The serve is the one shot in padel nobody can hurry. You choose the moment, the spot and the pace. Get it right and the point starts with you walking forward and your partner already at the net.
The LTA's serving tips boil it down to placement over power. Aces are rare. A deep serve in the right place, one you can follow in, does more work than one hit flat out.
This page is technique only: the motion, a target map, the first steps after the serve and a fix list. For what makes a serve legal, see the padel rules cheat sheet. The short version, from the 2026 FIP rulebook: one foot behind the service line, bounce it in your own box, hit it at or below the waist with a foot on the ground, and keep it off the metal fence after the bounce (Rules 6.1 to 6.4 and 7.1 e).
The motion in five cues
Padel Browser's serving guide breaks the action down well.
- Side on. Non-hitting shoulder to the target, knees soft, front foot pointing at the box you're serving into.
- Continental grip. The hammer grip, the same one you use for volleys and the bandeja.
- Drop it, don't toss it. Open your hand and let the ball fall close to your body, just ahead of your front foot. It should come up to about knee or thigh height.
- Hit it low. Contact below the waist, around hip height.
- Short swing, weight forward. Small backswing, low to high. The power comes from moving your weight onto the front foot and turning your shoulders, not from arm speed. Babolat compares the motion to skipping a stone.
Start flat. Padel Browser says most serves are flat, even at higher levels. Once you land around 80% of first serves, add a little slice (open the face and brush down and under the ball) to keep the bounce low.
The serve target map
Picture three targets in the receiver's box: wide into the side glass, down the middle at the T, and straight at the body. Whichever you pick, the LTA says land it as deep in the box as you can.
Why a glass serve has to be deep
This comes straight from the court specs. Under FIP rules the service line is 6.95 m from the net. In both legal layouts, the side wall at each end runs 4 m back from the back wall, so the side glass starts 6 m from the net. Closer in, the side is mesh.
That leaves only the last 95 cm or so of the service box beside the glass. A wide serve that bounces well short can reach the side wall before the glass starts and clip the mesh, which is a fault. Aim for the back corner of the box and it meets glass instead.
The map
| Target | What it does | Use it when | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Side glass | The LTA calls it effective at every level. Padel Browser says it pulls the receiver off court and opens the middle for your partner | As your everyday first serve, and against anyone unsure off the glass | Too short or too wide and it finds the mesh |
| The T | Padel Browser says it cuts the receiver's angles and keeps the reply in front of you | When the receiver starts edging wide, waiting for the glass | Used every point, it gets easy to read |
| The body | Padel Browser says it cramps the receiver and draws weak replies | As a surprise, when the receiver moves early to one side | It still has to bounce in the box first |
Which target hits the backhand
All For Padel suggests the T as a way to find the weaker shot, normally the backhand. That depends on the receiver's side. For a right-handed receiver, seen from their end:
- Receiving on the right: the T is their backhand and the side glass their forehand.
- Receiving on the left: the T is their forehand and the side glass their backhand.
So against right-handers, the T on the right and the glass on the left both go to the backhand. Flip it for a left-hander, and check which hand each opponent plays with before the first game.
Pace and the second serve
All For Padel's rule of thumb: serve only as fast as you can get to the net behind it. For the second serve it suggests depth and less speed, and it's firm that you shouldn't miss it.
The LTA adds that fast serves work early on but get easier to return as players improve, so mix speed and direction. A simple plan: start most points with the glass serve, then switch to the T or the body once the receiver leans towards the glass.
First steps to the net: a five-step routine
The serve is how your pair takes the net, where the LTA says you have the advantage. Your partner is already there. Your job is to join them without getting caught.
- Serve and step. Let your weight shift carry you onto the front foot and keep moving into the court.
- Racket up straight away. The Padel School names running in with the racket down as a common error. The return arrives at chest height before you're ready.
- Check as they hit. Padel Browser's advice is to split-step and advance. A small split step as the receiver strikes keeps you balanced to go either way.
- Keep the first volley simple. After a T or glass serve, The Padel School says most returns come through the middle. If the return comes back low over the net, volley it back into the corner you served from with more pace, towards the double glass, or play a slower one down the middle so the second bounce lands near the back glass. Don't try to win the point with it.
- Finish in your spot. The LTA marks it about a racket's length from the centre line, in line with the second post on the side fence. From there you cover the side and the middle.
Crossing no man's land, and the other two routes forward, are covered in how to get to the net in padel. Where your partner and the other pair stand at each stage is in the padel positioning diagrams. For the racket face on each volley, see the padel volleys guide.
The fix list
| Fault | What it looks like | The fix |
|---|---|---|
| Foot fault | Toes creep onto the line before contact | Set up with a visible gap behind the line (Padel Browser) |
| Ball above the waist | Contact at belly height after a high drop | Let it fall lower than feels natural, hit around the hip (Padel Browser) |
| Tossing or lunging | The ball pops up, or bounces too far out and you reach | Open your hand and drop it within arm's reach (Padel Browser) |
| Over-hitting | Long serves and a tennis-style swing | About two-thirds pace, aimed at a target (Padel Browser) |
| Mesh on wide serves | It bounces in, then clips the side fence | Aim deeper so it meets the glass |
| Same serve every point | The receiver steps in before you've hit | Mix targets and speeds (LTA) |
| Serving and staying back | You watch the return from the back | Follow it in, at a pace you can manage (LTA, All For Padel) |
| Racket down on the way in | Late on a chest-high return | Racket up as soon as you've served (The Padel School) |
One drill: the five-attempt marker
From the LTA. Put a marker about a racket's length from the centre line, in line with the second post on the side fence. Serve, then reach the marker before the next shot. Five attempts each, and the first to make all five wins. Once it feels easy, call a target from the map before each serve.
Two bits of kit that help
A grip that slips makes you squeeze, and a tight hand fights the short, relaxed swing the serve needs. Padel Browser's grip guide says to add an overgrip for tack rather than squeeze harder. Our Padelism overgrips are sweat-absorbing and come in a 3 pack for £7 or a 6 pack. New to fitting one? Here's how to fit a padel overgrip.
The other bit is for afterwards. Our heavyweight tees are 100% cotton at 305 g/m2 with an oversized fit, made for the bar rather than the court. They're £48, or any two for £90 through the 2 for £90 range, which also clears £75 for free UK delivery.
FAQ
Where should I aim my serve in padel? Deep, into the side glass, for most points. The LTA calls it effective at every level. Use the T and the body as changes. The glass only starts 6 m from the net, so a short wide serve can clip the mesh.
Should you serve hard in padel? Not as a habit. The LTA says placement over power, and Babolat says a slow, well-directed serve is often more effective. Serve only as fast as you can follow it in.
Should I put spin on my padel serve? Learn a flat serve first. Padel Browser suggests landing around 80% of first serves before adding spin. Slice is the usual next step, because it keeps the bounce low.
Do you have to go to the net after serving? It isn't a rule, but it's the main reason to serve well. If you can't get there in time, take pace off the serve rather than staying back.
