Stop Hitting Bounce Serves: Build a Real Weapon Instead

If there’s one shot I see under-practiced across the board, it’s the serve. Yet your serve is the foundation of your entire game. It’s your opportunity to start the point on your terms, generate pressure, and even win some free points. But too often, players treat it like a formality—just “get it in” and hope for the best.

Lately, at a few of my camps, I’ve seen a trend that has me raising my eyebrows. Players showing up who only hit bounce serves—not because they chose that path, but because that’s all they were taught. Their coaches didn’t give them any other option. And that’s a problem.

Why Serving in the Air Matters

Look, the bounce serve isn’t wrong. It’s legal and has its place. But if that’s the only serve in your toolkit, you’re missing out. Hitting the serve in the air—without the bounce—develops crucial skills you’ll need all over the court: timing, coordination, and the ability to take balls early. In pickleball, early contact is offensive. And your serve should be offensive.

Learning to hit the serve in the air builds the low-to-high swing path you need on your drops, drives, and topspin rolls. It also teaches you how to use your body efficiently—hinging from the shoulders, transferring weight, and accelerating the paddle through contact. Yes, it’s tough at first, especially if you didn’t come from a racquet sport background. But the payoff? Huge.

Common Struggles and Fixes

1. The Bounce Habit

Players default to bounce serves because it feels like a crutch. You bounce the ball off to the side, line up sideways, and swing from there. But what happens? Your swing shortens. You lose that full, smooth motion.

Serving in the air lets the ball gain speed as it drops from your hand, giving you more energy at contact. But that only works if your swing is long and relaxed—not a bunt, not a jab. We’re looking for a low-to-high, full-body swing that finishes through the ball.

2. Your Feet Aren’t Helping You

A lot of people are trying to serve with their feet locked sideways, almost like they’re frozen in a tennis stance. But in pickleball, we want a semi-open stance. Let that front toe point slightly forward, so your hips naturally rotate. Your back foot? Think of “putting out a cigarette”—I know, it’s not the best image—but that twist through your back foot gives you the push you need from back to front.

And here’s your checkpoint: if your back heel doesn’t lift, you probably didn’t transfer your weight.

3. You’re Giving Away the Serve

Too many players adjust where they stand to hit the ball where they want. That’s a dead giveaway. Your opponent sees you shifting and knows exactly where it’s going. Instead, work on striking the ball from one consistent contact point and using your paddle path to control direction.

4. Use the Left Hand (Yes, Really!)

If you’re right-handed, your left hand isn’t just there for decoration. When you drop the ball, create tension in your left arm. Reach out strong—no floppy elbows. That tension causes your right arm to relax, giving you more whip through contact. Sounds counterintuitive, but it works.

5. Loosen Your Grip

If you’re muscling the ball, you’re holding too tight. Try this: barely hold your paddle with your fingertips. Let the paddle swing. When the paddle head moves more than your hand, you’re finally letting the paddle work for you. That’s where spin and power come from—not from grinding your teeth and death-gripping the handle.

6. Length Equals Power

Stop trying to wrap the paddle around your body. That shortens your swing and kills your depth. Instead, think about the path of the paddle staying long and connected through the ball. Your chin should end up near your shoulder—not flinging backward or ducking down.

Want to feel what it means to swing long? Start your serve motion and freeze right before contact. See how far your shoulders and arm have traveled. Are you reaching? Are you rotating? That stretch is where your power lives.

Want More Lessons Like This?

This breakdown comes straight from one of the many in-depth technique lessons inside the Sarah Ansboury Pickleball Academy. If you’re serious about improving your game—whether you’re a beginner learning the ropes or a tournament player fine-tuning mechanics—you’ll find step-by-step instruction designed to meet you where you are.

👉 Try it FREE with this exclusive offer: sarahansbourypickleballacademy.com/free-trial-offer

Inside the Academy, we dive into serve variations, third shot drops, dink patterns, paddle grip and balance, and how to master your game from head to toe. And yes, we work on building that powerful, effective serve that starts every point right.