It is vital to follow the rules of the game when playing pickleball. Minor details are important, including where to stand when serving in pickleball.

In pickleball, points are scored on the serve only, and the receiving side cannot get the point. As a result, serving is extremely crucial. You will struggle to score points if you don’t know where to stand when serving and how to serve well.

When serving in pickleball, you must stay behind the baseline. However, when accepting the serve, you can be on the baseline. When volleying the ball at the net, stay behind the non-volley zone. These three regions on the court are where the majority of points are won or lost.

It is also important to know that pickleball requires excellent footwork. So, if you want to score more points, you need to concentrate on that as well.

As pickleball professionals, we are well aware of all the rules of the game. For all the newcomers to pickleball (and even some veterans), we have created this guide to discuss where you must stand when serving in pickleball. In addition, we’ll provide some pointers that will help you get better at the game.

Serving Guidelines

In pickleball, players should serve from behind the baseline and on the right or left side of the centerline. The ball must be served diagonally into the pickleball court after the server calls out the scores. It is important to remember that all serves must be below the waist and underhand.

Serving Guidelines for Singles

While playing singles, every player is bound to serve until a point is lost. You should switch or change the side you have been serving from after every serve. It is also important to know that while playing singles, if your score comes out to be an even number, you will be serving from the right side of the court. Likewise, if your score is an odd number, you should serve from the left side. While announcing scores, the opponent’s score must be called first.

Serving Guidelines for Doubles

In a doubles pickleball game, each player on the team will have a chance to serve before the other team is given the serve. At the beginning of the game, the second server for the team serving first will not be given a chance to serve. After each side out, the player on the right side serves first. Then, after each serve, the sides are switched. It can be difficult to learn the player position and rules. The best way to get familiar with them is by playing the game.

The Two Bounce Rule

Pickleball has its set of regulations that help to keep the game fair and enjoyable. The two-bounce rule is one such concept. According to the two-bounce rule, both the serve and the return should be groundstrokes. This means that you must let your opponent's serve bounce before returning it. Then, your opponent must wait and let your return bounce before they can return.

Players can volley the ball after the serve and the first return. When you strike the ball prior to its bouncing, on the ground, it's called a volley. It will be called groundstroke if you allow the ball to bounce first.

Where to Stand in the Serving Team

Let's get started now on the subject of where to stand when serving while playing pickleball.

To begin, choose a solid diagonal cross-court posture that will let your serve hit further than the kitchen line and into the net. You can be lined up anywhere in your serving quadrant as long as it is beyond the baseline. It could be towards the center or towards the right or left corner. You will be alright as long as you are not in your teammate’s quadrant and well behind the baseline.

Many players prefer to choose a serving spot near the center, avoiding the corners as often as possible. It's unusual to see an experienced player playing in a single corner. It's a matter of personal opinion about how close to the baseline you wish to serve. Some players want to approach the baseline as closely as possible to maximize their chances of hitting a deep serve with a steady swing and following through each time.

You are bound to have left excessive space if you are a foot away from the baseline. This can make hitting a deep and consistent serve harder than before. However, if you get too close, you risk making a foot fault by crossing the baseline. That is a simple error that you can avoid. 

Let's talk about footwork now. It is not advisable to stand with both feet facing each other in parallel and shoulders width apart, particularly when serving. Your dominant foot ought to be back, while the other one should be up at the baseline.

Where to Stand in Pickleball as the Partner of the Server

If you are the server's partner, you will also be positioned on the baseline, in the quadrant beside the server. However, because you will not be the actual server, you are free to place your feet on the baseline, either touching it or slightly in front of it on the court.

Although you can be anywhere, you should be back since the return of the serve must bounce. If the opposite team isn't getting deep returns, then you can go up and position yourself on the baseline, or perhaps even closer if you feel comfortable.

However, it is advised to proceed with caution here. If your partner serves and you are way too close to the kitchen line, you could become a potential target for the return team because you do not have enough space for the return to bounce before you can hit the ball.

If a shot is fired at you, and you have not given enough room to bounce, the opponent automatically has an advantage over you. For a perfect game of pickleball, you must eliminate these faults.

In either case, make sure you provide adequate room to attack a return of serve shot. It's always more convenient to go toward a ball than it is to move back to reach it. If you have to back up to reach the return of a serve, it means that you are too far ahead in the court and must move back.

Return to your starting position and give yourself a break to charge the ball ahead. This enables for a far more intuitive swing technique and the ability to strike the ball with more aggression and topspin.

In essence, the serving team must stand behind the baseline and modify their position depending on how deep the opponent team’s shots are to be.

Where to Stand in Pickleball If You Are in the Return Team

Let's move on to the question of where to position yourself on the return team in pickleball. If you're facing opposite to the server, 1 to 2 feet behind the baseline is a good spot to stand. This offers you plenty of room to attack a ball hit shallow while also allowing you to get behind a serve that is hit deep.

How far back should you stay as a returner? The serving team will try to pepper that baseline you're positioned by, so allow yourself some flexibility to react without needing to carry your momentum backward.

It's important to remember that hitting a ball efficiently when you’re moving back is more challenging. Even if you were able to hit the ball back to the server, you risk becoming an attackable ball, which is bad.

When it comes to footwork, keep things simple. Standing with both your feet apart by a shoulder's width, knees bent slightly, on the balls of the feet, and your paddle firmly clutched in your dominant hand is the best approach.

This is the optimum pickleball-ready stance for just about any player. You may even place your other hand gently on the paddle handle for a sturdier grip suitable for any hit coming your way.

Where Should You Stand if You Are the Partner of The Return Team?

So, what happens if you're on the return team but not being served? The no-volley zone is the most preferred spot to stand if you are the return team’s partner. Remember that all you have to do as the return team is to allow the serve to bounce.

On your side of the net, this is the only shot that has to bounce. As a result, you will be able to get to the net sooner. If you're on the return team but aren't being served, you should really be waiting at the kitchen line in the appropriate ready position. Since you will be the first one on the net, you can take advantage of it and put away any weak shots hit your way.

Where to Stand in Pickleball while Receiving the Return of Serve (The Third Shot)

If you are in the serving team and the return team hits the shot in response to your serve, this shot is the third shot. Where do you stand in pickleball when striking the third shot?

Well, the answer is simple.  You and your teammate should still remain close to the baseline since the ball will bounce sooner or later. This rule is applicable even if you're playing singles. Anticipate a deep shot from the opponent and hang back at the baseline. Eventually, your court position will be similar to the return team playing the serve now.

Give yourself some breathing room and stick to the baseline. The majority of return of serve shots are mostly hit deep, although they are not as deep as a serve. Hence, you should expect the ball to drop in front of the baseline but leave yourself some adjusting time and space. The optimal position is along the baseline, on the balls of the feet, with shoulders width spread, prepared to move laterally. You'll be in the perfect situation to hit the vital third shot drop after this.

Where Should You Stand When Dinking At the Net in Pickleball

This is very self-explanatory, particularly while playing doubles. You and your teammate should be positioned right in the middle of your quadrant at the court. This position will be right at the kitchen line, and you will consequently be prepared to defend all angles for drop shots. You must also be prepared for the drive shot. A drive shot is the exact opposite of drop shots as it is hit with force at you.

For proper footwork, stay on the balls of your feet with your feet shoulder-width apart. When the ball is bounced in the kitchen zone, be ready to move forward towards the no-volley zone.

If the ball is thrown toward your left, take a huge step with your right leg and make the left one your pivot foot. Similarly, if the ball is thrown towards your right, take a step with your left leg and make the right one your pivot foot. As a result, you'll be able to cover much more ground in a shorter time.

When you are dealing with doubles and prefer one side of the court over the other, you can switch sides with your companion and move to your preferred place within the court. For example, if you are right-handed and your teammate is left-handed, you must be on the left end of the court while your left-handed mate will want to be, ideally, on the right side.

This enables both of you to use your dominant hands to cover the center of the court and utilize your greatest shot, which is the forehand. Stacking is a sophisticated on-court tactic that involves changing sides with your companion in the middle of the game so that you can each remain on your favorite end of the court.

Stacking Strategies

The returner and server are the only two major players on the court who must remain in a precise spot during pickleball match. This is something that many novice players are unaware of. Anybody else is free to stand wherever they like.

For instance, if you're the server’s partner and the server is consistently serving from the right side, you can stay to your partner's right, just outside their swing range, and wait. When your partner has finished serving, they will move to the left quadrant, and you can go to the right quadrant.  Although the server begins from a fixed, precise spot on the court, every player now has their preferred side in play.  

The server and you were all stacked or piled on the right end of the court, which is precisely what stacking means. The same guidelines are applicable no matter which side the ball is served from. You can stack on either side and arrange yourself to be ready to play in position as soon as the ball is served.

Step by Step Guide to Serve in Pickleball

• Make sure you're in the right position. Serving positions are determined by whether you're competing in doubles or singles, as well as the score.
• Make a score declaration. Always start with your score. Make sure to announce the serve number prior to the score if you're playing doubles.
• Make a decision on how you want to serve the ball and where ever you want to target. 
• Take a deep breath and relax. You should have a routine in place before beginning a match.  
• Take the ball in your opposite hand, and reach out to drop it. Don't toss the ball up in the air.
• Swing your paddle in an underhand manner. As you release the ball, make contact with the ball across from your body.
• Make sure that the follow-through on your swing is smooth and calm.

Kinds of Advanced Serves

After a few games of pickleball, you may be wondering how to improve your skills at it.  Because you can solely score based on your serve, it's a crucial component of the game. Let’s have a look at some serves in pickleball. Changing up your serves might allow you to keep your adversary wondering and improve your overall game.  You can use the following serves in the game:

1. High Soft Serve
2. Power Serve
3. Soft Angle Serve

High Soft Serve

Whenever you hit a high arc far into your opponent's side, it's called a high-soft serve. This serve is suitable for players of all skill levels, from beginners to 5.0. High soft serve has a lot of diversity, so it's perfect for changing up the speed of the game and leaving your opponents guessing. Your high soft serve can be aimed at the back or the front of the serve area. This can be utilized to get your opponent out of stance and arrange the next shot by making them move.

You might think that striking the ball fast and hard is always preferable. Pickleball, on the other hand, is a game of precision. The high soft serve could be an excellent changeup if your opponent has become accustomed to retrieving power serves. You could also use this serve to entice the opposing team to get nearer so you can smash a power serve back past them.

Benefits

This is an excellent serve for players of all skill levels. The slow high arc slows things down a bit and leaves your adversary guessing. The high arc protects your rival from getting closer to the net. Eventually, this serve influences the opposing player to play the ball at their own pace.

Power Serve

When you hit the ball fast, low, and deep into your opponent's court, it is called the power serve. You can shoot for the backhand corner, forehand corner, or straight at your adversary to change things up. The power serve is more difficult to execute than the high soft serve, but it is crucial for improving your game.

If you are aware that your opposition's backhand is poor, this is an excellent shot to use to force them to make an error. In addition, if the opposing player isn't as quick as you, striking the ball directly at them pushes them to shift to one side. If your feet aren't set, retrieving a serve is often more difficult.

The power serve can be utilized in conjunction with the high soft serve. The opponent player may begin to move forward after hitting a few  high soft serves. It's the perfect opportunity for a power serve straight at their feet if they're standing within the court, prepared to return your serve.

Benefits

Power Serve is a more sophisticated serve that takes a lot of practice. It allows you to hit the backhand or forehand corners of your enemy's backhand or forehand, forcing them to use their whole arsenal of shots. The serve's velocity and low arc make it tough to return, and the opposite player's capacity to develop strokes or put spins is limited as a result. The quickness of this shot also puts the opposing player way behind the baseline, making it more difficult for them to get to the non-volley region line.

Soft Angle Serve

The soft angle serve is the third of three basic serve styles that are employed to accelerate the game's pace.  This shot must drop near the kitchen line and sideline. Since the target you're going for is so small, the soft angle shot is by far the most challenging of the three serves.

Whenever you want to push your opponent off the perimeter of the court, employ the soft angle serve. This provides a completely open wide path on the furthest side of the court. You could have an easy score if the opposing player doesn't return to the position quickly enough.

Soft angle serve is an excellent option when you're playing doubles, and your adversaries are stacked. A well-executed soft-angle serve might throw the opposing team off since both players are on the same side while stacking. It will leave a lane open on the opposite side.

Benefits

The biggest benefit of the power serve is that it forces your opponent to move. When the ball lands near the kitchen, the other person has no choice but to move. You can have an open shot down the opposite lane or a lob straight over their heads if your opponent does not return to place. However, keep in mind that it's also the most challenging serve. Note that if you don't get the serve on the ground, you won't be able to score.

How Can You Serve an Ace in Pickleball?

A wiffle ball used in pickleball is light and solid, which causes it to slow down when hit forcefully due to air resistance. It is quite tough to hit a serve by an opponent owing to the ball and the underhand serve rule.

You can increase your chances of serving an ace by hitting a few gentle short serves initially. This will bring your opponent closer. If the other player is near the court when you serve, you can smash a power serve straight at their feet. It will be difficult to return unless the player is extremely quick.