This Old Dog Is Happy to Learn a New Trick
Step aside, in-air volley serve, there’s a new player in town! I can still recall the day the drop serve rolled into the pickleball scene like it was yesterday. It was a chilly January morning in 2022, and as a seasoned pickleball coach of 17 years, I must confess I was intrigued and a tad skeptical. After all, this was a massive shift from the traditional in-air volley serve we’d all grown to love and loathe in equal measure.
In the pre-drop-serve era, I remember one student – let’s call him ‘Rookie Rick.’ Rick had a love-hate relationship with the volley serve. He’d swing with all his might, the ball would either rocket into the stratosphere or nosedive right at his feet. It was entertaining, to say the least, and Rick was indeed the talk of the court. I could fill a whole book with ‘Rookie Rick’ anecdotes, but today, let’s stick to the new golden child of the pickleball world – the drop serve.
To my surprise, the drop serve was not just another fleeting pickleball fad, here today and gone tomorrow. Instead, it stormed the courts with a fury, rewriting the game rules we’d all painstakingly memorized. I watched, fascinated, as the drop serve became the great leveler, adding a twist to the game and, most importantly, giving my students a fresh injection of hope and excitement.
Imagine the gleam in Rookie Rick’s eyes as he mastered the drop serve, quickly becoming the most improved player in the league. He had found his rhythm, his secret weapon, his pickleball mojo. What was once an unpredictable game of ‘where will Rick’s serve end up now?’ turned into an impressive display of power and precision. It was the pickleball equivalent of watching a caterpillar transform into a butterfly.
So, my fellow pickleball enthusiasts, it’s time to welcome the drop serve with open arms. After all, it’s not just a rule change but a game-changer! Hold onto your paddles as we dive deep into the realm of the drop serve. Let’s explore, learn, and perhaps, like Rookie Rick, find our pickleball mojo!
Understanding the Basics: What is the Pickleball Drop Serve?
Let’s start with a visual, shall we? Picture this: you’re standing behind the baseline, paddle in hand, ball suspended mid-air like a dancer frozen in time. That was the past. Fast-forward to 2022 and beyond, and the dance has changed. Now, it’s more like a two-step. First, you drop the ball, let gravity do its thing, then you smack it over the net once it’s had a little meet-and-greet with the court. That, my dear friends, is the drop serve in all its glory!
Now, to the untrained eye, it might look like we’ve just added an extra step to the process. “Why complicate things?” you might ask. But bear with me, there’s a method to this pickleball madness.
Comparing our traditional in-air volley serve with the drop serve is like comparing apples to oranges – or, more aptly, like comparing a graceful ballet dancer to a sizzling salsa performer. Both have their own charm, but they offer a completely different vibe.
With the traditional serve, you’re restricted to hit the ball mid-air in a somewhat unnatural motion for those not accustomed to racquet sports. It’s a bit like trying to pat your head and rub your belly at the same time; it requires a certain level of coordination that doesn’t come naturally to many.
Enter the drop serve – the pickleball’s answer to this conundrum. The drop serve allows you to let the ball bounce once before you send it flying over the net. This extra step gives you more control and time to get your swing just right. Not to mention, it’s a more familiar motion, akin to most ground strokes in the game.
The difference between the traditional serve and the drop serve is much like the difference between playing a fast-paced pop song and a melodious ballad on the guitar. Both require skill, but the ballad gives you more room for error, allowing you to dictate the pace. In pickleball terms, that’s the breathing space you get with the drop serve.
So, there you have it – the drop serve, in essence. It’s new, it’s different, and it’s a tad bit quirky. But aren’t those the things that make pickleball such a delight? Onwards we march, to the beat of this new drop serve drum!
Official Rules For the Pickleball Drop Serve
This is straight from USA Pickleball (download rules here) and is all new for 2022.
4.A.8. The Drop Serve. The drop serve is made by striking the ball after it bounces on the playing surface and can be made with either a forehand or backhand motion. There is no restriction how many times the ball can bounce nor where the ball can bounce on the playing surface. A proper drop serve includes the following elements:
- 4.A.8.a. The server must only release the ball from one hand or drop it off the paddle face from any natural (unaided) height.
- 4.A.8.b. The ball shall not be propelled (thrown) downward or tossed or hit upward with the paddle.
- 4.A.8.c. The restrictions on the Volley Serve in Rule4.A.7 do not apply to the drop serve. (for context 4.A.7.a.: The server’s arm must be moving in an upward arc at the time the ball is struck with the paddle)
The last rule, 4.A.8.c is the most important in terms of what areas it opens up to create spin. As we talked about in our ultimate guide to spin serving as a beginner, the direction the paddle is moving when it strikes the ball is absolutely crucial. With a traditional volley serve the paddle has to be moving upwards which severely limits what kind of spin you can put on the ball (pretty much only top or side spin). With the drop serve you can chop through the ball by swing down to create a ton of underspin.
Experience the Game-Changer: Benefits of the Drop Serve
In my 17-year-long coaching career, I’ve seen quite a few game-changers, but none quite as impactful as the drop serve. It’s like the unexpected plot twist in a movie that leaves you gasping – suddenly, everything makes sense.
One of my students, who I’ll call ‘Steady Steve,’ was a great player but always struggled with the traditional serve. He had a strong ground game but would often mess up the serve, leading to early points for the opponents. However, once the drop serve was introduced, it was as if someone had handed him the cheat code to ace the game! His serve mirrored his groundstrokes, and that consistency turned him into a formidable opponent on the court.
Now, let’s break down the key benefits of the drop serve that make it such a game-changer:
- Increased Consistency with Ground Strokes: The drop serve aligns closely with the other ground strokes you’d use during a game. You hit the ball after it bounces, just like a return of serve or a dink shot. This means you can carry over your skill and practice from those strokes directly to your serve. It’s like taking your favorite dance moves to a different song – the rhythm may change, but the steps remain the same.
- Improved Timing and Reduction in Service Errors: Many of my students, including Steady Steve, initially struggled with the timing of the traditional serve. They often rushed their swing, leading to mishits and service errors. The drop serve, however, has changed this entirely. By allowing the ball to bounce before the serve, players get that extra split-second to adjust their swing, drastically reducing those pesky service errors.
- Ability to Generate More Power: Remember our friend Rookie Rick from earlier? The drop serve has made him a power player on the court. In windy conditions, where the traditional serve often fell short, the drop serve allows players to step into the shot, generating a more potent serve. It’s like having an extra gear on a bike, giving you the edge when you need it most.
So, whether you’re a seasoned player struggling with your serve or a newbie to the pickleball world, give the drop serve a shot. Trust me, it could be the secret sauce you’ve been looking for to elevate your game to the next level!
Dispelling Myths: Clarifying Common Misconceptions About the Drop Serve
With every innovation in sports rules, there’s a buzz that follows – a flurry of questions, assumptions, and, yes, myths that can muddle our understanding of the new changes. The drop serve in pickleball is no exception. It’s time we break down these walls of confusion and shine a light on the truth.
Myth 1: The Ball Must Bounce Within Specific Court Boundaries
False. The drop serve allows flexibility on where the ball can bounce. As long as your feet are positioned correctly, behind the baseline, the ball can bounce anywhere within the court. So, if you’ve been feeling boxed in by imaginary lines, it’s time to let go and allow your serve to bounce freely.
Myth 2: You Can Only Let the Ball Bounce Once
Incorrect. While it might not be the most efficient technique, there’s no rule preventing the ball from bouncing more than once before you serve it. However, keep in mind that the rhythm of the game and your readiness for the return shot might be impacted by multiple bounces.
Myth 3: Spinning the Ball Before the Drop is Advantageous
Nope. While spinning the ball before dropping it might look fancy, it’s not allowed, and for a good reason. Spinning the ball can make your serve more challenging and could potentially send the ball in violation of the rules. Keep it simple and straightforward; drop the ball without spin and serve it like a champion.
Myth 4: You Can’t Switch Between Traditional and Drop Serve During a Game
Wrong again. The beauty of the drop serve rule is its versatility. If you feel like mixing things up or if a particular situation in the game calls for it, you’re free to switch between the traditional serve and the drop serve at any point during the game.
Remember, understanding the rules is just as important as mastering the skill. Once you’ve got a clear picture of what the drop serve entails, you’re on your way to adding a powerful tool to your pickleball toolkit. Here’s to smashing those misconceptions, one service at a time!
Myth 5: Professional Players Never Use the Drop Serve
It’s true that if you watch almost any televised pro match you’ll almost never see the top pros deploying the drop serve. But! And this is a big but, check out what I just found on youtube the other day:
That’s none other than the second-best men’s player out there, Tyson McGuffin, who is absolutely crushing drop serves.
In my college days, I could be found acing serves on the tennis court, honing my skills and leading my team to victory. But life has a funny way of serving up surprises, and following a back injury, my tennis days came to a halt.
Yet, in the midst of adversity, pickleball emerged as my beacon of hope. The sport gave me a chance to continue my love for racquet games, and without the physical stress that tennis put on my body. I've traded the sound of a tennis ball's pop for the unique clink of a pickleball on a paddle, and honestly, I've never looked back.
Now, I'm not just creating beautiful designs and innovative visuals; I'm also mastering the art of the dink shot and the thrill of the slam in pickleball. My journey serves as a testament to the fact that no matter what curveballs life throws your way, there's always a way to adjust your swing. Let's connect on and off the court!
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