As with many sports, when the ball is in your court in Pickleball, that means that you are in control of the situation. You have the potential to gain points and control the outcome of the next play based upon how you interact with the ball and send it over to the other player or team.

This is just one of the reasons that having a good serve can be pivotal for Pickleball players. To make the most of the opportunity to control the situation, here is how you can send a perfect pickleball serve.

If you are only using your arm to send over your serve, then you are missing out on the potential for maximizing the flow of your body movement.

Make sure that you are starting in a closed position and then stepping forward and rotating the body as you swing, getting the entire body involved in your serve.

By creating a fluid, full body movement, it will be easier for you to replicate your serve over time to dial it in. When you absolutely nail your serve, you will feel it even before the paddle hits the ball.

There is no need for a quick and sharp movement for the ideal pickleball serve since it is more about finesse than power.

Make sure to allow your elbow to extend and your arm to swing in a long, slow, high to low arc when you serve. Your wrist should not be at a tense angle, but relaxed and stretching towards the ground.

Keep in mind that you do not need to reach far behind you to start your swing, as there is no need to hyperextend your arm for a big powerful windup. On the other side, your swing should not stop short after making contact with the ball, but continue with follow through after the ball has already been sent on its way.

It’s important to note that your non-dominant hand (or non paddle hand) plays a bigger role in your serve than at any other point in the game. With such a small portion of the population being ambidextrous, chances are that you are not particularly coordinated with this appendage.

To reduce the need for coordination with this less than graceful hand, the best route is to make its job as simple as possible. So don’t try to create and time the perfect toss; instead, hold the ball steady a little above hip height to start. As you initiate your swing, simply let it go.

This simple but effective technique might be underrated, but it only makes sense to simplify the movement and reduce errors caused by an uncoordinated non-dominant hand.

The perfect Pickleball serve is all about putting in the time and effort necessary to create muscle memory for the perfect serve.

Instead of practicing endless rounds of volleys with a partner, you would do well to (every so often) spend an afternoon with a basket full of balls beside you and an open court in front of you.

Hit serve after serve after serve until you can feel yourself getting into the flow of things. The more you do this repetitively, the easier that flow state will come even in the midst of a stop and go game.

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