3 TIPS on How to AVOID A BOUNCY SERVE! | ThePadelSchool.com

Summary

In this month's serve challenge, players are encouraged to transform their serve from a mere point starter to a powerful weapon. The video offers three key tips to achieve a less bouncy serve: hitting the ball at a higher contact point, starting with the racket high for a downward swing, and imparting slice for a low trajectory. By focusing on these aspects, players can improve their serve's effectiveness and potentially gain an advantage in their games.

Takeaways

• 🎾 The serve should not just be a point starter but used as an attacking weapon in the game.
• 🏐 A bouncy serve is often caused by low contact when hitting the ball at shin or knee height.
• 🤔 Many players have a higher ball drop but come under it, leading to a bouncy serve.
• 📈 To avoid a bouncy serve, aim for contact height at waist level or higher.
• 🏐️ Start with the racket high for a high take-back to meet the ball effectively and apply slice.
• 🤯 The feeling of starting with the racket high might be uncomfortable initially, but it's crucial for a good serve.
• 👋 When contacting the ball, apply a little slice to keep it low at the other end.
• 🧠 Forget the tennis forehand wrist action; it leads to a bouncy serve in paddle sports.
• 🎯 The racket face should be slightly open during contact for a horizontal trajectory and slice.
• 📅 Monthly member challenges are offered to help improve specific shots and techniques.
• 💡 Practicing serve is beneficial as it's a shot that can be worked on independently and is crucial for match outcomes.

Q & A

What is the main issue with many players' serve that makes it easy for opponents to return?

The main issue is that many players serve with low contact, causing the ball to be bouncy and easy for opponents to return at the other end.

Why does contacting the ball at shin or knee height result in a bouncy serve?

Contacting the ball at shin or knee height requires the ball to travel upwards over the net, which makes it bouncy and more predictable at the other end, making it easier for opponents to return.

What is the first tip to avoid a bouncy serve?

The first tip is to get the ball to a higher contact height, ideally up to waist height, to ensure it doesn't bounce as much at the other end.

Why is it important to start with the racket high during the serve?

Starting with the racket high allows for a more effective slice or top spin to be applied to the ball, which helps keep it low at the other end and makes it less easy for opponents to return.

What common mistake do players make when they have a higher ball drop but come under it?

Players who come under a higher ball drop often use their wrist like in a tennis forehand, which can result in a bouncy serve, as they are not applying the necessary slice or top spin to keep the ball low.

What is the third tip for improving the serve?

The third tip is to contact the ball with a slight slice, which helps to keep the ball low at the other end and makes it less likely to bounce.

How does the monthly member challenge work in improving players' serves?

The monthly member challenge involves providing a course of serve with specific challenges for the members to work on throughout the month. Coaches then analyze the members' videos to offer feedback and help improve their technique.

What is the benefit of hitting a better serve in paddle sports?

Hitting a better serve can result in an easier next ball for the server or even an unforced error from the opponent, making it a powerful weapon in the game regardless of the player's level.

Why should players invest time in practicing their serve?

The serve is a shot that players can work on independently, and it's a crucial stroke that can significantly impact the outcome of a game. Improving the serve can lead to easier points and unforced errors from opponents, making it a valuable skill to develop.

What is the purpose of the link to paddlesschool.com mentioned in the script?

The link to paddlesschool.com is provided for those interested in joining the membership challenges. It offers a platform where members can access different challenges, receive coaching feedback, and improve their game.

How can players access the free trial for the membership challenges?

Players can access the free trial by visiting thepaddle.com and signing up for the 7-Day free trial, which allows them to immediately start uploading videos for coach analysis and begin improving their serve.

Outlines

00:00

🏐 Improving Your Serve: Tips for a Less Bouncy and More Attacking Paddle Serve

This paragraph discusses the common issue of a bouncy serve in paddle sports and offers three key tips to transform it into an attacking weapon. The first tip is to adjust the contact height of the ball, ensuring it is neither too low nor too high, but rather at waist height for optimal trajectory. The second tip emphasizes the importance of starting with the racket in a high position, which facilitates a downward swing and the potential for adding slice to the serve. The third tip involves imparting a slight slice during contact with the ball, which helps keep the serve low and challenging for opponents to return. The discussion also touches on the monthly member challenges and the benefits of practicing serves to improve overall game performance.

05:00

🎾 Serving Like the Pros: Enhancing Technique with Slice and High Racket Position

The second paragraph continues the theme of enhancing serving technique, focusing on the importance of serving like professional paddle players. It reiterates the three main tips: achieving the right contact height for the ball, starting with the racket in a high position, and using a slight slice to keep the serve low. Additionally, it mentions the resources available at paddles school for members, including challenges and instructional videos. The paragraph concludes with an invitation for viewers to join the membership for access to these resources and personalized coaching feedback.

Keywords

💡Serve Challenge Month

The term 'Serve Challenge Month' refers to a specific month dedicated to helping members improve their serving skills in a sport, presumably pickleball or tennis, as indicated by the context. This initiative is designed to encourage players to focus on their serve and transform their game. It is part of a monthly series of challenges offered to members, aiming to enhance their overall performance.

💡Bouncy Serve

A 'bouncy serve' is a type of serve that, when executed, results in a ball trajectory that is high and has a lot of bounce, making it easier for the opponent to return. This is often caused by low contact with the ball, typically at shin or knee height, which necessitates a high arc over the net and a subsequent bounce upon landing on the other side. The video aims to provide tips to avoid such serves.

💡Attacking Weapon

In the context of the video, an 'attacking weapon' refers to using the serve not just as a point starter, but as a strategic tool to gain an advantage in the point. This involves serving in a way that makes it difficult for the opponent to return the ball, thus increasing the chances of winning the point. The video provides tips on how to turn the serve into an effective attacking weapon.

💡Contact Height

The 'contact height' is the point at which a player makes contact with the ball during a serve. Achieving the correct contact height is crucial for executing an effective serve. The video suggests aiming for a contact height around waist level to avoid a bouncy serve and ensure a more controlled trajectory.

💡High Take Back

A 'high take back' refers to the initial positioning of the racket at the start of the serving motion. Starting with the racket high and taking it back to a high position before swinging down to make contact with the ball is recommended to generate the right kind of spin and control over the serve. This technique helps in achieving a more attacking serve.

💡Slice

In the context of serving, a 'slice' is a type of spin applied to the ball to alter its trajectory, making it stay low after crossing the net and difficult for the opponent to return. The video advises players to come through with a little bit of slice when contacting the ball to keep it low at the other end of the court.

💡Paddle Serve

A 'paddle serve' is a specific technique used in racket sports like pickleball, where the serve is executed using a paddle instead of a racket. The video discusses common mistakes in paddle serving and provides tips to improve the serve, emphasizing the importance of not using wrist action that is typical in forehand shots in tennis, as it can lead to unwanted spin and a bouncy serve.

💡Coaching Feedback

Refers to the process of receiving advice or critique from a coach on one's performance in the sport. In the context of the video, coaching feedback is offered to members who participate in the monthly challenges, allowing them to analyze and improve their serving technique through video submissions.

💡Member Challenges

These are monthly initiatives designed to engage and motivate members to improve specific aspects of their game. By setting challenges, the organization encourages members to focus on and enhance their skills in various areas, such as the serve or forehand, over a set period.

💡Paddles School

Refers to a membership program or platform that offers resources, challenges, and coaching for individuals looking to improve their skills in racket sports. The video mentions Paddles School as a place where members can engage in these challenges and receive feedback to enhance their game.

Highlights

This month is Serve Challenge Month, focusing on improving serves for members.

Many players struggle with a bouncy serve that's easy for opponents to return.

The serve can be used as a weapon to set up points, not just as a point starter.

A common cause of a bouncy serve is low contact with the ball at shin or knee height.

Players often hit down low to high, creating top spin which results in a bouncy serve.

Tip #1 is to get the ball to the desired contact height, up to waist height.

For a higher bounce, drop the ball higher and give it a little bounce to reach the peak of its bounce.

Tip #2 is to start with the racket up high or at least to get a high take-back.

Starting the serve with the racket high helps to come with slice and meet the ball effectively.

Tip #3 is to come through with a little bit of slice when contacting the ball to keep it low.

Avoid the tennis forehand motion with the wrist as it leads to a bouncy serve.

The serve should have a horizontal trajectory with a slightly open racket face for the slice.

Monthly member challenges are provided to help improve specific shots and techniques.

Members can submit videos for coaching feedback and improvement suggestions.

The serve is a shot that players can work on independently and is worth investing time in practicing.

A better serve can lead to easier next balls or unforced errors from opponents.

The serve can be a powerful weapon even at the professional level when executed correctly.

There's a 7-Day free trial for those interested in joining the member challenges at Paddles School.

The video also includes a link to serve like the world paddle tour pros.

Transcripts

so this month is serve challenge month

for our members and what we're seeing a

lot from our members is hitting their

serve and it being bouncy and easy for

their opponents to return at the other

end yeah a lot of players think that the

serve is just a point starter but they

don't realize they can actually use

their serve as a weapon to set

themselves up in the point so here we're

going to give you three tips on how you

can avoid a bouncy serve and make it an

attacking weapon so one of the biggest

causes of a bouncy Serv is is often this

low contact when players are contacting

the ball at Shin height or knee height

the ball has to go up over the net and

is bouncy at the other end sure is what

we often see at that level and and

therefore it's always going to be easier

for the opponents isn't it we see that a

lot of hitting down low to high on that

ball and another thing we see with a lot

of players is they might have a higher

ball drop but they actually come under

the ball like a tennis forehand so they

throw up higher but then they come under

it and use their wrist and it's bouncy

as well and it's this whole thing of

going low to high isn't it from tennis

of

to create Top Spin in tennis but here

it's giving you a bouncy serve so let's

today let's go into the different

aspects to make your serve less bouncy

so tip number one is getting the ball up

to the contact height that we want right

it can go up to your waist height so it

can go up to this high so you need to be

able to make that ball bounce up yeah so

so we're going to just drop that drop it

you know nice and high and if you're

using softer balls or wet balls for

example you might want to even give it a

little bit of a bounce to get up to that

height but we need to get the the ball

up to this height for the peak of its

bounce so that you can contact there

yeah if it's a bit lower then you have

to come under it don't you so it has to

get to a certain height so tip number

two is to start with your racket up high

or at least to get it to a high take

back we often see the pros where they

might start here and then they take the

racket back to this position but they

always go from high down towards the

ball and we need that if we're going to

come with any Slice on that ball so

start with the racket high and go to

meet that ball for many players this can

feel uncomfortable to start in this

position particularly if you've always

served with your racket down so when you

first try this it might feel really

strange to have your rack it up yeah it

feels a bit weird it's it's breaking a

habit at the end of the day and and what

we often see is players if they're not

used to it they start here and then they

they almost go down below the ball and

then come up from this high position and

then you get that same problem that the

ball ends up being bouncy so what we

want to do is to go you can hold that

there Thomas to go down straight to me

it so you're going from this high

position straight down towards the

contact and so our third tip now is when

you contact the ball to come through

with a little bit of slice and that will

help keep it low at the other end this

idea of brushing the ball this is Top

Spin and we want to just impart a little

bit of Slice on that ball so that it

stays low at the other end if it hits

the glass it also stays low off the

glass all those X tennis players need to

try and forget about that forehand the

forehand with the wrist gives you spin

you don't want that on a paddle serve

and I think it's also so those that are

not from racket Sports to hit Slice on a

ball they think that they need to come

through and really chop underneath it

and the problem is chopping underneath

it means that it also goes up so you

almost want to have it where the racket

face is slightly open but you're

actually going through the contact and

that will create the slice but also mean

that it's a horizontal trajectory so we

do a monthly member Challenge and this

month it's the serve so we've provided a

course of serve with challenges on what

they can do during the month for our

members and it's something we do every

month last month was a vbra this month

the serve and next month we'll do a

different shot and some of our players

have sent in videos already and we're

now looking at their technique and

trying to improve it but it's a great

way isn't it for our members to to get

coaching feedback when they might not

have access yeah every month 30 days we

challenge our members to transform their

game and we've seen some incredible

results so if you are interested in

joining our member challenges check out

the paddle.com and there's a free trial

there's a 7-Day free trial so you can go

in immediately put your videos up Tom

myself and the other coaches will

analyze those and you can already start

improving your serve s so many players

think of the serving paddle as a point

starter and because it is relatively

quite a simple stroke they don't

necessarily think that they can maximize

it they're quite happy just putting

their serve in play and starting the

point but they don't realize how much of

a weapon the serve can be and and we

will no doubt get comments on this video

and a lot of our serve videos go where

they say oh the pros just get the serve

in it it's not a weapon when you can

return all of the serves but I mean even

at the pro level if they hit a really

good attacking serve and they get even a

slightly easier second ball like a

slightly easier first volley then it's

worth trying to do that and and

definitely at recreational no matter

what level you're playing at if you can

hit a better serve and therefore get an

easier next ball or maybe get an

unforced error from your opponents then

it's worth it yeah it's the one shot as

a player you can work on your own and

you have the time when on the court to

do it so it's definitely a shot that you

should invest time practicing so to

summarize there our three tips are get

the ball to a contact height so give it

a nice high drop secondly start with the

racket high so that you can come to meet

the ball and you can swing down to the

ball and then the third tip was that

racket face open it slightly to create

the slice yeah and over here we're going

to put a link to the paddles school.com

which is our membership where we talks

about the different challenges and down

here we're going to put a video where

you can serve like the world paddle tour

Pros

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