A powerful serve is becoming increasingly important in today's pickleball game.
Even if you are less likely to win a point outright on a serve, developing a more powerful one can help you dictate a rally and control a match.
But it's not just about swinging harder. We’ve got a simple tip that can help you add power without sacrificing control:
Focus on your follow-through.
Why a Power Serve Matters in Pickleball
A strong, well-placed serve can immediately pressure your opponents, forcing them to start the rally on the defensive.
Power serves can:
- Catch opponents off-guard.
- Generate unforced errors.
- Set the tone for your game.
However, many players make the mistake of thinking power comes from swinging harder. Raw force often leads to mistakes like hitting the ball out of bounds or into the net.
So, how do you increase power without sacrificing control? The answer lies in the follow-through.
PicklePod: Why Are Your Serves so Illegal? w/ Will Howells
On this episode of PicklePod, Zane Navratil and Thomas Shields are joined by Will Howells. Will is a pickleball pro crushing it, especially on the APP Tour and MLP for the New Jersey 5s.
Why Follow-Through Adds Power
When you focus on your follow-through, you allow your body to fully commit to the shot.
This simple adjustment ensures:
- Your body weight transfers fully into the ball.
- You maintain a fluid, continuous swing, generating more momentum.
- You avoid stopping short, which can reduce power and increase the likelihood of errors.
How to Improve Your Follow-Through
If you're wondering how to perfect this part of your serve, here’s a simple step-by-step approach:
- Engage your core and legs: Power comes from your whole body, not just your arm. Start by bending your knees slightly and engaging your core.
- Keep the paddle moving: After making contact with the ball, continue the swing. Don’t stop or pull back your paddle too soon—let it naturally follow through the motion.
- Maintain balance: Keep your body balanced throughout the swing. A powerful serve is also a controlled serve, so be mindful of your footwork and weight distribution.
- Stay relaxed: Tension can rob your serve of its potential power. A relaxed grip and smooth swing allow you to generate more speed and control.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
While working on your power serve, it’s easy to fall into a few traps that reduce effectiveness. Here are the top mistakes to watch out for—and how to avoid them:
- Tight grip: Squeezing the paddle too tightly creates tension in your arm and reduces the fluidity of your serve. Keep a light, comfortable grip.
- Over-swinging: Trying to hit the ball too hard can lead to losing control. Focus on your form and let the power come from your body mechanics, not just arm strength.
- Leaning too far forward: Many players lean excessively into the serve, which throws off balance and accuracy. Instead, keep your weight evenly distributed and shift your body weight smoothly through the serve.
How Pickleball’s Serve Rule Has Changed Over the Years
The serve rule in pickleball has come under a lot of scrutiny in 2024 and surely there are more tweaks and adjustments to come in the near future. We look back at how the shot has changed and evolved through the years.
Practice Drill: Try This Next Time
Next time you’re on the court, focus entirely on your follow-through for ten consecutive serves.
- Stand in your usual serving spot and go through your normal serve motion, but with one adjustment: exaggerate your follow-through.
- Notice how far the ball travels and how smooth your motion feels when you allow your paddle to keep moving after contact.
- After ten serves, assess whether you notice more power or improved accuracy in your serves.
By isolating the follow-through in practice, you’ll quickly see how this one tweak can make a big difference.
Power-Serve Variations
Once you’ve mastered the basic power serve, you can apply the follow-through technique to different types of serves, creating variety in your game:
- Topspin Serve: Focus on brushing up on the ball during your serve. The topspin will help the ball drop faster, and with good follow-through, it will still pack a punch.
- Side-Spin Serve: For this variation, slice the ball slightly at an angle to create side-spin. A strong follow-through will help maintain power and ensure the ball doesn’t float too much, making it more challenging for your opponents to return.
- High-Arc Power Serve: Sometimes, a high, deep serve with power can push your opponent far back from the baseline. Using a full follow-through ensures that even high-arc serves carry enough force to keep your opponent on the defensive.
Experiment with these serves during practice and see which one fits best with your style of play.
Neutralize a big serve
Dekel Bar has one of the biggest serves in pickleball. He earns free points on the serve in almost every match he plays. So who could better to get advice from on combating and overpowering serve?
Next-Level Tips for Advanced Players
If you’ve got the basics down and want to take your serve to the next level, here are a few additional tips:
- Grip Tension: Adjust your grip tension based on the serve you want to hit. A looser grip helps with finesse and spin, while a slightly firmer grip can add pop to your power serve.
- Deception: Mix up your serves by alternating between power, spin, and placement. A good follow-through can disguise the type of serve you’re hitting, keeping your opponents guessing.
- Foot Positioning: Experiment with different stances to generate more power. Some players find that starting with a more open stance (where your feet are at a wider angle) allows them to pivot their hips better and transfer more energy into the serve.
- Change grips: Advanced players will often switch their grip throughout a point. To learn more, read It's Time to Get a Grip on Your Serve and Turn It Into a Weapon.
It’s Time to Get a Grip on Your Serve and Turn It Into a Weapon
Most players use a Continental grip when playing pickleball. However, more advanced players and pros switch their grip when serving. Find out why you should switch, too.
Mastering the art of the power serve is simpler than you think. Focusing on your follow-through can add significant power to your serve without sacrificing control.
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