KS3 · Physical education · Year 7
Ball familiarisation and battleships serving
Net and wall games: maintain and win a rally through pickleball
Learn it. Recall it. Make it stick.
IllumED Slides
IllumED · 1/10
Your learning goal
I can control the ball on my paddle/racket and serve to start a rally.
1 of 10
Ball familiarisation and battleships serving: slides adapted from the imported teaching text; recall questions created from its keywords, learning points and common mistakes. Self-check practice, with no automatic grading or XP. Answers stay on this page and are cleared when you leave.
What you’ll learn
I can control the ball on my paddle/racket and serve to start a rally.
Key learning points
- Move: a shake hands grip is needed for control and quick transfer between forehands and backhands.
- Move: a well balanced stance and gentle U-shaped swing is needed to serve with accuracy.
- Think: shorter and controlled strokes increase the accuracy of shots.
- Feel: focusing on the placement of the serve will increase success.
- Connect: working well with others requires a willingness to compromise.
Words to know
- serve
- the service starts play by hitting the ball to the other side
- non-volley zone
- the area at the front of the court where volleying is prohibited
- grip
- how you hold the paddle/racket
Common mistakes
Pupils think they need a big swing and to serve overarm.
When we watch pro tennis or other racket sports it looks like you need a huge swing and lots of power but when you are starting out you will get more success with a slow and controlled swing. Pickleball (like badminton) starts with an underarm serve.
For parents, carers and teachers
- Ask pupils to line up in order of how much previous exposure they have had to racket sports and use this as a baseline to think about who you pair with who and who might play a mini-coach role in your lessons. Many won't have had much more than a few hours of racket sport experience to draw on.