How to Serve in Padel: Rules, Technique, and Common Mistakes

To serve in padel, stand behind the baseline, bounce the ball once on the ground, and strike it underhand at or below waist height into the diagonal service box. The serve must be hit below the waist with at least one foot on the floor, and the ball has to bounce inside the correct box before your opponent returns it. It is the only shot you fully control, so a consistent, well-placed serve quietly wins more points than a flashy one.

What are the rules of the padel serve?

The padel serve must be underhand, hit below waist height, after one bounce, with a foot behind the baseline. Specifically:

• Bounce first: drop or bounce the ball on the ground once before you hit it. You cannot strike it out of the air.
• Below the waist: contact must be at or below the level of your waist. A higher contact point is a fault.
• Feet behind the line: keep at least one foot on the ground behind the baseline, and do not touch or cross the line until you have struck the ball.
• Serve diagonally: the ball must land in the service box diagonally opposite you, the same as in tennis.
• Two attempts: you get two serves. The second bounce or net-cord rules mirror tennis, including lets.

If the served ball bounces in the box and then hits the side glass, it is still in play. If it touches the wire mesh fence at any point, it is a fault.

How do you hit a consistent padel serve, step by step?

A reliable padel serve comes from a simple, repeatable motion rather than power. Build it in five parts:

1. Stance

Stand sideways to the net, behind the baseline, feet shoulder-width apart, weight balanced. Point your front shoulder toward your target box.

2. The grip

Use a continental grip — the same grip used for the bandeja and volleys. Hold the racket as if shaking hands with it, with the “V” of your hand on top of the handle. The continental grip lets you slice the ball so it skids low and stays away from the back glass.

3. The bounce and drop

Bounce the ball once just in front of and beside your hitting hip. Let it rise and start to fall — you want to make contact as it drops to waist height or just below, never above.

4. Contact

Meet the ball in front of your body with a slightly open face, brushing across and under it to add slice. Keep the swing compact; this is a controlled push, not a windup.

5. Follow-through and recovery

Finish toward your target, then move forward. In padel the serving team should look to take the net, so your serve is the first step of an attack, not the end of the point.

Where should you aim your padel serve?

Aim for depth and the opponent’s weaker side rather than for an outright winner. The serve sets up the point; the third shot usually wins it. Three high-value targets:

Target	Why it works	When to use it
Out wide to the side glass	Pulls the returner off court and opens the middle	Against players who stand central
Into the body (T)	Jams the returner and limits their swing	On fast exchanges or vs strong angles
Deep to the back glass	Forces a tricky off-the-glass return	When you want time to reach the net

The classic high-percentage padel serve is out wide with slice so the ball kisses the side glass after the bounce — that takes the returner out of the court and gives you the net.

What are the most common padel serve mistakes?

Most lost service points come from a handful of avoidable errors:

• Contact above the waist: the most frequent fault, usually from bouncing the ball too high. Let it drop lower.
• Tossing instead of bouncing: flicking the ball up makes timing inconsistent. Use a controlled bounce off the floor.
• Foot faults: stepping on or over the baseline before contact. Start a few centimeters back.
• Serving too hard: pace adds risk for little reward when you cannot serve overhand. Trade power for placement and consistency.
• Standing still after serving: the serving team should advance toward the net behind a good serve.

Padel serve vs tennis serve

If you come from tennis, unlearn the overhead. The two serves share a grip but little else.

	Padel serve	Tennis serve
Motion	Underhand, below the waist	Overhead, full extension
Ball start	Bounced on the ground first	Tossed into the air
Goal	Placement and net approach	Power and free points

Padel rewards the player who serves the same spot accurately twenty times in a row, not the one who hits one big serve and three faults.

How AI swing analysis sharpens your serve

The hardest serve fault to feel is your own contact height — it always feels lower than it really is on video. That is exactly what Padel Coach — Swing Analysis is built to catch: record a short clip of your serve and the app reviews your contact point, racket position, and motion, gives you a score, and recommends drills, so you can see whether you are actually striking below the waist. For a full routine on filming and reviewing your shots, start with our guide to analyzing your own padel technique, then download Padel Coach and turn one phone clip into your next concrete fix.

Frequently asked questions

How do you serve in padel?

Stand behind the baseline, bounce the ball once on the ground, and strike it underhand below waist height into the diagonal service box. Contact must happen at or below your waist with at least one foot on the floor, and the ball must bounce inside the correct box before your opponent plays it.

Is the padel serve underhand or overhand?

The padel serve is always underhand. The rules require you to hit the ball at or below waist height after letting it bounce once, so an overhead or tennis-style serve is illegal. This is the single biggest difference between the padel serve and the tennis serve.

What happens if you serve into the glass in padel?

The serve is legal only if the ball bounces in the correct service box first. If it lands in the box and then hits the side glass, the serve is good and play continues. If it hits the wire fence (metal mesh) at any point, or reaches the back glass on the full before bouncing, it is a fault.