The Top 5 Pickleball Serves For 2025

[@CrackedPickleball]

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[@yukuhana]

1. Forehand / Backhand side-spinner/screwball (0:10) 2. Short corner serve - side-spin or top-spin (3:13) 3. Drop serve - backspin or drive (8:10) 4. Flat power serve (11:41) 5. Deep lob serve (15:20)

[@randyvanheusden732]

I am convinced that the deep lob serve is much more difficult for the average player to judge than a hard low fast serve. I use that top spin on that serve and I am still trying to perfect my consistency. Deep in the court is great, making it harder to judge. Thank you for the video.

[@yukuhana]

Partially due to my background in ping pong, I have tried all of these serves, except the backhand screwball without bouncing off the ground. Gonna tried that next time. Thanks!

[@bigdog2024]

The short corner serve is so much more effective with power and spin. You hit it easy and a quick opponent can get to it. I’ve played that serve for years as well as the slice backhand. Getting too fancy to ace people with serves you cannot make every single time is going to cost you points. Get a solid serve in with good spin, power and placement and play the point.

[@robinrobine8100]

You still have to hit up on the ball for the traditional serve. Many of the serves show the paddle going over the top of the ball at contact. Regardless of the type serve, the same rules should apply to all. I do not know why they would allow us to hit down on drop serves.

[@innermostbeing]

For a beginner like me, this was a great video. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

[@iamthekwan]

I like my power topspin serves and will stick with it for 2025. Very hard to beat that satisfying THWACK that sends the ball rocketing down the line.

[@kerrysiler6800]

This is exactly what I'm talking about! This paddle is faced sideways

[@alcw625]

Too talky not enough examples

[@Jasser78]

A way to show they know how to do it, without actually knowing how to do it.

[@johnurban7333]

@@Jasser78the 2nd guy really lost me. Don’t need to over explain a serve. Tell me what the serve is and does, then show it multiple times.

[@albertcarrillo10]

Everyone learns different, this was perfect speed for me👀

[@777-Phil]

Thanks for explaining the ping-pong side spins. 'Can't wait to do the backhands, esp. Blessings!

[@marionsigurdson1392]

On flat power serve (11:41 section) it looks like the tip of your paddle is above your wrist which would make the serve illegsl.

[@DroneIntel]

Nice vid guys ...💪

[@goforwrd]

Great picks for the top serves!

[@metoo3918]

9:05 Is that a 2025 thing? I was always told you cant toss the ball up for any type of serve.

[@MichaelFlores-s1l]

That side spin could be deceiving. You can apply variations in it. It can produce a pure side spin or a side spin with a chop. The effect will be different.

[@Smokeybuhda]

If you drop serve, can you swing miss and swing again?

[@00008Amanda]

Great video. Thanks so much for explaining the spin serve. Which paddles do you guys use or recommend for spins?

[@CrackedPickleball]

Realistically as long as you have a good carbon fiber face you’ll be able to hit any of these serves!

[@davidkwong7546]

Thanks for the good video, however I don't believe the rule is that the tip of the paddle is below the wrist. From 2025 rules: 4.A.7.b. The highest point of the paddle head must not be above the highest part of the wrist (where the wrist joint bends) when the paddle strikes the ball.

[@CodcThe2nd]

Honestly, the solution is to just drop serve instead and not have to worry about any of the rules.

[@gg80108]

Think he said one can throw the ball up on the volley serve? No no no

[@iamthekwan]

@@gg80108 No, you're wrong. Yes, you can throw the ball up on the volley serve. Show me the rule that says this is illegal.

[@daniellehamelin2183]

⁠​⁠@@gg80108 FYI You can throw the ball as high as you want in a volley serve in Rec play only. But you’re not allowed to pinch the ball between your fingers to spin it before contact.

[@russelllew1139]

I’ve only seen one pro do the backhand serve, Scott Moore, he’s a senior.

[@robinrobine8100]

Useless serve.

[@jeffwhite543]

**Slice Drop Serve**... your paddle is above your wrist on contact... Almost even questionable on it being above your waist on contact. You dropped your hips to make the power.

[@jeffwhite543]

Scratch that.... Was not aware of the Drop Serve Rules..... Thanks for the info!!

[@robinrobine8100]

unfortunately, this gives the taller player a serve advantage when they hit down on a serve due to the trajectory angle. This should be voided.

[@charlieytpw]

Power serves don’t have tip of paddle beneath wrist at contact. Also role spun servers, is paddle tip location at start of the ball rolling across the paddle strike or at the release from paddle surface? Think about that.

[@kerrysiler6800]

Your right charlie!! I can smack the heck out of that ball if I hit it like a baseball lol , but what do they say to you when you call them on it, I know it's not pretty!

[@kerrysiler6800]

Your right Charlie. It doesn't go well when you call someone on that type of serve.

[@richiegarcia4]

I am confused about the power serve explanation. For my power serve, I use a semi-western grip, hit it at 90% power and try to put as much topspin on it as I can. I don't put topspin on it for the kick, I rely on it to keep the ball in. I've actually never tried it, but I assume most of my serves would go long without topspin. Are there any pros that employ a flat power serve? Thanks.

[@CrackedPickleball]

Ultimately you need topspin to keep the ball in. The point we trying to make is that if you can use less topspin, you’ll get a bit more speed. But yes, it’s a balance and too little will make it go out

[@richiegarcia4]

@@CrackedPickleball That makes sense. Thanks for the reply!

[@OlDirtyDirty]

Random Gower Park pull on my youtube page lmao. Great content and love all the options for serve posibilities!

[@tomhesemann3680]

The powers severe demonstrated here is not proper. The top edge of his paddle is above his wrist. Ugh people get it right. Work on your video editing.

[@JaretPetras.Football]

This channel has been so good for my game

[@CrackedPickleball]

You’ve been so good for my game

[@ictkeith3730]

I’ve played with a side spinner for years , he doesn’t step across during the swing. He already has feet across and he hits absolute nukes

[@almostthere-q6c]

Yes I own that serve too. However, I play it from a drop as it is more natural for me on the backhand side. On the forehand I can do either drop or volley serve easily but for some reason a drop gives me an amazing angle on the ad serve.

[@natehendricksen3338]

More things to work on.

[@barrygraham205]

As you emphasized in this great video, the key is variation. Both of you did an excellent job of explaining the mechanics of hitting each serve. Thank you!

[@gg80108]

Key is never miss a serve first.

[@TridentMissileTech]

Why is that first serve not considered a spin serve?

[@geausportequipment]

Hi Cracked Pickleball - I'd like to send you a Geau Sport bag for your evaluation. Please let me know if you're interested, thanks.

[@mikeanddebmcmahon1314]

I've only been playing pickleball for 3 years I developed side spin the second year I played so it's really nothing new

[@ShawnMcCoy-m4x]

If you bounce it before serving the rules no longer apply

[@kerrysiler6800]

This is nothing new and if you don't do it backhand your not so obvious but the rule on serving, keeping the paddle top down is broken all the time. Who calls the serves illegal on your neighborhood courts? Watch, some of these people serve like they're using a baseball bat.

[@JaretPetras.Football]

get a mod... oh wait

[@maxvecna2913]

So since you have to drop serve to ignore the normal rules for moving low to high on a volley serve, the first 2 serves in this video are illegal unless you drop serve them.

[@gg80108]

Agree they were ignoring the top edge of the paddle where the measurement is.

[@GiaoluuPickleball]

chấm

[@chrisg.475]

Embarrassing video explaining a selection of extremely low percentage, novelty serves. Plus, how can you guys still have the grip terminology wrong? You describe continental and eastern wrong as well as using “open” and “closed” paddle face backwards. Of course the janky, awkward demonstrations explain why this is the case.

[@caninecoachmike2715]

Trying to teach a backhand slice online-

[@gg80108]

One can rip their rotator cuff with those big flaling swings for spin. Just ask Morgan Evans. Only at low levels does it make a difference. Does Cracked mean your on drugs?

[@ChopOn423]

Hey taller guy, your hand gestures are infuriating

[@ictkeith3730]

Although I feel like in the PPA it’s a gentlemen’s agreement to not do any of these gimmick serves (besides the power)

[@iamthekwan]

Nah. Man up and learn to take these serves (assuming you're in a respectable skill-balanced game, of course. Don't do this against weak players, that takes the fun out of it).

[@ictkeith3730]

@ I’m not part of the gimmick club . No thanks .

[@iamthekwan]

@@ictkeith3730 Suit yourself, but there's nothing ungentlemanly about any of these serves. Do whatever you want but don't try to claim the moral high ground or whatever, that's just weak.

[@ictkeith3730]

@ answer me why absolutely ZERO pros do these …. I’ll wait.

[@iamthekwan]

@@ictkeith3730 Doesn't matter. You said this was ungentlemanly. I'm saying it's not. Whether it's effective or not, or whether pros use it or not, has nothing to do with it. It's a gimmick, sure. But you have zero moral high ground for choosing not to use it. There's no gentleman's agreement to or not to use it. This is your own personal decision, nothing more than that. Don't use it, sure, if that makes you feel good about yourself. Just don't elevate yourself for it.