I thought the instant improvement testimonials may have been coming from 2.5-3.0 players. I am a 4.0 player and have worked on serve and return of serve consistency as well as decreasing energy after seeing the free webinars [Online Training]. My unforced errors have noticeably decreased, I'm playing more calmly and focused, and confidently.
Great advice. I usually hit my serve deep – Now I need to start focusing on target.
I’ve been told oh hit it harder or faster or lower over the net.
Very helpful, since I usually have pretty good control, yet most people I play with think the harder and faster, spinning, etc. you serve the better you are. I am going to work on this strategy moreso now and also saving some energy for the play in the game.
Thanks.
Not using but interested in the concept in more detail
Awesome! Let us know how it works
Very informative. Hadn’t thought much about trajectory. Will focus on it now. Thnx for the lesson!
I have now been taught
1.get the serve in
2. Change your serve .
3. Use the lob serve.
I am only 2.7 in rank and when playing opponents that are so much higher in rank I have found a loose grip soft serve works well.
Love your tutorials. I’m in Uk.
Tina
Great presentation Tony … You forgot Spin Serve … just kidding.
This game is simple if you do the right things.
Your are so clear on reducing errors and that seems simple enough but overlooked by many players.
Thanks for the video.
Alan
Just paused to comment I alter the trajectory to help hit the target I’m going for based on how I’m serving at the time, hope that makes sense!
Nice upgrade to TPS!
My serves are sometimes not good – I’m sort of a beginner still taking lessons. I still can’t get how to stand properly and my serves are out, too far to the left. I will practice the target strategy and see if this helps. I do enjoy all your tips and videos.
Your paddle needs to travel along the line you want the ball to go. If you are pulling the ball to your right or left you are most likely pulling the paddle across your body
I do work on hitting points 2 and 3, but I have a problem with consistently applying the same amount of energy and thus hit too many short serves.
I’m a 3.5-4.0 player who plays for fun.
I have always tried to keep my serve deep and have not tried to get a lot of speed. Because of this I have a very high percentage of serves that are in the box and put a bit of pressure on the returner. I have marveled at some who have a hard serve but analysis led to the awareness that hard serves are not a consistent .
Having said all this I instinctively had my number 2 target higher over the net but have not focused on #2 and focused more on #3. For me a good serve is deep and preferably to the backhand side. I do have a mental block trying to reach the backhand of a lefthanded player.
Thank for all your advice, it’s a great inspiration to me.
Very useful advice. I will focus on targeting next time I play.
Thank you . I need to target!
Great video,
I enjoy your simplicity and value your knowledge of the foundation of the game.
Very informative video, thanks. Never considered the importance of the trajectory. I will in the future. I’m pretty consistent with deep and target serves.
I really appreciate this video and your instruction. I wish I could afford Boot Camp to get even more, though I prefer singles to accommodate problems I have from my disability and your instruction seems geared towards doubles. However, having been a 4.0 club player in tennis and in racquetball before my disability, I have the background to adjust accordingly. So, keep the videos coming please!
First, I appreciate you repeating that the serve is the #3 most important shot and it is NOT supposed to be a winner/unreturnable. I get very frustrated when the thinking for someone is that it is THE most important shot and should be unreturnable because of spin and pace.
Second, you said that we should have control of targets 2 and 3 but not 1. I played that back several times to make sure I heard it correctly. If I have control over target 1, I should be able to hit targets 2 and 3. What am I missing?
Third, I consciously think about targets 1 and 3 but not 2. I will start thinking about that from now on!
Fourth, your target #3 is to the deep R corner, which will be the typical player’s forehand. Is there a reason you did not mention the deep L corner (i.e., down the center court line)?
Cory if this resonates with you and finances are an issue, reach out to me at [email protected]
Good advice, but if you have a high trajectory and the ball is not hit ,deep watch out for a strong deep return.
You are correct a short return regardless of the height allows the return to place their return deeper and make the serve sides third shot more difficult
Tony, I hear you regularly on as mentioned many time CJ and you have started my pickleball journey to a beautiful phase of my life after retirement.
This episode ‘purpose of serve is not winning a point” ingrained in me so well and reminded myself every time I served today. The results were amazing. To add my 2 cents . We all go for the killer serve when we are way behind on the point score or when we are way ahead on match point and just want to finish it. That were I have faulted the most and lost more than a few matches.
I am a 3.5 player. I always focus on 1 and 3. I vary 2 to be a couple inches above to 4-5 ft above. I have trouble returning low fast serves.
I think it’s great that you are so aware of your 2 dot. Just realize that when you choose a few inches above the net as that dot your margin of error bring the net into play.
Not using targets now, but would like to learn more.
Start with depth Wesley, for the serve think of a dot number 3 as Tony showed in the video. For the return use the same depth, 4 feet from the baseline but on the center line. Let us know what you notice as you start to use them
I get how this is helpful for beginners, so you stop giving away your serve. But I’m not convinced how the “serve 3-4 feet high over net” helps my game. In a 2.5-3.0 match, this would seem to be quite an easy return for opponents.
Once I can consistently hit my target, wouldn’t a lower and faster serve then be the next goal?
Hey Tony, Players should ask themselves this question: What gives your opponents more trouble — deep shots that put them behind the baseline for a return or third shot, or hard shots that land inside the court? Most players regardless of the level, would prefer to hit shots from inside the court, not behind the baseline. Watch pro play, it’s not just pace, it’s the depth that gives them trouble and most pro’s have much higher number 2 dot on both the serve and return than most amateurs. Now ideally power and depth are a tough combination but in reality most players struggle to get both consistently as referenced by the statistic in the email. Our recommendation is to favor depth over power no matter the level but you can always use the #2 dot to create the perfect combination.
I generally do this with my servers but I also throw in a really short serve just past the kitchen once in a while to throw people off which works great.
Yep, it works. The flip side is it also makes it easier for the returner to get forward, which is why depth is so valuable. But as an occasional mix-up, it can definitely create some surprises.
I found the tips very useful but do you think you can also go over the serve itself and what’s the best way to insuring you get the serve in and deep. I struggle with consistency with my serve but I think it’s the yips that are getting to me and I can’t seem to shake it, so the mental part is a big part of it too. I think my technique with my serve may need adjustment????
One of the first thing I recommend to students with a case of the yips is to use a technique called bounce hit. Using a drop serve say the word bounce when the ball hits the ground and hit when the paddle makes contact with the ball. That often stops a player from rushing which is a common error when the serve starts going astray. And if you ever want something step-by-step, there’s also a serve-focused class inside the Better Pickleball Academy that goes into more detail. https://betterpickleball.com/academy
thanks coach .please show point number 1 as well.
Point number is where the ball and paddle make contact. The serve is the only shot where you control your dot number with either your drop or your release for the volley serve.