep your opponent guessing. Whether you develop one, two, or all of them, we hope learning them is fun, and they add some new wrinkles to your game.
