Pro Tips for a Powerful Serve

Hey guys, this is James Ignatowich, and today I’m going to cover how to set up your serve. A lot of people like to do a big backswing on the serve, and then some people, like me, just go from low to high. I think either service motion is okay to get started.

Weight Transfer

The most important thing is the weight transfer. As long as you’re stepping back, getting all your weight moving forward toward your target, and using all of your momentum to get as much power as you can.

Set Up

For me, I like to go with a very small motion. Very little can go wrong. For me, that’s easier because there’s less of a backswing. There’s less that can go wrong, and I feel like I have more margin for error.

Some people like to take a big backswing, and I think that’s okay as long as you come through the ball and get under the ball. With the serve, if you’re side-arming it and coming over the side of the ball, it’s going to be tough to get topspin, and you’re going to have a lot of inconsistency.

Big Back Swing

For me, if I were to have a big motion, I would make sure that I come under it so that my paddle is almost perpendicular to the ground as I make contact.

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James Ignatowich is a top 10 professional pickleball player originally from Connecticut, now residing in Delray Beach, Florida. A former Division 1 tennis player at Vanderbilt University, James made a transition to pickleball, quickly rising to prominence in the sport and often playing doubles with Tyson McGuffin and Anna Bright. In addition to his athletic achievements, he runs his own podcast, where he shares insights into the game and interviews other professionals. | PPA | MLP | jamesignatowichnewsletter |