Just like your thirds or dinks at the kitchen line, the foundation of winning pickleball strategy is variation. Hit the same shot over and over and any good opponent will catch on and capitalize. Mix things up, though, and you’re in the driver’s seat.
The same goes for your serve. Master a few variations and you can keep the returner on their heels, guessing at what’s coming next rather than sitting on it.
Roscoe Bellamy, one of the game’s biggest servers, shares the three serves he relies on game in and game out.
✅The Fastball. Hard and flat, this serve is 90% power and 10% spin. Hit deep, it gives your opponent very little time to react. Keep it low over the net and they’re forced to hit up on the return. Now target their weaker side and you’ll likely be rewarded with a weak return you can attack for a winner.
✅The Kick Serve is a favorite among elite tennis players because its higher arch and heavy topspin make the ball jump off the ground at impact. And it’s just as effective in pickleball. Again, hit this deep and your opponent will be forced back to try and counter. Vary the location from side to side and it becomes a nightmare to try and time correctly.
✅The Screwball is your element of surprise, a cheeky serve with heavy sidespin that’s difficult to track and unpredictable to return. Hit this as hard or as soft as you want, just keep it low over the net. You can even try dropping these shorter than your other serves, since the spin is the x-factor.
Mechanically, the power for all three of these serves starts with your legs, surges through your core and explodes in shoulder rotation and a whip-like snap of the arm and wrist.
Your serve is the only time all game where you have complete control over a single shot. Use it wisely.
