If you come from a tennis background, the pickleball serve will be one of the biggest difference between the two sports that you will have to learn. There are four main ways that you can serve in pickleball.
Learn more about all the rules of pickleball serving.
Pickleball volley serve
The pickleball volley serve is one of the two types of serves you can hit. Here are some details of the volley serve:
The volley serve in pickleball is when you hit the ball without it bouncing off the playing surface first.
You are allowed to hit the volley serve with your forehand or backhand.
At the moment the ball makes contact with the paddle, the server’s arm must be moving in an upward arc.
At the moment the ball makes contact with the paddle, the highest point of the head of the pickleball paddle must not be above the highest part of the server’s wrist (where the wrist joint bends).
Contact with the ball cannot be made above the waist.
Pickleball drop serve
The pickleball drop serve is the other legal type of serve. Here are some details of the drop serve:
The drop serve in pickleball is when you hit the ball after it bounces off the playing surface.
You are allowed to hit the volley serve with your forehand or backhand.
There are no restrictions on how many times the ball can bounce before you serve it.
The ball is allowed to bounce anywhere on the playing surface, as long as you are following the other serving rules about where the server can stand.
The server has to drop the ball from only one hand or the paddle face.
The ball must drop from a “natural” (un-aided) height.
The ball cannot be propelled in any direction before you hit the ball.
