PICKLEBALL INSTRUCTION
Serving Technique:
The Four Stages
BY DJ HOWARD
There are the four stages of development in a serve.
Top players—you’ll see most of them serve at stage
4 because they’ve had practice developing the first
three stages. If you are cur rently at a stage 1, you’ll
probably want to practice a stage 2. Keep in mind, it
takes time and it can be very difficult to skip stages. You
may also want to get with a qualified coach
who understands the developmental stages
and can work with you through the process.
Stage 1:
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Toes of both feet point toward target
Hips and shoulders start square toward target area
Ball is dropped or hit almost directly out of the non-paddle hand
Palm of paddle hand starts facing target but may pronate
or supinate during backswing or forward swing due to lack of control
Elbow tends to bend upward through swing motion
Wrist may “flip” or “scoop” upward through swing motion as well
Little, if any, knee bend is present
Stage 2:
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Toes point toward target
Hips and shoulders square toward target
Ball is often tossed rather than dropped
Dominant arm drops back and swings forward in unison with hips
and shoulders
Shoulder is more involved in the swing
Knee bend is often present
Backswing and follow-through are typically larger than stage 1
A simple “rocking” motion from back to front is often present
Palm may still pronate or supinate too much
Elbow may still be too involved in swing
Wrist may still “flip” or “scoop” too much
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