Pickleball Magazine 2-6 | Page 15

PICKLEBALL INSTRUCTION THE POWER SERVE BY TYSON MCGUFFIN, 2017 USAPA NATIONALS MEN’S OPEN SINGLES GOLD MEDALIST O ne way to keep your opponents on the defensive is to pressure their ability to get to the net from the return of serve. The power serve is one of my favorite weapons to keep my opponents off balance and minimize their advantage when they are returning. The goal of the serve is not to hit winners, but rather to put a little pressure on the receiver’s ability to control the return of serve with power, spin and depth. Below is a five-photo progression showing what I do to boost the power on my serve.  • 1 2 3 4 5 1 ROUTINE. 2 DIP, COIL AND BALL 3 ROTATE AND 4 STAND UP. 5 FINISHING. To start, establish DROP. TRANSFER. Fully rotate your core Maintain a nice a consistent Start shifting your weight This is the main to get the full effect high follow thru routine before to the back foot and pull rotation and firing of the circular kinetic and make sure serving that your paddle back high - as phase. Quickly chain. All major all body parts are includes this initiates the coiling open up your hips body parts are being extended. approaching the process of the serve. You while throwing engaged at this point. service line the see the paddle beginning and transferring Stand up and lift the same way and a loop at this time to build your weight into ball. The paddle head visualizing where some momentum. You’re the ball. The paddle speed is at its peak you want to direct now locked and ready head speed begins speed and the power the ball. Your to transfer your weight to accelerate is coming from the weight should forward. At the same throughout this ground up. start evenly time, dip your body period. The upward balanced. Stay while twisting your hips energy puts topspin nice and loose and your core at the on the ball - allowing throughout the ball. Finally, I also prefer the serve to beginning. to drop the ball from a have height, depth, Tyson McGuffin is an IPTPA and USPTA Teaching Professional. He is the Head Tennis and Pickleball high point to build more speed and margin Professional at Peak Tennis Hayden. For more initial speed. for error. information, contact Tyson at [email protected] NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017 | MAGAZINE 13