The PERFECT Pickleball Return of Serve: Rules and Tips To Level Up!

Your pickleball serve return will set up the entire rally to earn the serve back to your team. Learn more about tips and strategies for your return of serve, including how to pressure your opponents, why momentum after your serve return is important, and where you should be standing on the court during this underrated pickleball shot. Follow along for the best tips and a drill to become an expert in your pickleball return of serve.
Read the full article here: www.playpickleball.com/pickle...
0:00 - The most undervalued shot in pickleball
0:33 - Tips to execute the perfect serve return
1:18 - Tip #1: Choose depth over speed
1:53 - Tip #2: Transfer your weight to your front foot
2:26 - Tip #3: Drive forward with paddle-side hip
2:55 - Tip #4: Hit through two imaginary pickleball balls
3:19 - Tip #5: Let your momentum take you to the net
3:48 - Drill #1: Practice hitting a deep return of serve
5:45: PlayPickleball.com
Enter the Selkirk giveaway here: Selkirk.com/ppb-1
The return of serve shot is one of the most undervalued shots in pickleball. If you hit a good serve return, it will give your team an advantage to win the rally. We're going to give you tips to execute a good return of serve, as well as a drill to help you practice.
Tips to execute the perfect serve return
The return of serve is the first shot hit on the court after the serve. It is returned by the player who is standing diagonally across the net from the server. You have to let the serve bounce, so you will want to make sure you give yourself some margin at the baseline in case they serve a really deep ball.
Tip #1: Choose depth over speed
When returning a serve, you will want to focus on getting the return deep. If you are choosing between a slow loopy deep return or a short and fast return, in most circumstances you will be better served by choosing the deep return. This will put your opponent back on their baseline and is going to make that third shot harder for them and give you an advantage.
Tip #2: Transfer your weight to your front foot
Placing your feet in the right place will help the trajectory of your ball and make sure that you're hitting the return of serve on your front foot. Hitting your return of serve shot on your back foot will cause your momentum to take you back, and you are more likely to pop your return up high. To stay on your front foot, you will want to give yourself a margin at the baseline, step into your shot, and finish with your weight on your front leg.
Tip #3: Drive forward with paddle-side hip
When you're hitting your return of serve, you will want to use your core to generate power instead of your upper body. Take your paddle side hip and drive through the ball, which will create momentum with your backside hip and carry you forward as you swing.
Tip #4: Hit through two imaginary pickleball balls
A mistake many pickleball players make when returning the serve is not following through your ball, which can cause a shorter return. Because you want to hit a deep return, imagine you're hitting two or three balls ahead of where you're going. This will help you create a better follow-through for a good serve return.
Tip #5: Let your momentum take you to the net
Learn how to use the return of serve to your advantage by following your return into the kitchen line. A lot of players, especially those that come from a tennis background, are very comfortable returning the serve and staying back at the baseline. But in pickleball, we want to put pressure on our opponents as they're hitting their third shot - so it's more advantageous to hit that shot and let your momentum take you to the kitchen line.
Drill #1: Practice hitting a deep return of serve
Watch the video above to practice hitting a deep return of serve during your next game or practice.

[@PlayPickleballCOM]

Thanks for watching everyone! Enter the Selkirk Giveaway here: selkirk.com/ppb-1

[@rankfastpro572]

Your videos are a source of joy and inspiration. Keep spreading the positivity!

[@PlayPickleballCOM]

Thank you so much!

[@rankfastpro572]

You are most welcome, Do you do everything yourself for your channel…????@@PlayPickleballCOM

[@rankfastpro572]

Welcome, Do you do everything yourself for your channel…????@@PlayPickleballCOM

[@sylhockey2131]

thanks for the refresher and added drill. My suggestion for the next video is "how to handle/best practice for handling a deep corner ball on the back-hand". is it with a drop, lob, backhand drive... assume their is no time to run around and hit a forehand and your opponents are already at the NVZ.

[@PlayPickleballCOM]

This is a great idea! Thanks for the suggestion!

[@mikeslice1063]

Another great video with solid drills. I like that your videos are relatively short but broken into Tips #1/#2/#3 with concise explanations and examples.

[@PlayPickleballCOM]

Thank you so much for your feedback. It helps us so much to hear! Let us know if you have any video ideas you’d like to see!

[@user-hf7tt8rg1z]

I love these videos and learn so much every time I watch. Thank you.

[@PlayPickleballCOM]

Thank you so much for watching! Feel free to drop any suggestions you have for future videos!

[@mlja1991]

Thank you. Your videos are the best I’ve seen.

[@PlayPickleballCOM]

Thank you so much for watching! More coming soon.

[@kahiauservices9315]

Maybe on how to return really fast serves to your backhand for left or right handers.

[@AJ-pc8cl]

Fantastic video and I am using it with great success. I note your examples were all for a right handed forehand. What if the incoming ball is to your left side? What do you recommend? Since I have a two handed backhand I am inclined to adapt everything you said to a left handed forehand. Or should I run around it and use the right handed forehand as you described it?

[@Whit1954]

Watched, liked and subscribed. No link for giveaway. Disappointment.

[@KJFEEL]

Hi! I'm Phil from South Korea, and I love your pickleball content. Pickleball is booming here, but we lack good Korean resources. Would you allow me to translate some of your videos into Korean? I'd fully credit you and your channel. This could help grow pickleball in Korea and introduce your content to a new audience. If you're interested, please let me know. Thanks for considering!

[@lynnbeck7555]

Great video as usual. How about a video for hitting an overhead off your back foot or running back and hitting it. Would also love a video for how to absorb power off an overhead smash and drop it back.

[@PlayPickleballCOM]

Great idea! We will add it to the list. Thanks for watching!!

[@IRWE905]

Inorder to consistently return a hard serve to the back third of the court accurately you need to place spin on the ball. Which you were doing but not mentioned. Maybe you can discuss in a future video :)

[@PlayPickleballCOM]

Great idea! Thank you 🙏

[@PaddleReadyPickleball]

It’s also important to try a get your body turned before striking the ball. Good drill.

[@PlayPickleballCOM]

Great feedback! Thank you for watching

[@user-ee1pz8rs9y]

Would like to see left handed tips as I am left handed

[@jimzimmerman5288]

Your running is making you hit the ball out. Move into the shot and your momentum will get you moving towards the NVZ. I agree to run into the return but more control.

[@PlayPickleballCOM]

Great point! Thanks for watching.

[@scoobydoo4087]

Why not return the serve into the kitchen, just like the third shot? Shouldn’t the second shot be in the kitchen since the serving team is far back?

[@rohitvasudeva2801]

Most of the serves done in the drill were short serves which bounced in zone 2 ish. Maybe show a drill when someone does a big serve always and it’s difficult to return it in zone 3 😢

[@PlayPickleballCOM]

Thanks for your feedback!

[@stevenlevy3460]

Slice or topspin on return?

[@PlayPickleballCOM]

Avoid slicing when you’re playing against someone with a good drive. Top spin doesn’t create much of an advantage. The best returns are flat and deep.

[@user-no2ix2vd9i]

Can’t find the Selkirk contest entry form

[@PlayPickleballCOM]

I think we had to update the link! It looks like it’s all updated now!

[@dineshshah1891]

The tips are great , but the link for giveaway entry doesn’t work. Sad and disappointed

[@PlayPickleballCOM]

Our greatest apologies The link is now pinned in comments and in general video description! Thank you for watching :)

[@gailnorland8200]

No selkirk link

[@PlayPickleballCOM]

We apologize for that! The link is now pinned in comments and in general video description! Thank you for watching.

[@HalShoenfield-fs3bp]

If you quickly run up to the kitchen after returning the serve why couldn't/wouldn't your opponent just hit it over your head to drive you away from the NVZ? Wouldn't it be better to work your way up to the kitchen?

[@PlayPickleballCOM]

Great point! We will be releasing a video soon on the Offensive Lob! Lobbing the ball over your opponents head can be a great way to back your opponents off the NVZ! In general it seems to put more pressure on your opponents if you run forward. But it is important to split step BEFORE your opponents strike the ball. So yes in that case you would be working your way up if you can’t make it to the kitchen before they contact the ball. Conversely, if you do not make it forward it is easier for your opponents to attack your feet making it more difficult on you. Thanks for watching!

[@maryhurst4663]

I’ve played for 18 years. I disagree that every return shot needs to be hit deep. I’ve won many points by hitting it short, almost like a 3rd shot drop shot whenI know my opponents are slow.

[@PlayPickleballCOM]

Thank you for your feedback.

[@0770charlie]

No link for the Selkirk giveaway. Huge letdown

[@PlayPickleballCOM]

The link is now pinned in comments and in general video description! Thank you for watching! Sorry for the confusion

[@davidwang5738]

Imaginary balls hehehehe

[@PlayPickleballCOM]

😅😅😅

[@user-cd6fd5wh6q]

Don't waste the drill session; your partner can be working on hitting deep serves versus too shallow. A shallow serve seems to be an invitation to get to the NVZ line.