11 Common Pickleball Serving Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Pickleball, a sport that marries elements of tennis, badminton, and ping-pong, has its own unique quirks and challenges.

One of the most critical elements in the game revolves around the serve – an area where beginners often stumble.

Learning the intricacies of a correct serve is vital not only for gaining points but for overall match momentum.

Unfortunately, even seasoned players are prone to making common mistakes in their serving technique.

By identifying these errors, players can enhance their performance, improving the accuracy and efficiency of their game.

This article aims to break down these common mistakes and provide effective strategies to overcome them.

Common Pickleball Serving Mistakes And How To Avoid Them

1. High Toss: Rather, Use a Low, Controlled Toss

One of the most common mistakes that pickleball players make is the high toss during service. High tosses might make sense in certain sports, but pickleball isn’t one of them.

The problem with a high toss is that it introduces an element of unpredictability into your serve. This means a high toss could end up anywhere – possibly not where you intended to serve.

By using a low, controlled toss, you can increase your accuracy and consistency. The ball will go exactly where you want it to go, every time.

A high toss also forces you to hit the ball at the peak of its trajectory, which can be problematic. However, a low toss allows you more control and the ability to dictate the pace of the serve.

A low, controlled toss also provides a more effective baseline for building the rest of your serving strategy. In essence, a controlled toss gives you a more stable platform from which to launch your serve.

You shouldn’t leave something as important as your serve up to chance, which is exactly what you’re doing with a high toss.

This quote emphasizes the risk involved in a high toss. Not only does it make your serve unpredictable, but it also leaves your success to chance. Instead, by going for a low, controlled toss, you can ensure that your serve is accurate and consistent every single time.

Having control over your serve can make a huge difference in the game. It can prevent your opponent from gaining an advantage, and, thus, increases your chances of winning the match.

This video tutorial provides a visual demonstration of how a low, controlled toss can make your serve more predictable and accurate. By watching the video, you will get practical tips on how to improve your serve, and apply them directly in your next match.

Remember, mastering the toss in your serve is crucial. It determines how well you start the point and, by extension, how you control the point. Therefore, it’s always worth investing the time and effort to improve this aspect of your pickleball game.

Whether you’re a novice or a seasoned player, taking the time to practice and perfect a low, controlled toss can significantly elevate your game. So, the next time you step onto the court, try to incorporate a low, controlled toss into your serve. You might be surprised at the difference it can make!

2. Overturning Shoulders: Keep Shoulders Square to Net

One of the common errors made by novice players in pickleball is the habit of overturning their shoulders during the service swing.

This is a tendency carried over from other racquet sports like tennis or squash.

To be successful in pickleball, you need to note that a service is not like a groundstroke and doesn’t require a full rotation of your torso.

The key to a clean, controlled serve in pickleball is keeping the shoulders square to the net through the swinging motion.

Overturning the shoulders can lead to errors and inconsistencies in your serve.

By keeping your shoulders square to the net, it ensures that the power applied to the ball is channelled directly forward, with minimal dispersion to the sides.

This scenario leads to a more planed serve, thereby increasing the chances of your serve crossing the net and dropping into your opponent’s service box.

Indeed, standing in a neutral position, with your shoulders squared to the net, contributes to a biomechanically efficient stroke which is essential for a successful serve.

Additionally, it is worth mentioning that keeping the shoulders square to the net also allows you to maintain balance and stability through the serve.

Balance is a critical aspect of pickleball as it directly influences the precision of your serves.

Having your shoulders facing forward in the direction of your target further helps to create a visual roadmap in your mind of where you aim to send the ball.

With your body already angled towards your intended target, you are more likely to achieve accurate service throws.

Therefore, to enhance your pickleball serving skills, avoid the mistake of overturning your shoulders during service throws.

Instead, always ensure that your shoulders are square to the net, which will help you maintain balance, increase the efficiency of your swings, and improve your overall serving accuracy.

Remember that practice makes perfect, and keep working on maintaining the correct shoulder position for every serving throw.

Improving your serve largely starts with you addressing this common error of overturning your shoulders while serving.

This principle is fundamental to mastering the art of serving in pickleball and should not be overlooked.

3. Shying from Backhand: Practice Backhand Serving More

A common mistake many beginners and even intermediate players make during pickleball serve is avoiding the use of backhand serve. They may find it difficult or uncomfortable as compared to the forehand serve but it’s important to practice it more.

The reluctance to practice a backhand serve often stems from a lack of confidence in executing it successfully. Nevertheless, the only way to gain that confidence is through practice. Remember, practice makes perfect.

Not practicing your backhand serve enough can lead to predictability and your opponent might start expecting a forehand serve every time

This predictability makes the game easier for your opponent, as they always know what to expect. For a versatile and unpredictable serve strategy, it’s essential to improve and include the backhand serve more frequently.

Incorporating a strategic mix of both forehand and backhand serves will keep your opponent guessing and off-balance. This in turn, will help you gain an upper hand in the game.

After watching the video, you will notice detailed insights into backhand serves and tips on how to execute them properly.

Moreover, understanding the mechanics behind backhand serves will potentially help you unlock a new side of your pickleball serve that you didn’t know existed.

Make a conscious effort to utilize the backhand serve in your matches more, and over time you’ll see a marked improvement in your serve accuracy and game performance.

If you consistently practice your backhand, your gameplay will evolve to a whole new level and you’ll become a more rounded pickleball player.

Becoming proficient in the backhand serve, as well as the forehand, is going to add a much-needed variety to your serve, making you a reliable and strategic pickleball player.

Practice is the key. Ensure to practice your backhand serve as much as you practice your forehand. And soon, you’ll notice the improvement and get more comfortable with backhand serves.

4. Missing Sweet Spot: Aim for Middle of Paddle

The sweet spot, the central region of the paddle, holds the key to a proficient and accurate pickleball serve. This Area offers the most control over the ball’s direction and speed.

Many beginners and even intermediate players struggle with hitting the sweet spot consistently. This is due primarily to them either not fully understanding the game mechanics or simply not having acquired enough practice.

Developing a precise aim on the sweet spot necessitates relentless practice and distinct focus on paddle awareness.

Improving paddle awareness begins with thoroughly understanding the concept of the sweet spot, both mentally and physically.

It essentially involves synchronizing the swing of the paddle with the oncoming ball path to ensure maximum contact is made with the sweet spot.

Consciously tracking the ball from the time it leaves the opponents paddle until it reaches yours, can tremendously improve the chances of hitting it right.

Players often make the mistake of responding instinctively, which can result in a random and uncalculated hit of the ball, missing the sweet spot.

Substantial practice is required to achieve this task consistently. Without properly honed skills, a chaotic or rushed approach can spring up, which typically results in hitting the ball with the wrong area of the paddle, thereby decreasing control over the serve.

Incorrect paddle positioning is another factor in missing the sweet spot during serves.

Familiarizing oneself with the different parts of the paddle, their unique functions, and especially its sweet spot, can make a considerable difference in one’s serving effectiveness.

Having a firm grip, a well-calibrated swing, and being in the right body position can help tremendously.

A helpful tip to improve the chance of catching the sweet spot is to aim slightly ahead of the ball. This gives the player a little more room for error and boosts the likelihood of not missing the sweet spot.

Lastly, integrating the aforementioned techniques into a routine serving drill and performing it repeatedly can yield impressive improvements.

With disciplined and rigorous practice, missing the sweet spot can become a habit of the past, eventually leading to more reliable, potent serves that increase your chances of gaming success.

Remember, aiming squarely for the middle of the paddle, the sweet spot, will ensure every serve you make has the best chance of being accurate, powerful, and controlled.

5. Serving too fast: Focus on accurate, not fast

In pickleball, a common mistake made by beginners and intermediate players alike is the tendency to serving too fast.

There is a misconception among many players that the speed of a serve has a direct correlation with its level of effectiveness, hence, they focus on hitting the ball faster rather than more accurate.

However, focusing on speed, especially in service, often leads to the serve being out of control, thereby resulting in an unsuccessful serve or a weak return.

The game of pickleball, unlike some other racquet sports, is not solely about power but more about accuracy and placement.

Therefore, when serving, it is more beneficial to take the speed down a notch and focus more on getting the ball accurately over the net and into the opponent’s court.

This is because an accurate serve can effectively set the tone for the point and gives the server an upper hand in the rally.

Accurate serving in pickleball means being able to hit the ball accurately towards the intended target area on the opponent’s side of the court.

A well-placed serve can often be more challenging for the opponent to return compared to a fast serve which might be easy to anticipate and return.

By focusing on accuracy over speed, players can also avoid common mistakes such as foot faults and net faults, since more control over the serve allows for better placement and avoids pushing your body to make mistakes.

Also, the more accurate your serves are, the less likely you’ll be serving out of turn or rushing your service, two other common serving mistakes in pickleball.

Watching this video tutorial teaches how to serve accurately in pickleball, using specific drills. These drills, when practiced regularly, can increase your serve accuracy, and consistency, leading to a more successful and winning gameplay.

Perfection takes practice and serving no exception in pickleball. Therefore, instead of focusing on the speed, spending time improving your serve accuracy could greatly enhance your pickleball game.

To sum up, while a fast serve might seem impressive, in pickleball, it’s the accuracy and placement that wins points regularly. Therefore, taking time to practice and refine your serve’s accuracy, instead of its speed, could make a big difference in your game performance.

6. Striking the net: Aim high for clear service.

One of the most common mistakes while serving in pickleball is striking the net. This error often results in an unsuccessful serve and a loss of a key opportunity.

The inability to clear the net is frequently caused by a misjudged aim or incorrect service motion. It is important to effectively diagnose this issue and implement corrective measures.

In order to overcome this mistake, the player should aim high, ensuring that he can have a clear service.

Remember that it is easier to lower a too high service, but impossible to raise a too low one. By consciously setting your aim high, you can alleviate net hits significantly.

A key point is to keep the serving motion smooth and consistent, allowing for much-needed control. When you practice controlled and consistent motion, it enables you to hit clear services more frequently.

To assist with achieving a higher clearing service, consider altering your stance. This can often help create more height and momentum in your swing, aiding in achieving a clear, net-free serve.

Another suggestion is to pay attention to your swing arc. Ideally, it should follow a progressively upward trajectory, peaking during the swing’s point of contact with the ball, ensuring an upward energy transfer occurs.

Visual cues can also be utilized to help improve your aim. Imagine a spot above the net where you would like your ball to cross. Envisioning this can provide a mental guide to achieving a higher aim.

Use this imaginary spot as a target reference to help with your alignment and swing path. This mental image can enforce the correct movement for a successful serve.

Regular practice is, of course, one of the most effective ways to overcome any problems with striking the net. Understand, acknowledge, and recoil when you encounter a net hit. Use it as a cue to adjust your swing or stance.

Consider seeking advice or guidance from a trainer or experienced players. They can provide a different perspective and may see something in your serve you may not.

Do not get discouraged by repeated encounters with the net. Everyone makes mistakes and they are a fantastic opportunity for learning and improving. Each one brings you closer to that perfect serve.

Lastly, take a moment to study your technique regularly, ensuring you incorporate all necessary changes step by step. Patience and persistence are key.

Remember, everyone makes mistakes. The lesson lies not in the mistake, but in how we correct and learn from it.

7. Serving out of Turn: Keep Track of Server Position.

One common pickleball serving mistake that can easily disrupt the fluidity of the game is serving out of turn. If you find yourself frequently committing this error, it can be a sign that you’re not fully focused on the game.

In the embedded info resource, you can pick up more tips on correcting common pickleball serving mistakes, including serving out of turn. The visual demonstrations could essentially help you understand the gravity of this mistake and the impact it has on the game.

Understanding the importance of server position and keeping an eye on the same is key to avoiding this mistake. Even small nuances and changes in server position can change the game dynamics, serving order, and scoring in pickleball.

It’s crucial to your success as a player and as a team, to ensure that your serve always comes from the correct position on the court.

The above point is crucial: you should always place yourself in the right serving position. Positioning can affect everything from your serve’s trajectory to the opponent’s ability to return the serve.

Getting the serve right, starts with being in the correct place. Perfecting your serving position improves your game skills and avoids causing game delays for everyone on the court.

Moreover, remember that the server position rules may vary slightly from singles and doubles games.

Taking time before each serve to ensure you are in the correct position will consistently set you up for success. It will also help prevent avoidable interruptions or penalties.

Focus on the match and be aware of the server rotation. Keep a mental note of the sequence and your position to start each sequence correctly.

Serving out of turn can be an innocent mistake, but can potentially cause dissatisfaction among other players and disrupt the rhythm of the game. As a sport, adhering to the rules of pickleball promotes fairness and keeps the game enjoyable for everyone.

Keeping track of your server position is an often overlooked but vital part of being a successful pickleball player. By focusing on your positioning and prioritizing accuracy over haste, you can drastically minimize the chances of serving out of turn.

Take note, study the game, and remember, practice makes perfect. Every player, no matter how experienced, can benefit from being mindful about each aspect of the game, including server position.

8. Foot fault: Ensure feet stay behind baseline.

The term ‘foot fault’ in pickleball refers to a serving error wherein the player’s feet violate the serving boundaries. In pickleball, when performing a serve, the player’s both feet need to be situated behind the baseline.

This rule can often be overlooked by beginners, as the focus tends to be largely on mastering the right serving technique and scoring against the opponent. However, foot fault is an important aspect of pickleball serving that aids in maintaining a fair and balanced game.

A common reason for foot faults in pickleball is the player’s unawareness or forgetfulness about the importance of foot position during service.

This is often the case with players who are transitioning from other racket sports like tennis or badminton, where the foot positioning rules are different. We may tend to carry over the habits of previous sports experience into pickleball, resulting in foot faults.

Understanding the foot fault rule and its significance in pickleball is crucial to avoid this common serving mistake. A player is considered at fault if any part of the foot touches the baseline or court before the ball is struck. Also, stepping into the court while serving or not having both feet behind the baseline are considered foot faults.

Being meticulous about the foot positioning and observing your foot movements during practice sessions can help prevent foot faults during an actual game. By doing so, you will be able to make the correct foot positioning a natural part of your serving routine.

Also, noticing and rectifying foot faults during practice serves will help ingrain the correct habit, ensuring that your feet always stay behind the baseline when you serve.

When practicing your serves, it can also be useful to have a partner watch your feet to ensure you’re not breaking the rules. This feedback can help you become more aware of your foot positioning and assist you in enforcing the discipline of not foot faulting.

A methodical and deliberate approach to practicing serves could further help in avoiding foot faults. Instead of rushing through the serve, take a moment to position your feet correctly before you launch into your serve.

It might seem like a minor mistake when starting with pickleball, but foot faults can prove costly in a competitive game setting. It can directly lead to loss of serve, which could swing the momentum in favor of your opponents.

Emphasizing on footwork, just like the serving techniques, can help players avoid the common foot fault mistake.

Regular drills emphasizing on serving behind the baseline, constant self-awareness, and disciplined practice can go a long way in eliminating foot faults from your game.

Remember, just like how every serve in pickleball is an opportunity to score a point, every preventable mistake like foot fault is a means to avoid losing an advantageous position in the game.

Eliminating serving errors such as foot faults not only helps in improving overall game performance but also ensures that you’re playing the game in the right spirit and as per the established rules.

9. Serving too low: Aim for higher ball trajectory.

One of the common mistakes pickleball players make when serving is sending the ball too low. This not only has the potential to result in a serve fault, but it also gives the receiving player an opportunity to attack the serve.

When you serve too low, the ball’s trajectory leads it straight to the net or barely over. The result is a weak serve that easily gets smashed back by your opponent, putting you on the defensive right from the start.

Understanding the importance of a higher ball trajectory will thus significantly improve your serve. The aim should be to make the ball soar high and dip right into the service box on the opponent’s court.

The best way to achieve this is by hitting the ball at the apex or peak of its toss.

This allows the ball to travel a higher trajectory and ensures it lands deep in the opponent’s court. A serve that is hit well will give you more time to get ready for the return and move up to the kitchen line.

A good practice is to aim for a point about two feet above the net during your serve. This allows the ball to clear the net with ample space and reduces the chances of hitting the net and committing a fault.

Another aspect to remember is the serving motion. Your motion should be smooth and fluid with a low to high movement, ensuring the correct trajectory of the ball.

Control and precision play a pivotal role in perfecting the serve. It’s not just about sending the ball over to the other side; it’s about strategic placement and managing to keep your opponent on their toes.

Playing an occasional low serve may not necessarily be a bad idea. It could add variety to your serve and potentially surprise your opponent. However, consistently serving too low will lead to more faults and less control over the game.

By watching the video, you’ll get to comprehend the correct serving technique and understand how to achieve a better trajectory during your serve. You will note the significance of a correct stance, optimum toss and effective swing in order to achieve effective serving results.

Remember, mastering a perfect serve in pickleball is not something that would happen overnight. Like all skills, it requires patience, practice, and consistent effort. It’s the attention to small details like the height of the serve trajectory that gradually improve your serving game.

10. Wrong grip: Learn and use the continental grip.

One of the most common mistakes in pickleball serving is using the wrong grip, which can significantly impact the effectiveness and accuracy of your serve. Too many players, particularly beginners, make the mistake of using a tennis or ping pong grip while serving in pickleball. This is highly problematic.

The appropriate grip for serving in pickleball is known as the continental grip. This grip method involves holding the paddle as if you were shaking someone’s hand, with the base knuckle of your index finger on Sliceline#2 of the paddle, and thumb flat against the back. This promotes greater paddle stability and control over your serve, leading to a greater likelihood of landing your serve in the desired service zone.

Incorrect grip usage in pickleball serving can lead to poor racquet control, thus affecting the trajectory and speed of the ball, as well as your serve’s spin. This can result in missed serves or serves that easily fall prey to return shots by your opponents.

The continental grip enhances control, precision, and power in your serve, giving you an upper hand in your pickleball games.

The emphasis on the continental grip isn’t by chance, but rather due to the numerous benefits it offers compared to other grip methods. When using the continental grip, the wrist is more flexible and the range of motion is naturally wider, this facilitates the execution of a wide variety of shots. Furthermore, this grip method opens up the possibility of hitting with different spins, leading to a more unpredictable and difficult-to-return serve.

Servers can often underestimate the importance of the grip, focusing more on pace and placement while neglecting how crucial the grip can be to these two aspects. Hence, learning and implementing the right grip technique is imperative to executing successful serves consistently.

It’s easy to fall into comfortable but incorrect habits when it comes to gripping the paddle. Therefore, spending time to learn and practice the continental grip is essential. Work on it during your practice sessions and gradually, this grip method should become second nature during actual gameplay.

Correcting your grip might initially feel uncomfortable and strange and your serve might become temporarily worse off. That’s normal. It’s essential to understand that changes, especially ones that involve muscle memory, take time and patience.

Remember, the goal here isn’t just to serve well, it’s to serve well consistently. And that consistency is derived from the comfort and familiarity that comes with practice. So, don’t shy away from spending time on perfecting your grip even if it might seem like a minor component of your serving technique.

In the long run, improving your grip to the continental style can do wonders for your serving game in pickleball, making you a more formidable and competitive player. Perfecting the grip may even help you enhance other aspects of your game, such as strokes, volleys, and dinks.

This may sound a bit cheesy, but in pickleball, just like in life, it’s often the minor adjustments that make a major difference. Conquering the continental grip could be your minor adjustment that could majorly upgrade your pickleball game.

11. Rushing service: Take time to set, aim, and serve.

When it comes to pickleball, many players often make the common mistake of rushing their service. This may come from a place of excitement or eagerness to “win” the point, but it typically results in decreased accuracy and control.

Timing is everything in pickleball. As the server, you have the opportunity and the control to dictate the pace of the play.

A rushed serve not only compromises your shot but also disrupts your rhythm, making your subsequent shots less effective.

Therefore, learning to take your time to properly set, aim and serve is crucial to improving your game.

Also, setting refers to getting your body and paddle into the right position for your serve. It’s about maintaining a balanced stance, with knees slightly bent and body squared towards the intended direction of the serve.

Next is aiming. This is the process of deciding and focusing on exactly where you want your serve to land on your opponents’ court. Aim your serve to areas that are difficult for your opponents to return, such as their weaker backhand side.

Your ‘serve’ is the very first contact you make with the ball. Strive for a smooth, clean contact between your paddle and the ball. This can be achieved through consistent practice.

Moreover, allowing yourself plenty of time to set, aim and serve creates a more predictable and controlled service game.

This prediction and control greatly increase your chances of starting each point on the right footing and ultimately winning the game.

Applying sufficient time in setting up your serve also helps to reduce errors such as foot faults, serving too low, or missing the sweet spot on your paddle.

Practicing your serve with intent will pay off over time, improving not only your service game but your overall pickleball skills as well.

The key is to remember that there’s no need to rush. You won’t be penalized for taking an extra second or two to ensure you’ve properly set up.

On the contrary, rushing your service often results in making careless mistakes that could be easily avoided by taking an extra moment to set, aim, and serve.

Watching this video can reinforce your understanding of the importance of taking time to serve in pickleball. It covers a broad range of serves and the correct ways of executing them.

It’s specially designed to enhance your pickleball serving skills and presents a plethora of tips that are specifically crafted to help you avoid the common mistakes players make while serving.

The Bottom Line

To wrap up, mastering the serve in tennis requires considerable attention to various technical details.

Using a low, controlled toss instead of a high one can significantly improve precision.

Ensuring that your shoulders remain square with the net and working on your backhand serve is equally important.

Always aim for the middle of the paddle to get the sweet spot and focus more on accuracy over speed in your service.

If your service continually strikes the net, you need to aim higher.

Keeping track of the server position and ensuring your feet are behind the baseline should resolve any issues of serving out of turn or foot faults.

Remember, a higher ball trajectory remedies low serves, and using the correct grip, preferably the continental grip, will supplement your service technique.

Lastly, taking a moment to set your stance, aim, and serve can significantly improve service games.