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What ’ s News in Pickleball
SCIENCE
OF PICKLEBALL
SERVE CONTACT POINT HEIGHT REVEALED
By Joe Dinoffer
Like many ball sports , every
pickleball point starts with a serve , making the serve arguably the most important shot and definitely the shot most often hit . Considering this , improving your serve is as important or more important than any other stroke in pickleball .
Let ’ s review what the rules of pickleball say about the serve : 1 ) The serving arm must move in an upward arc . In other words , the paddle needs to go in an upward motion . 2 ) Contact with the ball must be made below the waist ( belly button ). 3 ) The highest part of the paddle must be below the wrist when it strikes the ball .
Compared to the overhead serve in tennis , pickleball is vastly different . And , in contrast to tennis , pickleball rules are designed to make the serve less of an offensive weapon , since the higher the point of contact , the better the angle into the opponent ’ s court and the harder the ball can be hit . Interestingly , hardly any pickleball players strike the ball close to waist height , which is counterintuitive .
How high off the ground do most advanced pickleball players strike the ball on a serve ? After watching dozens of players from recreational to professional level , it became clear that the vast majority of pickleball players contact the ball at only 24 inches off the ground , just above the knees .
With this in mind , it should be very interesting to see how pickleball evolves in the next 10 years . Pickleball is a relatively new sport and , like all competitive sports , skills , tactics , and strategies are changing every day .
Let ’ s finish this analysis with a challenge . If you are curious whether you can strike the ball at waist height and improve your serve , give it a try . Just keep the three serving rules in mind and test striking the ball closer and closer to waist height , which should result in achieving a better angle into your opponent ’ s court . •
Joe Dinoffer is a master professional in the USPTA and PTR , has written nine books , produced 22 DVDs , and has appeared on the Tennis Channel . His company ,
www . OnCourtOffCourt . com , manufactures training aids for pickleball and tennis , and he shares that experience and passion in this regular column for Pickleball Magazine . He has also produced dozens of pickleball tips for YouTube .
EXCITING NEWS FOR SUPER SENIORS !
Barbara Wintroub ,
Motivational Active Aging Expert at Retrofit Your Body , has started a Super Senior Registry for the 75-90 age groups . The goal of the registry is to bring super seniors together across the country to help them find partners for tournaments . Hopefully , tournament directors will add these ages as AGE ONLY divisions to their tournaments . It ’ s impossible to divide these divisions by 4 ratings and actually have a draw of three or four teams in each rating , forcing them to play down 5-15 years . There are so many competitive older players who want to play in their own age divisions to fight the good fight for the “ best in show ” that it ’ s an honor to see them play . COVID and life has had its way with the senior divisions , but pickleball is a great way to keep seniors viable and active and social .