The Avoidable Pickleball Mistake

Level up your serve as an average player...

Author

Shea Underwood
August 16, 2024

WEEK 29

Welcome back to the Road to Pro!

Here’s what I’ve got for you this week:

  • How to level up your serve as an average player

  • The avoidable pickleball mistake

  • The better way to practice serving

This week Harrison asked our featured question, so I’ll be sending him a new Selkirk paddle! If you want a chance to win a paddle, click on the button below to submit your pickleball questions. Anyone whose question is featured in my newsletter will automatically win a new paddle!

Now let’s get to it!

Q&A Spotlight

May the Serve Be Ever in Your Favor

What’s something the average player should do to become a better server?

Harrison

Answer: If there’s one thing you take away from this week’s issue, it’s this: Don’t think of your serve as just the beginning of a new point. Think of it as a strategic shot that can give you an advantage over your opponent.

Your serve is the only shot in the game that you have complete control over, and it’s also one that you’re nearly always guaranteed to hit every single game. Because of this, I’ve got a few techniques for you this week that will help you enhance your serves.

The way you set up for your serve has a lot of impact on how good your serve actually is. With that in mind, the first thing I want to tell you is that you should glance at your opponent before you serve. Remember to keep your eye on the ball throughout the motion of your serve; however, right before you start your backswing, glance at where your opponent is positioned. If you know where your opponent is standing on the court, you can strategically aim your serve to a location that will make it difficult for them to return.

You should also be very aware of your backswing before making contact with the ball. Many players swing backward and forward so quickly with no thought about the movement of their arm. This lack of control causes inconsistent contact with the ball, which then means unpredictable serves. Instead, move your arm back slowly and not too far behind your body, positioning your paddle properly for a powerful swing forward.

Straight backswing, no control VS Slow, purposeful backswing

The reason you don’t need a big backswing is because the power on your serve doesn’t come from your swing alone, it comes from your whole body. To generate the power you need, load your weight on your back leg with your knees bent as you’re setting up for your serve. Then as you swing forward, push off your back leg and carry that momentum through your shot. You will be able to generate so much more power without sacrificing any control.

Bend your knees and load your weight on your back leg

After you serve, pay attention to where you’re positioned. Many players have the tendency to serve then step into the court, but this could easily get you in trouble. You always want to be ready for a deep return from your opponent. If you’re facing an experienced and strategic opponent, they’ll notice if you step into the court and will purposely send a deep return when you’re not prepared.

An easy way to be ready for a deep return is to serve, then take a step or two back and get balanced. This way you won’t be caught off guard with a deep return, and you can easily run forward for a short return if necessary.

______________________________________

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Tip of the Week

Serve Busters

This is a very simple yet incredibly important tip you should consider for when you’re serving if you want to avoid unnecessary mistakes. Do not serve immediately after you call the score.

I see so many players call the score the second before or in the middle of their serve. If they call the score wrong, they get distracted by trying to correct it and miss their next shot because they aren’t paying attention, or they just hit their serve into the net.

Instead, you should call the score, take a second to ensure it’s correct, then set up for your serve without any distractions. Don’t create an opportunity for any unforced errors on your serve.

Drill Highlight

Jurassic Serve

If you want to practice all these techniques we discussed, go find an open court and practice hitting a bunch of serves. But don’t just hit serve after serve without thought. Take the time to focus on how you’re setting up for your serve. Focus on your positioning, footwork, backswing, and weight transfer every single time. Take your time setting up properly and be intentional with every movement you make in your serve. The flight of the ball will tell you a lot about your contact point, so pay close attention to it.

Set up each serve with slow and deliberate movement

The more you do this, the more muscle memory you’ll start to build, which will help you recreate an incredible serve time and time again in a real game.

Erne

This is THE BEST pickleball machine out there. It’s incredibly intuitive and has helped me improve my technique significantly.

For those of you looking for the best pickleball machine to help you level up your game, I encourage you to check this one out!

For a discount, use my code: SHEA for $100 off at ernepickleballmachine.com.

Videos You’ll Enjoy

  • If you want to learn even more techniques for improving your serve, you can go watch this video where I go over the most common serving mistakes and how to fix them.

  • Go check out Cracked Pickleball’s video to learn new strategies that will help you beat more players! You can click on the video below or check it out here.

  • If you want another chance at winning a new paddle, go check out my current giveaway on Instagram and Facebook!

Discounts for You

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