Maximize Serve Power

Key Points

• Building Serve Power: Draws on fundamentals learned from tennis training, emphasizing power as a weapon in pickleball to create errors and set up easy shots.
• Kinetic Chain Mechanics: Uses legs for primary power, with weight starting on the back leg and transferring through the body in a “kinetic chain,” from legs to hips, chest, elbow, and wrist.
• Backswing Length: A long backswing, like an airplane runway, allows more power to flow through the serve, maximizing the kinetic energy transfer.
• Follow-Through for Power: Bringing the back leg forward in the follow-through lengthens the swing path, increasing serve power and depth.
• Stance Variations: Closed stance yields a powerful, flatter serve; open stance provides a shorter swing path and more spin, offering flexibility based on preference.
• Grip Choice: Uses an eastern grip for greater length in the stroke, enabling a deep, powerful serve, though sacrificing some spin compared to a semi-western grip.
• Avoiding Tension: Keeping the arm relaxed and loose allows the kinetic chain to flow smoothly, avoiding broken “links” that would reduce serve power and control.