5 Names of Serves

The serve in pickleball is the act of placing the pickleball in play.  The pickleball serve is the first shot and arguably the most important shot in a pickleball rally.   The pickleball player who is currently serving has several distinct advantages over the player or players on the opposing side of the net.  Most versions of pickleball rulebooks allow servers to keep serving if they (singles or doubles) win the rally.  The opportunity to continue to serve reiterates the importance of becoming an effective server in pickleball.

There are several serves a pickleball player can use during the course of games and matches.  Each of the serves has its own set of advantages and disadvantages.

Lob Serve – The lob serve is a serve that travels high and deep.  A good lob serve will land just inside the opponent’s baseline forcing your opponent to hit their first shot from or behind their baseline.  The lob serve is a good serve for beginner pickleball players.  Due to the high flight path and subsequent high first bounce of a lob serve, the lob serve is an easy serve to return.

Drive Serve –  The drive serve is a fast serve that travels parallel to the pickleball court with enough height to clear the pickleball net.  A good drive serve will land deep in the opponent’s service court and produce a low first bounce.  The deep, low ball forces the opponent to play the drive serve from behind their baseline using a low ground stroke.

Short Serve – The short serve is a softly hit serve that just clears the pickleball net and non-volley line of the appropriate service court.  A good short serve will apex on the server’s side of the net to maximize the angle of the pickleball’s descent as it crosses over the pickleball net.  A good short serve will surprise the opponent by requiring the opponent to react and move quickly to the non-volley line before the served pickleball bounces a second time.  The short serve requires a good touch and pickleball control.

The video below shows a demonstration of the three serves that were discussed in this chapter.