As more pickleball players come from tennis, serves are getting faster and more powerful. Naturally, this means if you want to compete, players need to develop a more effective return of serve.
According to Collin Shick, a top 20 Men's Singles player on the PPA Tour, there are three things to focus on if you want a great return of serve.
Depth makes it harder for your opponent to hit a strong third shot (or passing shot in singles) and allows you time to reach the NVZ line.
The back 1/5th of the court is where you want your return of serve to hit. If you're not hitting this spot regularly your opponent will, and as Collin says, "win the net from you."
To hit the back of your opponent's court, you want to:
Location is the next important part of the return of serve. Particularly in singles (but also in doubles), you want to reduce the angles you give your opponent to hit shots from.
This means if you're playing someone who can hit good passing shots (or drives) or can paint the kitchen corners with thirds, you want to aim toward the middle more often.
Defending a third from the middle is much easier than defending from a good sideline shot. It also gives you more room for error.
Finally, if your opponent does have a weaker side – or if one of the opponents is weaker at thirds, that's the spot you should aim for.
However, it's essential to remember the first two ideas – depth and reducing angles – as your first goals in the return of serve.
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