5 Serve & Return Drills That Actually Work.

Every point in pickleball starts with a serve and a return. These two shots set the tone. If your serve is inconsistent or your return lands mid-court, you are giving your opponents free advantages before the rally even begins. Here are five drills that fix both.

Drill 1: The Deep Serve Challenge

Stand at the baseline and serve to the far service box. Place a towel or cone 2 feet from the back line. Your goal: land 8 out of 10 serves behind the towel. Depth on the serve pushes your opponent back, making their return weaker and giving you time to move to the kitchen line.

Most intermediate players serve too short because they focus on clearing the net rather than pushing deep. This drill rewires that instinct.

Drill 2: The Target Serve

Set up three targets in the service box: one near the sideline, one down the middle, and one near the centerline. Serve to each target in sequence for 30 serves total. Track your accuracy. The goal is to hit your target at least 7 out of 10 times per zone.

Why this matters: a serve to the sideline pulls your opponent off the court. A serve down the T jambs them. A serve down the centerline in doubles creates confusion about who should return it. Variety makes you unpredictable.

Drill 3: Return and Rush

Have a partner serve to you. Return the ball deep to the baseline, then sprint to the kitchen line. Your partner feeds the next ball, and you play out the point from the kitchen. The goal is to make the transition from return to kitchen position automatic.

The key detail: your return must be deep and high enough to give you time to get to the kitchen. A short return means you arrive at the line while your opponent is already attacking.

Drill 4: Pressure Return Drill

Your partner stands at the kitchen line and hits volleys at you while you stand at the baseline. Return every ball deep to their feet. This simulates the pressure of returning against aggressive players who love to crash the net after the serve.

Focus on getting your return low over the net and deep. A high return is an easy put-away for the player at the net.

Drill 5: Game-Scenario Serving

Play out points starting from the serve, but track only serve accuracy. After every game of 11, record your first-serve percentage and your deep-serve percentage. The goal: first serves in at least 85% of the time, with at least 70% landing deep.

This drill connects your practice to real game performance. It forces you to serve under the mental pressure of keeping score, which is where consistency truly matters.

When to Practice These

Adam recommends dedicating the first 15 minutes of every practice session to serve and return work. The shots that start the point deserve the most attention. Do them when you are fresh, not after an hour of tired drilling.