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These serving tips come from Coach Chase from our Anthem club location.
THE SERVE
The serve in pickleball is a very important yet overlooked aspect of the game. Many players almost take it for granted. They mismanage it in so many ways.
1. Absolutely nothing can happen on the pickleball court until the ball is served. Take your time! Get in a routine much like a free throw shooter in basketball. The routine doesn’t need to be extravagant, it’s just something to get you in a good mental place.
2. Do not call the score while in the act of serving. This can cause a tiny little hiccup in your focus. That can lead to a missed serve and a change in momentum. Do not rush.
3. The serve can be used as a weapon physically. A deep serve can really put your opponent on the back foot. The deeper the serve the longer it will take your opponent to get to the kitchen, possibly make an error on the return(free point), or make your third shot easier.
4. The serve can be used as a tool in mental warfare. If you’re playing well you might want to get to the line and serve as fast as possible. This will keep your momentum going and your opponents reeling. This doesn’t mean rush and lose focus.
If you’re not playing well or if the other team is on a good run, you can use the serve to slow down the match. Take your time getting to the service line. Ask the ref or other team the score. If it’s a fully sanctioned tournament you have ten seconds after the ref calls the score to serve the ball. I recommend using that to steal some momentum back in your favor. Look at it as a mini timeout to catch your breath.
5. This is a controversial one I happen to agree with. If you’re not missing 1/10 long you’re not going for enough. Missing wide or short is not in the budget and in my opinion inexcusable. Missing ten percent long tells me you’re being aggressive on that serve. Take into account the score when going for the serve! If it’s 8-8 or something like that in your traditional game to eleven, I would suggest dialing it down and NOT missing. If you are several points ahead, you can take more risk.
