Winning the toss in pickleball can feel like being asked a question you didn’t study for.
Everyone looks at you expectantly.
You look at your partner.
Your partner says, “I don’t care.”
Excellent. A strategy meeting for the ages.
Whether you choose to serve first or receive first can matter…
Particularly outdoors, where wind, sun, and court conditions may be more important than the serve itself.
Coach Deb Harrison’s preference is surprisingly clear: when conditions are neutral, let the other team serve first.
Why?
Because the serving team has to execute the hardest shot in pickleball: the third shot. Let them deal with that pressure first. Then, when you get the ball back, your team gets two chances to serve, settle in, and start building points.
In this episode, you’ll hear
Why receiving first may give you the better strategic start
When choosing the “good side” matters more than choosing the serve
How wind changes the equation for drivers, lobbers, and power players
Why your preferred side matters across a three-game tournament match
The alternative to forcing a delicate third-shot drop too early
Listen to the full episode and hear Deb explain the strategy behind a decision most recreational players settle with, “Whatever—you go.”
This does not mean every game needs a negotiation worthy of international diplomacy.
Sometimes a windy day is simply a chance to practice playing with it and against it. But in a tournament, having a plan before you win the toss is far better than staring at your partner as though the question has never occurred to either of you.
The big takeaway:
Sometimes the choice isn’t really about the serve at all, it’s about how the moment unfolds. In certain situations, one option can quietly shift the early pressure in your favor, even if it’s not immediately obvious why.
And once you get a few points ahead?
Now they are not just playing pickleball. They are doing math while stressed.
Share this with the partner who says, “It doesn’t matter,” and then complains about the wind for eleven straight points and tell them to SUBSCRIBE.
Short, practical insights for recreational players who want answers.
Listen and subscribe on your favorite streaming service
Did someone forward you this email? CLICK HERE to receive it weekly!
In Partnership with
