Pro Pickleball Players NEVER Use the Drop Serve. Should You?
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- Опубліковано 15 січ 2024
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Couldn't agree more with Zane's perspective! Requiring the drop serve could indeed settle the serve controversy once and for all, ensuring fair play and consistency across the board. Plus, it adds an extra layer of skill and strategy to the game. And you know what would make mastering the drop serve even more satisfying? In my opinion Having the precision and control of the Oliver-Sport pickleball paddle. It's the perfect tool for executing those finesse shots and keeping the rallies going strong! Let's hope the rule makers catch on soon and make pickleball even more exciting for players and spectators alike. 🏓
I love your blatant honesty about serves in pickleball.
AGREE, would like to see drop serve as the one serve. Recreationally, a lot of guys use backhand-out of air, almost always technically illegal (racket higher than wrist and not up-motion), they can get a lot of slice but we don't call it on them because...it's only rec pb. Good video!!
The problem with them doing these illegal serves is solely that no one calls them out on it.
I wouldn't play with anyone blatantly breaking the rules.
I think a drop serve can be weaponized, perhaps not from a power perspective, but it’s easy to generate a ton of backspin or sidespin if you have patience and practice it a lot. I use both the drop and traditional serves and I mix them up in a game, plus maybe throw in a lob serve occasionally.
Ditto/same except you can also generate a lot of pace with the drop serve too and hence I use that as one of my weapons of choice..... the drop topspin drive serve.
I experimented with backspin on drop serves but ended up realising that it doesn't help you. The ball floats over, giving your opponent all the time they need to deal with it.
Side top spin is the way to go @@markepps3511
HAPPY TO HEAR YOU ALSO THINK THEY SHOULD ELIMINATE THE VOLLEY SERVE!!!! When teaching beginners and going over the serve rules, I always recommend they start their pickleball journey doing the drop serve..... especially as beginners. Will be very glad the drop serve stigma (only beginners do it) will disappear if they eliminate the volley serve.
I use the drop because in my younger years I played a lot of handball then racquetball which use a similar serve. I drop the ball from a little bit below hip high, step into it, and swing like a ground stroke drive. It gives you all the variety in speed, placement, and spin, of a groundstroke without any timing errors. It seems to be effective against 4.0-4.5 players in my rec and tournament play. Note: I don't understand the physics but there is no benefit to drop the ball up high. There is only a marginal difference in the height of the bounce. From the hip puts the ball right in the groove for a groundstroke. At the GT Bray complex in Florida which hosts a lot of tournaments and upper level rec players more and more people use the drop serve and rarely drop from up high.
I agree with Zane! Require the drop serve and eliminate the serve controversy, forever! Moreover, it appears very difficult for the serve to be an offensive weapon from such a low contact point, which will continue to allow pickleball to be more fun to play and watch (due to the longer rallies that will ensue). What are the rule makers waiting for??
I have finally perfected my volley serve. That’s a sure sign it will be ruled illegal in the future.
lmao
I use the drop serve and I strike it at around 8” off the bounce. It allows me to be consistent and nobody can claim I hit it to high or any of those rules you mentioned. I can hit the ball very hard and with topspin that keeps it low to the ground as it dives after passing the top of the net. It just works for me.
X2 - I have a lot of players compliment the toughness of my drop serve. Yeah, they only have to block it back, but it eliminates an aggressive return and downright shuts down some players. It is crazy effective with a really hard topspin and a little sidespin. Thanks Zane for the video.
The rules he mentioned are only for volley serve. So you can definitely hit the ball higher into the bounce and weaponize it more
I do the exact same!! The drop allows me to time my serve and generate a lot of topspin. I also strike low which guides me to bend my knees an create that kinetic energy for a more powerful serve. I get a lot of compliments on my serve!
I'm a big fan of the PPA rule that they tested in the last tournament. The ball has to be dropped, not tossed, and from no higher than the top of the hip. That puts the contact point at pretty much where it is on the drop serve, and you can actually tell the difference between a legal and an illegal serve without slow-motion replay from three different angles.
The only things we need to regulate on a serve are the height of the release point and that there is no spin added by the hand on the toss. The example of the drop serve shows that, as long as you contact the ball below your waist, the direction and angle of your paddle can be whatever you want and it isn't going to break the game. And the example of the drop serve also shows that you can effectively control the release point by regulating the toss/drop, and that it's much easier to do that than to try to judge the actual contact point on every serve.
You can't toss a "drop" serve. Also, dropping the ball as he had shown is very limited in height at its apex. It's not going to bounce at waist high, will always be below that. He showed an example of that, he dropped the ball at a height over his head and the ball bounced below his waist line, just above his knees. Drop serve eliminates hitting it above the waist.
This is very liberating video. I was always judging myself too hard on contact below the waist line rule! But knowing that it cannot be conclusively said gives me lot of hope. No one ever called my serve illegal. Its just a fear in me that someday someone might!
I think we should only allow drop serve -- much easier to judge if infractions
I just overheard this debate 2 days ago, good to have the info I can relay to them next time I hear it
Just played with a woman today who drop served. She had a fantastic serve, best in our group. Low to the ground contact and just clearing the net. Fantastic control
I completely agree that the current rules restricting the out of the air serve are unenforceable. The drop serve is the simplest was to make a simply enforced rule that is very hard to cheat. Good drop servers can serve with great speed and spin so those who feel the serve should be used in an aggressive manner can still find lots to work with and stay entirely within the rules.
I started with drop serves only for a long time, until about 2 months or so ago when i was trying to help a friend of mine work on his serve, i did a volley serve low well within the new rules of volley serves, and hit it with great pace just over the net and deep within a couple feet of the baseline. That opened my eyes to working on the volley serve more. Now I'll switch them up, a volley serve with lots of topspin and pace, switched up with a drop serve with side and top spin that leaves you guessing where the point of impact is going to be
Great question and exposure. Thanks for mentioning other pros and their service tendencies. Your own service examples were so borderline that I would not venture to call them illegal. Your suspenseful conclusion actually surprised me, even though it was completely logical. If rules change about the volley serve - no toss, release palm down - then it might work better. At present though, it’s not working for the volley serve, as you demonstrated. As for the drop serve, it’s tough to use on a windy day and on a cold Canadian court the ball doesn’t bounce high enough for some seniors. I like two choices, but with a change to the volleyed one. Thanks, Zane. 🙏🦅
That's a good point. I often use the drop serve but the ball doesn't always bounce true, much of the time for the reasons you state. Windy days will make it tougher but I guess it makes it tougher for both teams.
Thanks, Zane. I agree with you - favor adopting the bounce serve. In the test in tournament play, the new rule still draws some violations - and questionable non-calls. Also rule enforcement requires a referee, which will not be available in rec play.
I'm also biased - favor the drop serve because I use it - backhand and forehand versions - depending on the circumstances. In my clinic I demonstrate and recommend it because it also provides practice for ground strokes, which is challenging for people without a tennis background to learn without devoting time to it. The serve is one skill that doesn't require a partner or a ball machine - so learning the drop serve provides a double benefit for new players.
In the wind I alter my target based on the bounce - if it does not sit up optimally, I adjust the loft and pace aiming for a safer target.
Thank you, Zane. I'm in for the Drop Serve. I can get just as much slice as a volley serve.
I’ve never seriously worked on the drop serve, but your points are 100% dead on. I enjoy hitting a volley serve for all of the reasons you mentioned as well 😊 I think it’s just a matter of priorities…this gets so convoluted because none of the “governing bodies” (term used extremely loosely) seem to a) have a concrete idea of and b) be in agreement of how they want the game to progress. Given that improving viewership of pro pickleball is not likely to hinge on whether or not people are “cheating” on their serves, maybe it ought to be up to a vote by the players as to what they want to see the serve rules look like…
As for rec players far and wide, the only way to spot a “cheating amateur” is if the “violation” is ridiculously obvious…like Zane said, unless someone is hitting the ball considerably above their waist, or their swing path is really funky, good luck calling that in real time.
Totally agree with the brokenness of the volley serve rules. I still don't understand why the ppa doesn't allow the drop serve... that said I almost exclusively use drop serve because I don't have to worry about someone calling me out for having my wrist at an illegal angle and i find that i can wrist lag just that much more with the drop. I find a bannana serve is way easier to time with the drop. Also it allows me to do a natural slice swing down towards the ball if I want to mix it up from my usual topspin. Useful for a backhand slice serve too. Really the only time I switch to a volley serve is when there's a giant Crack or bump on the court where I would drop it or of its super windy.
I went to the drop serve for the most part about 5 months ago. It works for me, however, I'm on the shorter side. I can also be extremely aggressive with it and get more shape. Only time I dont use the drop is in windy conditions or poor court quality. I don't think a lot of players give the drop serve much of a chance. I find it to be very effective. I see so many rec players not dropping the ball from their palm. Should be like table tennis where you cant conceal the ball.
Drop serve only! YES!!! I only do drop serve and I love that it’s so simple to judge!
Zane, which PROXR paddle is Riley using? I'm interested in buying
I just started playing (I have a tennis background). When our pro explained all the things that constitute a legal volley serve then explained that if I did the drop serve I would not have to worry about any of it I immediately chose the drop. In fact, I use a backhand drop as I can control the depth and the spin much better than my forehand side.
I think you are spot on. The drop serve eliminates most of the issues. I am still able to weaponize it by using placement, spin, height, and speed. Is the person left or right-handed, a banger, standing close, deep, or too far to the left or right etc. You can use it tactically versus making it impossible to return. What fun is that.
I've played with both types of serves and like the consistency of the drop serve. I agree with Zane that serving out of the air is too difficult to enforce. The serve needs to be consistently enforced. And you can still generate lots of power with drop serves. I typically stand a few feet behind the line and use a lot of top spin and greater arc.
I also do drop serve 95% of the time. I change it on occasion to change the rhythm a bit to mess with my opponent. Drop serve has been very consistent for me that I am able to add power, placement, and spins depending on skill and where my opponent is standing. I agree that drop serve eliminates any uncertainty whether a serve is legal or illegal. Thanks for voicing your opinion with humor. Great job.
Great video! Thanks! It's a radical idea but I don't know who could enforce a call on those demonstration serves unless your opponent had complained to the referee. I'm a former tennis player but I've been inconsistent with my volley serves so I think I'll try the drop serve. I was embarrassed to do it because nobody I play with does it. But if I can win more points it doesn't matter what it looks like right?
i’m relatively new to pickle ball but i’ve uses drop serving a few times and each time can hit a very high speed low height serve that goes perfectly over the net
I like the test trial serve at the last PPA event. Drop the ball from the hip with your hand clearly pointed downward. No upward motion from the ball hand. Vary simular to the drop serve without the high drop.
I know players who have super hard and spiny drop serves, including a backhand slice you don't see in volley serves. Not as hard as Dekel serving from a foot higher, but very challenging to return just the same. A drop serve is fair for everyone, though it may give some small advantage to the tallest players over their shorter counterparts. And, as Zane and others have clarified, the drop serve is the only fair serve as it is the only way to take subjectivity out of ref calls. I am quite confident Zane could hit a drop serve that would give many players fits to return with control.
I like the idea of rules being less strict and serves being weaponized. Using easier rules to enforce like the angle of someone’s arm from their body may be a good solution. As long as serves aren’t game breaking (like the chain saw serve) then let them add some offensive pressure.
I believe that we should go to only the drop serve since it would be much easier to enforce.
so when i started playing pickleball in September of last year, i could not serve well other than using the drop serve just for the reason of timing and aiming the shots. i still dont trust my serve when not using the drop serve. I also have fun with it serving 3-4 feet behind the baseline.
Excellent explanation!
In my opinion, an athletic person can weaponize a drop serve more than they can weaponize an in-the-air serve. Coming from competing in handball for 30 years, I was elated when the rules changed to allow a drop serve. Using the exact same technique to serve in pickleball that I use in handball, my serve is certainly a weapon. The example you showed for hitting a drop serve was just an over-the-air swing but with a drop. While my ball is dropping, bouncing up and falling back down, I take 4 shuffle steps into the ball while turning almost sideways and then hit the ball nearly off the ground. Zane - Not only are you smart but you are also very athletic and I bet you can learn to weaponize a drop serve.
I agree steven. I came from handball too, although I hit the ball at a level just above my knee. See if you agree with my comment elsewhere here.
Drop serve ONLY may not be a reality -- but I like how PPA put new rules in masters on serve. While it may not have eliminated all the subjective issues -- it is a good start and they should follow it up with more refinement.
The drop serve is a disadvantage for taller players who already have an advantage because of their height. For me, at 5'4", when I drop at eye level the ball bounces 5 inches below my navel. When I stand on a 6" high platform and drop from eye level, the ball only bounces about an inch higher. So the drop serve is a good equalizer, taking away the advantage taller players have with the volley serve.
Permit only drop serve. Definitely people's paddles are above their wrist often. Occasionally the strike point is above the navel. And often the service motions is not in an upward direction.
When i am messing around i use a back hand drop serve. I can get pretty good top spin on it and it really messes with people because they are not used to seeing it. But i agree about going to the drop serve. It takes all the guessing and complaining away from serves.
Totally agree with you!!
Can I throw the ball up if I then take it out of the air at or below my waist?
Agree, the drop serve should be the serve going forward, for the reasons that you mentioned.
Switching back and forth is less predictable for opponents, and interestingly the bounce off a drop serve can be very shallow and difficult to get back. I like the variance, and for fans it makes the game more interesting. In the end, the pro game is entertainment, and enforcing consistency goes against that theme.
Does your mind change after the weird test rule from the PPA Masters this weekend?
I agree that the drop serve will most likely be the future. I have weaponized my other serves to a point I don't think I can improve them any longer. I just started only using, and working on, my drop serve in anticipation of future changes. It's going better than I thought and I feel I can start weaponizing them as well. My problem is when a game is close I want to go back to the serve I know will be difficult to return but, so far, I haven't (but it is soooo hard not to). Thanks for the video.
Drop serve will eliminate a lot of the
B S with the Volley Serve (Out of the Air Serve)
I agree. Great video!
I'm a 4.0 + player. I can do so much with the drop serve. I get 3-4 pts on players' inability to return it cleanly.
Serves should be made from a t ball stand, with a do over if the receiver hits it into the net….
😂
Just hit the drop serve like you would a ground stroke: with lots of topspin or backspin! I went to drop when I had the yips with my volley serve.
I have a completely sufficient, if not killer, drop serve. I tried a volley serve maybe 5x when I started and, like you said, dropping was easier and more consistent so I never looked back. I dont know if it makes a difference to yall but I'm 6'3" and high waisted. W a volley serve I could hit from relatively high up but still I drop and hit from relatively low and get plenty of aces and force many poor returns.
Like you said, the drop takes all the boundary pushing out of play and, besides, do we really want to make pball "win by serving" game, especially by using a serve whose legal parameters are virtually impossible to enforce in real time? No. Go to drop only and remove all nebulousness. Take the ego out, take the "boundary pushing" (read: cheating) out.
Funny I’ve been trying to learn to perfect my out of the air serve, but my topspin I can get on the drop serve is soooo good. I’m going back to the drop
As a rec players, where enforcing rules is hard to do, I’d like to see the drop serve become the standard.
I personally use a drop serve since I serve backhanded.
I vary my serves.
1. I volley my serve with forehand or lob topspin and / or sidespin. Extremely rare that I drop serve and if I do use it I try to keep the contact point below the waist.
2. I drop serve with topspin backhand which is obviously upward motion from below the waist, but this serve I rarely use.
3. When I play with "newbies" I'll slightly volley a flat lob serve to cut my playing advantage off and have a fair play.
I would prefer they eliminate the drop serve because it's about 1-2 inches above the waist line at the point of contact with paddle & ball and it's not fair.
>When I play with "newbies" I'll slightly volley a flat lob serve to cut my playing advantage off and have a fair play.
Luke, I love that. I also modify my serves to opponents when we are 5 points or more to give more even play an extend games.
Winning 11-8 is a lot more fun than running over a team that can only score 1 or two points. R!ch
All your serves were legal. You met all 3 criteria: connecting with the ball below your waist, swinging in an upward motion, and keeping the top edge of your paddle below your wrist when you make contact with the ball. 😊
I agree, Zane. The rules should switch to allowing drop serves only!
Occasionally I will use the drop serve, lower my knees, then rise up as the ball bounces up, slightly rotating my torso, I am able to hit a topspin as hard as possible for me. I like the fact that my sight level drops and then rises closer to the contact point.
I get a lot of pace, shape, and spin on the drop serve along with consistency.
I love the term “weaponize the serve.” I only use the drop serve when I am slowing down the pace for a newbie.
The wrist level is definitely the hardest one to enforce. The belly button one is easy, because you only have to compare location of the ball to the body. The swing are is a little hard to see, but it's hard to reach forward at a downward angle. Not as big ofna deal. And its not as easy to hit a ball over a net at a downward angle.
Total on your side of the serving rules. I am a tennis player and trying to learn to play pickleball, but as my heavy inside-out underspin serve caught my opponents off balance, they called my serve illegal which I think is below waist, upward motion and below my wrist during contact. I stopped anyway so as not to ticking off my opponent. But how can a sport with such subjective rules become a serious sport is my question.
Totally with you! Pickleball was designed to eliminate aces and smashes from cutting short the fun of firefights and crazy rallies. Anything that adds fun, well, adds fun! And THAT is why it's not called Powerball.
It seems as Pickleball was originally designed for Singles, not for doubles. The court adjustment was never made for doubles, so the game is more compact. Someone submit a failed rule proposal of adjusting the kitchen line an extra foot. At first I thought, this dude was drunk. But It got me thinking that this would open up the game even more.
@@rdelnaja2558 there is a great video on UA-cam of the origins of the game. It was made off Seattle on a vacation island and designed to get the most kids having the most fun possible so that they would be out of the parents hair. When adults got involved the kitchen was created to eliminate smashing.
How much does the Lobster ball machine cost? Thanks
What I observe is the ball is still at thigh level at the point if contact on both types of serve
Agree 100% with you Zane
I play rec PB,prob 4.0, with lots of tennis background but still on occasion have opponents “correct” my volley serve. So I hit a drop serve just to shut em up.
Not the gist of your video, but it brought up another topic. I ask for a clarification to a comment made. You said the paddle needs to make an upward motion in the volley serve. Per rule 4.A.7.a of USA Pickleball, the hand needs to make an upward motion in the volley serve at point of contact not the paddle. I mention this because I have received volley serves that are delivered with an underspin, which to me indicates a some downward vector motion on the ball by the paddle. My opponent claims that a downward wrist flick at contact can underspin the ball while the "whole" serving hand is moving in an upward direction. Unless your rules interpretation is different I don't feel I can object to a volley serve merely because it is delivered with an underspin.
For the sake of simplicity, especially in officiating, it seems like the drop serve would solve a lot of problems...
i don't use the drop serve at all but I believe you are right.
Amen! If you hope to inforce the belly button rule, that spot needs to be clearly marked on the outer garment. And, why should a 6'5" player get an advantage? The point of all of this is the point of contact re the height of the net. To be fair, the ball would have to be placed on something like a T-ball batting tee. Everything else in pickleball is weaponized, why exempt the serve. The serving side is disadvantaged as it is. Let the serve be a compensating factor.
The drop serve makes the ball susceptible to wind deflection. And, it looks goofy.
I drop serve and usually get 1-2 pts per game, I can top spin, slice and side spin the ball, works for me.
Drop serve only. Also, you can't spin it when you drop it, right? That counts as throwing it down or manipulating the drop?
?? remove all restrictions on the serve except body position ??
Spot on about subjective rules. Drop serve should be the only serve: just common sense.
I agree. Drop serve only. I've been saying that ever since it was introduced. Too many players are hitting the volley serve illegally; some knowingly, some unknowingly. In either case, they don't like being told about it which leads to conflict. Drop serve solves the problem.
Coming from Tennis I find the rules to already be too strict. A drop serve is going to make for a less fun game IMO. I wished you could serve overhand like in Tennis actually. If you can't return an overhand volley serve, get better at your returns.
Oh, and loved this video Zane
Agree with about the bs with the serve rules. Alls I’ve noticed in the past 3 years is how all these rule changes do is pussify the sport
Maybe they could just let us use a tennis serve!
Very simple.
Toss in any direction, and hit before it bounces.
The Underhand serve is frowned upon too!
I went to the drop serve because the leader of our club was always complaining about my serve. That ended the complaining.
Great video.
Definite no to eliminating the volley serve, Pickleball already has so many rules which restrict power play and capitalizing on a good server already, like the 2 bounce rule. making it a drop serve only would completely eliminate any remaining advantage of having a good serve. So a big No to that. I would be more to removing restrictions on the volley serve which cannot be implemented, making it a bit more freehand, make it more like ping pong.
Drop serve. I play rec and who knows if my opponents volley serves are legal.
My vote is for drop serve only for the very reasons you mentioned, that is, much easier for the ref to monitor the serve and keep it fair.
I weaponize the drop serve for power usually. 10/10 would ace again.
Although I don't use the drop serve anymore, it's how I first learned to serve. I would be perfectly OK going back to it, and it would remove an almost unenforceable rule.
I bet certain players will play games with the drop serve too. With trying to disguise a little throw or spin. Regular serve is great, they need to start enforcing it. How about they can go back and subtract points after viewing video. I bet no one will try it anymore. Just need to make an example at a couple of high profile matches and it will sink in to just play it safe and do it right.
I like your videos
I hit my drop serve from the lowest point. Love it
Zane’s volley serve is illegal under the new ppa rules because he lifts the ball from the 45 degree low arm position.
No lifting of the ball allowed. Only release and drop from there.
I agree PB across the board should go to the drop serve.
Then see how creative everyone can get.
The serve should have no advantage except to win points.
SB
I love the Drop Serve
This is exactly why you SHOULD drop serve, because the out of the air serve is broken and it’s only a matter time before they ruin your serve completely by changing the rules. That’s a lot of time you can never get back, so you might as well play the long game and start practicing your drop serves 🙃
I believed that tennis serve is way more difficult to master, more potentially to weaponize and way more difficult to hit back so I really don't think that we can't take out too much of advantage in Pickleball serve because the nature of the Serve motion. Trying to manipulate a plastic ball with a flat hard surface paddle is no that easy and it will not offer much of advantage in a constant format of technique. There's so much variables in the service motion that a players needs to practice and master to consistently add effect to the ball. This whole serve thing is a waste of time, my opinion. If you can weaponize tennis serve as your game strategies why not in Pickleball?
I'm with Zane, drop serve only. If you prefer to weaponize the serve and wish to become the master of aces, perhaps tennis would suit you better. Just be prepared to meet a PhD. in service aces. Would love to see PB adapted to be played like Padel. Cheers!
I get a lot of aces with a drop serve. I also get a lot of weak returns which makes for an easy put away.
The drop serve is the only way to be fair and avoid conflict.
You maybe right,I lean to that more . But I'm still torn. .I'm not sure I dislike being able to serve the way it is I guess everyone is. Different .you have the people that are really good players otherwise,usually women,that just can't hit a spin serve.i know it is almost hard to believe some of them on you tube some 58 year old overweight dude in championship matches firing chainsaw and spin serves to the woman who can't get her paddle within 4 feet of returning it.ajd never put s paddle on ball.but the man has no problem with returning it .that's me you can spin and cut athe serve any way you want and in usually gonna send back a gane winner to your partner with an even more magnified amount of the same spib you just sent me.i laugh at these guys who spin every serve the same direction.wikl fault a couple of rimes a natch.but im returning to senders partner ....I think that the best serve that gets me the most winners,is mostly all topspin ,hit deep to the baseline to their backhands,then next rine i serve that person,i introduce variety.mostley with the speed of the ball,and how high it bounces.bur almost always. Deep to baseline.i will also after hitting a scorching deep top hand serve to baseline in previous serve,I will send them a slow dead end serve that barely clears the kitchen.but only when I'm confident they won't get to it or that they will make a bad return .long,left long ,right long,short,high deep baseline serve...I think the best strategy is variety in types of shots.more people will return the most blister spin baseline shots,then serve them a deep easy,simple ball with less topspin or even slight bottom spin.and the hit into net .after they start hitting the bottom ish spins over the net,bam I hit them with a fast deep,top spin then they return long..so I' do not have problem..im not the complainer ...chainsaw out I was ok with since it dint get ne.and usually got the fault on more serves when the mishit it . .but I'm happy either or
I don’t care how you serve, what paddle you use or which ball. I’ll adjust.
I thought the chain saw serve was great. I spent months learning it. Then I spent months spinning it from my non paddle hand. Then I spent several weeks studying Ben Johns serve. In that I learned to return each one and taught others how to return them. Just like every shot in pickleball, it takes time to master. I’ll continue to challenge myself with every shot I can learn from behind my back on down the line to tweener atp’s. I’ll continue to spin the ball in hand waiting to play because one day the spin serve will be back and I’ll be ready.
Pfft… A serve is just to start the game and is not suppose to be an offensive shot to gain advantage. Who really believes that anymore? Next they’ll be wanting to make body bags and nasty Nelson’s illegal.
I've seen too many illegal serves, so I think drop server is the only way to go.