Lob Serve (High Soft Serve)
Also known as: lob serve, high lob serve, moonball serve, high soft serve, high arcing serve, rainbow serve
A high lob serve can work as a change of pace, especially when it lands deep. It gives the returner a slow, high bounce, though, so a short or predictable one is easy to attack. Use it now and then, not as your only serve.
A lob serve is legal. The rules control how you hit the serve, not how high it travels. A volley serve needs an upward arc, the paddle head below the wrist and contact no higher than the waist (Rules 7.C.1–7.C.3). A drop serve must follow Rule 7.D. Either way, the ball must land in the diagonal service court past the kitchen (Rule 7.E).
A deep, high serve bounces up near the baseline. Some returners find a high bounce awkward and hit a short return. The change of pace can also break a returner's rhythm.
The risks are real. A short lob serve sits up, and a good returner can drive it hard and deep. Wind can push it long or wide. Keep it as a variation, and aim it deep.
Tips by skill level
Aim a lob serve deep, close to the baseline. A short one is easier to attack than a normal serve.
Pair the lob serve with a hard, low serve to the same spot. The contrast in pace matters more than either serve alone.
Example
A returner has handled every fast serve well. The server sends one high, soft serve that lands near the baseline. The returner backs up, mistimes the bounce and floats a short return.
Why it matters
Varying pace and height keeps returners guessing. Used now and then, a deep lob serve can earn short returns without the risk of a hard serve.
Common mistakes
- Hitting the lob serve short, where it sits up for an easy drive
- Using it on every point so the returner settles into it
- Trying it into a strong wind
Frequently asked questions
Is a high lob serve a good idea in pickleball?
Now and then. A deep lob serve changes the pace and can draw a short return. A short one sits up and is easy to attack, so don't rely on it.
Is a lob serve legal in pickleball?
Yes. Use a legal volley serve or drop serve and land it in the diagonal service court past the kitchen. No rule limits how high the serve travels.
Sources
Related terms
- ServeThe pickleball serve is an underhand stroke hit diagonally into the opposite service box, with contact below the waist and an upward arc. Under the two-bounce rule the striking side cannot follow it to the net, which makes depth and placement — not pace — the qualities that matter.
- Deep ServeA deep serve lands near the opponent's baseline. It keeps the returner farther from the kitchen line and gives the serving team more time to advance.
- Serve PlacementServe placement is the deliberate targeting of a specific zone in the opponent's service court — deep backhand, body, or wide — to create a weaker return.
- Playing Pickleball in the WindIn the wind, play lower and safer. Aim well inside the lines, keep dinks and drops low and short, and hit fewer lobs, because high balls drift the most. Into a headwind you can swing a little firmer, since the air slows the ball. With the wind at your back, take pace off, because the ball carries deeper.
- Drop ServeA drop serve is a serve where you drop the ball, let it bounce, then hit it. You must release it from one hand or let it roll off the paddle face. Don't toss it up, push it down or spin it. After the drop it may bounce any number of times, anywhere, and the volley-serve swing rules do not apply.
Related guides & benchmarks
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