You can play a Pickleball slice serve. There are no official restrictions on applying a forehand or backhand serve to the ball with this serve. But it would be good not to choose this serve every time.
Rather, it has some unique reasons and a specific playing method. So, keep reading ahead to know its answer in detail.
What Is Pickleball Slice Serve?
A Pickleball slice serve is a serve with a lot of sidespin. You do this by curving the ball to any of your side positions.
The slice serve is when you add a sidespin to the serve by targeting the sideways of the Pickleball. This sidespin rushes in a side position to change the bounce and spin of the ball completely.
Therefore, it creates a challenging situation for your opponent to return the serve. As a result, you can score some points.
Can You Slice Serve in Pickleball?
You may be confused about whether you can slice serve in Pickleball or not. The straightforward answer to your query is:
Yes, you can definitely slice serve in Pickleball as of 2025.
But you should keep an eye on the latest Pickleball rules to ensure its legality.
However, many players don’t always prefer a slice serve.
We would also not recommend it to you every time due to the given reasons:
- A slice serve is a challenging and not easily adoptable serve for beginners.
- It does not add much spin to the serve.
- You have to work a lot on improving your strategy of correctly adding a spin to the Pickleball using slice serve.
- The return of this Pickleball serve is a bit low. So, it may land out of bounds.
How to Slice Serve in Pickleball?
Here is how you can slice serve in Pickleball:
- Achieve a traditional Pickleball serving footwork by standing behind the baseline and within the centerline and sidelines.
- Hold the paddle with any of your favorite grips.
- The paddle face should be at 45 degrees.
- Start from low to high.
- Hit the Pickleball with either a forehand or backhand serve nicely without getting too hard.
- You should maintain your momentum throughout this serve to keep the ball low and deep into your opponent’s court.
Why You Should Learn to Slice Your Pickleball Return
Your main focus in Pickleball serving is to cause the opponent to return challenging through different types of legal serves, including the slice serve.
But why should you learn to slice your Pickleball return?
You should learn about this service due to the following benefits or reasons:
- A slice serve in Pickleball creates a backspin on the Pickleball. This causes the ball to take more time travelling in the air than a flat and hard drive. As a result, you can adjust your serving position while it lands.
- Your opponents may not be able to hit highly effective third-shot drops with this serve because it can slide off the paddle.
- The Pickleball is way too close to the ground due to the slicing it. Therefore, your opponent will more likely return an easily attackable drop serve.
Final Thoughts on Pickleball Slice Serve
Slicing a Pickleball serve is no longer hard to play. But you should take care of maintaining a specific paddle angle and adjusting your momentum.
Moreover, play it only when you know the weak sides of your opponent, and they are unable to cope with it.
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I’m Brandon Fritze, a pro Pickleball player, instructor, and tournament champion with a degree in Sport Studies from Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA. With years of experience, I’ve sharpened my expertise in the game, helping over 100 players become skilled in Pickleball. Through my renowned blog, “Pickleball Infos,” I inspire and empower players of all levels to enhance their skills and experience the thrill of this amazing sport.