Serve & Return Deep

One of the easiest ways to gain the upper hand in a pickleball rally is by consistently serving and returning deep. A deep serve, especially to your opponent’s backhand, pushes them behind the baseline and makes their return more difficult. Aim for depth with consistency over power. Remember to keep your serve in play by avoiding shots that risk going out of bounds.

Likewise, on the return of serve, hit it deep into the court, ideally to the backhand of the weaker third-shot player. This gives you more time to advance to the Kitchen Line and puts pressure on the serving team. Bonus: adding backspin can keep the ball low and slow down the pace. Avoid hugging the lines and aim for depth with margin for error. Whether you’re serving or returning, keeping the ball deep is a high-percentage play that helps set the tone for every rally.