Struggling with your serve? DUPR Ambassador Liam Duffin is here to help you smooth it out and start every rally with confidence. In this DUPR Tips feature, Liam shares three key fundamentals that can instantly make your serve more consistent and effective.

1. Keep a Relaxed Grip

First things first: relax your grip.
You don’t need to strangle the paddle! Aim for about a 3 to 5 out of 10 on the grip-pressure scale. This gives you the perfect balance of control and fluidity.
A relaxed grip helps your motion stay loose and natural, which improves both your timing and accuracy.

2. Control Your Toss

Your toss is the foundation of every great serve.
Liam emphasizes keeping it low and controlled plus consistent in height and position. If your toss varies (too high, too low, or drifts side-to-side), your entire motion becomes unpredictable.
A steady, repeatable toss lets you develop muscle memory and keeps your serves landing where you want them.

3. Serve Smooth Like the Pros

If you’ve ever watched Ben Johns, you’ll notice how effortless his serve looks — smooth, calm, and controlled. That’s exactly what you should aim for.
Rather than muscling through the motion, focus on rhythm and flow. When your serve feels smooth, it becomes more accurate and reliable.

Serve Smarter, Not Harder

Use these three tips to make your serve more consistent, confident, and controlled. Remember — your serve sets the tone for every rally, so mastering it is one of the fastest ways to improve your game.

If you found these tips helpful, follow DUPR on YouTube for more pickleball advice straight from ambassadors like Liam Duffin and our incredible DUPR community.

‍Beyond the Baseline - The DUPR Building Series

This tip is part of our tips series, Beyond the Baseline - DUPR Building Series, where we share insights and training advice from DUPR ambassadors, pros, and community members to keep building your DUPR rating.

Check out the full series to learn from some of the best in the game and start building your skills, one tip at a time!

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