Step-By-Step Guide To The Best Pickleball Serve Technique

“0-0-2!” And with that call, the great game of pickleball commences! Did you know that all games start with a score of 0-0-2? Pickleball, unlike many sports, has three numbers when calling out the score.

1. The first number is the serving team's score,
2. The second number would be the opponent's score, and finally,
3. The third number is the number of serves that the team is on.

For example, if the serving team has 5,  their opponent has 8, and the serving team is on their second serve. The serving team would say 5-8-2 before serving, so both teams are accurate on the game's score.

Before the game gets into full swing (get it), it’s important to understand a crucial part of the game, THE SERVE. Looking to be king or queen of your court? To quickly increase the level of your play, let’s break down the pickleball serve from the beginning at 0-0-2! 

Pickleball Serve Rules For Beginners

To ensure you are getting every point possible,  we’ve highlighted the rules of the pickleball serve below:

• A pickleball serve must be hit with an underhand stroke so that contact with the ball is made below the waist, defined as the navel.
• The arm must be moving in an upward arc, and the highest point of the pickleball paddle head shall be below the wrist when it strikes the ball.
• The highest point of the pickleball paddle head cannot be above any part of the line formed where the wrist joint bends. 
• If you don't like having to hit the ball out of the air, the rules also allow for a type of serve called the "drop serve." The server has the option of dropping the ball and hitting it after the bounce. The ball can be dropped from any height but cannot be thrown, tossed, or otherwise released with any added force to bounce it. 
• Serve to the diagonally opposite service court from behind the baseline. The pickleball must land past the kitchen line, in the opposing team’s diagonal service area. 

Breaking down how to serve can be difficult, but we are here to help! From experience, the best way to get your serve down (and at least over the net) is PRACTICE, PRACTICE, and more PRACTICE; but before you head to the court, it’s good to know what to expect. Everyone's a little different regarding their serve, but below, you can find a few pointers that will help before you toe the baseline. 

Note: Each number will match accordingly to the specific serve style.

Serve Set Up

Before attacking the ball with full force, the serve starts with the lower half of your body. Your footwork and body position bring the power in the serve. Below are a couple of starting positions that can help anyone shouting “0-0-2!”

Before Serve Contact

At Serve Contact

Through Serve Contact

After Serve Contact

Step 9:

After you’ve launched your serve, STAY BACK! This is a very critical aspect of the pickleball serve and a mistake that can be seen in many players who are just beginning their pickleball journey. Although it can be tempting to rush to the kitchen (non-volley zone) line, STAY BACK! There is no need to cross the baseline as the return of service has to bounce once on the serving side of the court in order for the real play to begin. If you are serving, you are unable to hit the ball out of the air on the return of service so keep those toes behind the line to give yourself room to react.A small tip: wait until you see the flight of your opponent's return of service before making a decision to cross the baseline.

5 Expert Serving Tips 

1. Ideal ball placement should be deep and to the center of the diagonally opposite service court to keep the receiver back.
2. If you are looking for more power, start with your lower body. Maintain a loose but comfortable grip and focus on transferring your weight from back to front. This will increase the power or pace of serve much more effectively than speeding up your arm action.
3. Start your serve low on your backswing and finish high on your follow-through to get the most out of your serve.
4. As you get more and more comfortable, you can incorporate topspin serves, deep lob serves, and side angle serves (landing short and in the corner of your diagonal opponent).
5. PRACTICE, PRACTICE, and PRACTICE SOME MORE.

As you advance in pickleball you will see the importance of an accurate and consistent pickleball serve. Pickleball is progressing at a rate never before seen and it’s a great time to get in on the game. 

How To Add Power To Your Serve

The pickleball serve has long been known as the shot that just gets the rally going and historically, wasn’t meant to be a highly offensive weapon. As the game has evolved to become more aggressive and faster though, so has the serve. Gone are the days when a player could spin the ball with their paddle or with their hand to create excessive spin, but there are still several techniques you’ll want to utilize to hit your best pickleball serve. 

To add power to your serve, consider adding these to your game: 

1. Toss the ball and meet it out in front of your body.
2. Engage and fire your hips inward as you’re striking the ball.
3. Take a step into your serve to generate even more power. 
4. Follow all the way through with your stroke.
5. Finish the serve with your chest squared up and facing the net/your opponent.

Looking for the perfect pickleball paddle? There are hundreds of pickleball paddles on the market, which is why we have an entire page dedicated to Pickleball Paddle Reviews! If you need more information, give us a call at 1-866-382-3465, email us at experts@justpaddles.com, or utilize our live chat to speak with a Paddle Expert today. We’re JustPaddles, and we’re with you from Click to Court!