A good pre-serve routine is about more than having a little habit you repeat before every serve. It can help you get mentally and physically ready, establish your timing, and make sure you’re fully focused on the point.
If your current routine is simply to bounce the ball and serve, you may be missing a few important pieces. Here are three things to consider adding to your pre-serve process.
1. A Clear Reset
Every point starts with a clean slate. The reset is about letting go of the previous point and shifting your attention to the next one.
Try a simple, repeatable action such as taking a breath, shaking out your shoulders, or using a simple mental cue like “reset” or “next point.” Find something that helps you mentally shift into the next point.
These small actions can become a physical cue that tells your brain it’s time to move on to the next point.
2. A Timing Cue
Your routine can also create a consistent rhythm before your serve.
A few intentional movements before you begin your serving motion create a natural pause. That pause gives you time to settle in, get comfortable with the ball, and prepare for the serve instead of immediately moving from the score call into your swing.
Maybe you bounce the ball twice, set your feet, or tap your paddle before starting your motion. Think of your routine as a bridge between being ready to serve and actually serving.
3. The Score Comes First
This is one of the easiest parts of the process to overlook.
Say the score before you begin your pre-serve routine.
The sequence should be:
- Think
- Say the score
- Pre-serve routine
- Serve
Don’t try to call the score while simultaneously beginning your serving motion. Keeping those steps separate creates a clearer sequence and can help prevent scoring mistakes.
Once you’ve called the score, take your moment. Complete your routine. Then serve.
Your Routine Doesn’t Have to Look Like Anyone Else’s
There isn’t a magic pre-serve routine that every pickleball player should use.
You might bounce the ball with your hand. You might tap it with your paddle. You might take a breath, adjust your hat, or use another small movement that helps you feel ready.
What matters is that your routine is comfortable, repeatable, and intentional.
Try a few different options and pay attention to what helps you feel most prepared before the serve. Once you find something that works, make it part of every serve, not just the important ones.
The goal isn’t to create another thing to think about before you serve. It’s to create a simple habit that eventually tells your mind and body: you’re ready for the point.
A strong pre-serve routine can do more than prepare your serve. Use it to reset, establish your timing, and create a consistent transition from the score call to the serve.
WANT MORE PICKLEBALL TIPS AND STRATEGIES?
After you develop your pre-serve routine, learn How to Use Torque to Add Power to Your Pickleball Serve.
If you want more pickleball tips and strategies on every aspect of your pickleball game, check out Inside the Den’s online video lesson collection called My Pro Pickleball Coach. My Pro Pickleball Coach is a fraction of the price of one clinic or even one lesson, and features over 140 video lessons (over 7 hours of instruction!), as well as a corresponding e-book. These online video lessons are available on demand 24/7 and breakdown every aspect of the sport of pickleball, including pickleball drills, strategy, and advanced concepts, so you will play your best pickleball.
