The serve is the only shot in padel where nobody can rush you. You set your feet, you choose your target and you start the point on your own terms. Get it wrong and you hand the returner an easy start. Get it right and you can push them onto the back glass before the rally has really begun.
The rules of a legal serve
A padel serve is underarm, and the rules are strict. You bounce the ball once on the ground behind the service line, then strike it with contact at or below waist height. Both feet stay behind the line until the ball is struck, and at least one foot stays on the ground. The serve is hit diagonally, so it must clear the net without touching it and land in the service box across from you.
After it bounces in the correct box, the ball can run into the side glass and stay in play. What it cannot do is hit the wire fencing before the returner plays it. If it clips the mesh after bouncing, the serve is a fault. If the finer points ever trip you up, our complete rules guide lays them out in plain terms.
Technique, step by step
Stand a comfortable step behind the line, side on to the net. Hold the ball out in front of you at waist height and let it drop. Do not throw it down hard. As it bounces up, take a short back swing and meet the ball around hip height with a relaxed wrist. Think of it as a firm push through the ball rather than a big swing. Your weight moves from the back foot to the front foot as you make contact, and the racket follows through towards your target.
Keep the whole motion compact. A long, loopy swing gives you power you do not need and costs you accuracy you do need. Most of the job is timing the drop and directing the face of the racket.
Where to place it
Three targets cover almost every situation. The serve to the glass angles the ball wide so it bounces and runs into the side wall, dragging the returner off court and making a clean reply hard. The serve to the T keeps the ball tight to the centre line, cutting down the angle they can hit back at you. The serve into the body jams the returner, which is gold against a player who loves stepping round their backhand.
Vary these three and the returner never settles into a rhythm. A returner who knows exactly where the ball is coming will lob you every time and pinch the net. Mixing placement is how you protect your own position.
Second-serve strategy
Padel scores serves the same either way, but the tactical idea still matters. If your first attempt is flying long or catching the mesh, do not simply hit softer and float one up. A slow, central serve is an open invitation to attack. Keep the same target, shorten the swing a fraction and give yourself a touch more margin over the net. Placement beats pace on the serve nearly every time, so a well placed medium serve is worth far more than a quick one that lands short.
Common faults
The most common fault is contact above the waist, usually because the player throws the ball up and hits it on the rise instead of letting it drop. Foot faults come next, stepping on or over the line before contact. Past the rulebook, the big tactical error is serving and staying back. In padel you serve and move forward to the net with your partner. Drift back after serving and you give up the very advantage the serve was meant to win.
Want to drill this properly? A local coach can watch your ball drop and contact point in a way you simply cannot self diagnose. And if your serve keeps sitting up, check that your racket weight and balance actually suit your swing.
FAQ
Can I serve overarm in padel?
No. The serve has to be underarm with contact at or below waist height. An overarm action is an automatic fault.
Do I get two serves like in tennis?
You get two attempts to put a legal serve in play, so in that sense yes. Fault twice on the same point and you lose it, which is why the second attempt is where margin and placement matter most.
Should I serve and stay back?
No. Serve and move straight forward to join your partner at the net. The net is where points are won, so hanging back throws away the point of serving.
Where should a beginner serve?
Start with the serve to the T. It keeps the ball central, cuts the returner's angles and gives you the simplest first ball to defend. Our tactics for beginners guide builds on this.