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Universal Rackets Weekly Update!

Let’s Talk About Your Pickleball Game…

🔑Takeaways

🎯 Master Your Serve With 5 Checkpoints

📘 New Forehand Ebook Is Live

🎾 Winter Indoor Programs Are Open

👟 Drill of the Week: Serve Catch Timing Drill

🔄 How To Return Slice & Topspin

🌟 Program Spotlight: Radnor Youth Clinic

🎥 Lesson of the Week: Forehand Roll Volley

5 Checkpoints Of A Complete Pickleball Serve

Many players struggle with their serve or feel like it “should be better by now.” If your serve is inconsistent, lacks power, or just doesn’t feel clean, chances are you’re missing one of the five essential checkpoints below.

It doesn’t matter whether your stance is open or closed, or whether you prefer serving hard, soft, deep, or with spin — if you incorporate all five checkpoints, your serve will instantly level up.

Checkpoint #1: Takeback

Before you even swing, your paddle needs to be in the right starting position.

A lot of players either

1️⃣ take the paddle too far back and end up swinging around the ball, or

2️⃣ barely take it back at all and lose power.

What you want:

✓ Paddle face turned to the side

✓ Paddle tip pointing slightly upward

✓ A simple, clean takeback that sets up a straight swing path

Checkpoint #2: The Drop

This is one of the biggest mistakes players make.

If you don’t drop the paddle first, you end up chopping around the ball, hitting into the net, or taking all the spin off your serve. Dropping the paddle puts your body in the perfect place to generate both power and topspin.

What you want:

✓ Paddle tip pointing back and down

✓ Butt cap pointing forward

This gives you the ideal angle to swing up and through the ball.

Checkpoint #3: Contact

Clean contact determines consistency — and it starts with your toss.

If your toss drifts too close to your body, your contact point collapses and you either push the serve long or dump it into the net.

What you want:

✓ Contact out in front and away from your body

✓ Arm fully extended

✓ Contact at 1 o’clock (righty) or 11 o’clock (lefty)

Checkpoint #4: Extension

If you’ve ever thought, “I wish I could hit my serve harder,” this is the part you’ve been missing.

Most players make contact… and then simply follow through. But extension — swinging forward and then up — is what actually creates power.

What you want:

✓ Imagine hitting through 3 balls, not just one

✓ Swing forward → then upward

✓ Let the stroke elongate and accelerate naturally

The more you extend, the more racket-head speed you generate.

This is the “power zone” where you get full extension and natural topspin.

Checkpoint #5: Follow-Through

Beginners miss this one constantly.

They’re afraid of hitting long, so they tighten up, slow down their swing, and stop at contact. The problem? When you decelerate, you lose control — and cap your serve potential.

What you want:

✓ A relaxed, natural follow-through

✓ Paddle touching your back, OR

✓ Elbow pointing toward your target, OR

✓ Butt cap pointing toward your target

And most importantly:

Don’t force the follow-through — let momentum create it.

If you try to “manufacture” it, the ball will fly long.

Final Tip

In pickleball:

“To gain control, you must give up control.”

The looser and freer the swing, the more the paddle works for you — not the other way around

Click here to watch the full online video lesson

Instantly Improve Your Forehand Ebook Is HERE!

Our very own Universal Rackets coach & creator, @pickleballwithtyler, just dropped his brand-new ebook — and it’s a GAME-CHANGER for anyone looking to level up their forehand.

Whether you’re a beginner, intermediate, or advanced player… this book gives you the full blueprint to hitting a cleaner, more powerful, more consistent forehand.

🚀 What’s Inside:

• Fix your contact point once and for all

• Master the “Turn–Bounce–Drop–Hit” timing system

• Learn how to add real topspin

• Build effortless power without muscling the ball

• Improve accuracy, control & consistency

• 100+ video links included throughout the book

• PLUS: exactly what to do after your 3rd shot drive

This is Tyler’s most complete forehand breakdown ever — built from 10,000+ in-person coaching hours, 10,000+ online coaching videos and millions of online views.

👉 Purchase your copy today at: www.instantlyimprovemyforehand.com

Want a sneak peak? CLICK HERE

Indoor December & 2026 Winter Programs Are Here!

Universal Rackets is kicking off the indoor 2026 season — now offering indoor programs at 15+ locations across PA and IL!

Whether you’re looking for:

✅ Adult or Youth Clinics

✅ Rating Clinics

✅ Ready Set Rackets (Toddler Pickleball & Tennis Programs)

✅ Round Robins

✅ Picklepaloozas

✅ …or just a great way to play —

We’ve got something for every pickleballer at every age and skill level.

Don’t wait — spots fill fast every winter!

Grab your paddle, invite your friends, and join us on court this season.

Click here to view all of our indoor programs!

👟Drill of the Week: Serve Catch Timing Dril

Purpose:

To sync your tossing arm and hitting arm, build smooth serve rhythm, and develop the perfect timing needed for consistent, powerful contact.

Setup:

• Stand in your normal serving stance

• No paddle needed — this is all about rhythm and timing

How It Works:

1. Hold the ball in your tossing hand

2. Toss the ball exactly as you would for your serve

3. Before it hits the ground, catch it in the air with your hitting hand

4. Repeat until the toss consistently lands in your ideal contact zone

Click here to view this drill

How To Return Slice & Topspin

Many players struggle with returning slice and topspin because they let the ball come to them instead of going to the ball. The longer you wait, the more the ball curves, dips, skids, or jumps, which makes spin feel unpredictable. To return slice or topspin consistently, you need to take time away from the ball: move up to it early, get low with your legs to stabilize your contact, and finish your swing forward to send the ball deep with control. If you follow these three steps—move up, get low, finish forward—you’ll return heavy slice and topspin with ease instead of popping it up or getting jammed.

Click here to view the full online video lesson on how to return slice!

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Program Spotlight: Radnor Youth Pickleball Saturday Clinic

👉 View all upcoming Mainline sessions: www.MainLinePickleballClinics.com

Lesson of the Week: How To INSTANTLY Hit A Forehand Roll Volley In Pickleball

Click here to view this week’s lesson

Thank you for reading and we can’t wait to see you on court!

-Universal Rackets