Pesa Teoni dominates with the drive serve, combining speed and strategy to keep rivals guessing. By prioritizing depth over sheer velocity, Pesa maintains control and sets the stage for a winning advantage. Photo by Bruce Yeung; IG: @ yeungphotography.
Drive serve: The drive serve is hit with more speed and is usually used to put pressure on the opponent. Focus should be on depth even if that results in decreased speed, as a fast short shot will land in your opponents’ strike zone, giving them an advantage with their return.
Lob serve: The lob serve is a high and slow serve and can be hit with or without spin, and the lob serve is frequently used to change the pace of the game. The lob serve also has the advantage of requiring the receiver to generate all the pace for the return. The key to the lob serve is depth, since a short lob serve would allow the receiver to hit an aggressive shot while also achieving a great position at or near the non-volley zone.
Start With the Basics
Practice: Practice is key to mastering the serve. It’ s important to practice the proper stance, ball placement or drop, swing, and contact point, to build muscle memory and improve consistency and accuracy. Once you are comfortable with the skill fundamentals, focus more on tactics such as consistency or accuracy by using targets of cones or lines.
Focus on consistency: The key to a good serve is consistency. Practice hitting the same spot over and over again until you can consistently hit that spot.
Placement: In addition to practicing your serve mechanics, it’ s also important to practice placing your serves in different areas of the court.
Incorporate your practice into your game. Working on your serves while playing games is a great way to practice since you can try different serves throughout your game while evaluating their effectiveness.
Mixing up your serves: For more advanced players it is nice to have different serves in your arsenal, such as addition of topspin or underspin, different angles and varied depths and speed. Adding variety to your serves will keep your opponent guessing and may shift some rallies into your favor. In the end, remember that consistency and accuracy are more important than power— and that power, if not done well, can switch the advantage in your opponent’ s favor.
Reading the opponent: As you play, you should be aware of both your own as well as your opponents’ weaknesses and strengths and adjust your serves accordingly.
It’ s important to keep in mind that serve placement and strategy are closely related. As you master different serve types and strategies, you’ ll find you have more options for serve placement and will be able to play a more versatile game.
Remember, serving is a skill that takes time and practice to master. It’ s important to be patient and persistent with your practice and to keep a positive attitude. With time and practice, you will be able to serve with confidence and control. •
Jeff Rausch is the head pickleball professional at Lost Creek Country Club in Austin, Texas. Rausch is also a PPR clinician, 2022 PPR Pro of the Year, one of RSI Magazine’ s“ Champions of Pickleball” for 2023, a PSR 4-Star Certified Professional, and part of Team HEAD Pickleball.
SPRING 2025 | MAGAZINE 29