Serving Variations To Improve Your Game
Once you are familiar with how you can make legal serves in pickleball, it is time to learn serving variations to add to your game. Varying the kind of serves you make will keep your opponents guessing. This will hopefully leave them unprepared to return the shot.
Here are some of the most common serving variations in pickleball:
Short Serve
This serve is meant to surprise your opponent. By keeping the ball low and close to the net, it can bounce twice before they can hit it back. This serve is very effective against players who are standing deep behind the baseline or players who aren’t very mobile.
Flat Serve
This serve is meant to be hit flat and straight and with no spin at all. This will make the ball move at a fast speed in the same direction. This type of serve also works well when you want to keep the ball in the same spot on the court. To make this type of serve, you want to hit the ball with a straight arm and no wrist action.
Topspin Serve
This type of serve involves putting a topspin on the ball. This will cause it to dip down into the court and create a difficult return for your opponent.
Lob Serve
This is a high serve that arcs over the net and lands deep in the court, usually having a high bounce that makes it hard for your opponents to return. Use this serve when the area behind the baseline is constrained by a wall or a divider. This limits the movement of the player returning the serve.
Angle Serve
Force your opponent to adjust their position by hitting a serve at an angle. For example, when your opponent is standing out of position behind the baseline. They might not have time to return a ball when they have to change their position first.
Backhand Serve
This serve is meant to give the ball more spin so it moves faster and with more control. This helps keep the ball low over the net and makes it more difficult for your opponent to return. You can make this type of serve by hitting the ball slightly off center and adding some wrist action as you hit it.
Power Serve
This is a hard-hitting serve that can force a weak return from your opponents. For a lot of players, this is their go-to serve. Having a powerful serve is good to have but this shouldn’t be the only serve that you know. Since it is fairly common, a lot of players develop quite effective returns for this type of serve as they advance in the game.
No matter what type of serve you choose, practice makes perfect. Familiarize yourself with these serving variations and learn how to use them effectively. If you can master your serves, you will have a major advantage over your opponents in a match. With correct technique and confidence, you’ll be able to dominate the court every time!
Good luck!
