Pickleball Serve Stats: Does It Matter?

In pickleball, serving may seem like a routine shot to get the ball across the net and start the game. But at higher levels of competition, the serve is much more than that. It’s a chance to set the tone, build momentum, and even dictate the flow of the entire game. Serving efficiently doesn’t necessarily mean going for aces or flashy winners. Instead, the numbers show that consistency, placement, and calculated risk play a much bigger role in determining outcomes.

So, what do the stats really say about winning serve percentage and efficiency in pickleball? Let’s break it down.

Pro-Level Serving Accuracy

According to the analysis from the PPA tour in 2023, across 18 pro matches in men’s, women’s, and mixed doubles, a total of 2,436 samples, highlights remarkable consistency:

Nearly every serve lands in play, and almost every return is playable. This demonstrates that at the highest level, professionals prioritize reliability over risky power—the goal is to avoid free points for opponents while setting up advantageous rallies.

Does Serving First Give an Advantage?

Many people may wonder if the team that serves first has a better chance of winning, as the analysis of the PPA Rate Championships Las Vegas 2024, which consists of 82 games, shows that serving first doesn’t provide a clear advantage, as summarized in the table below:

As shown, the first team to serve won exactly 50% of the total games, suggesting that whether a team serves first or not doesn’t significantly affect their chances of winning. (The Dink Pickleball, 2024)

Setting Serve Accuracy Targets

While serving first doesn’t automatically secure a win, data from professional players highlight the importance of consistently placing your serves in play. Based on the PPA 2023 stats, pros achieve serve accuracy rates above 98%, setting a clear benchmark for what a high-level serve looks like.

For players looking to improve, a good serve accuracy goal depends on skill level:

• Beginners: focus on 100% in-play serves, minimizing faults.
• Intermediate: aim for 90–95%, balancing consistency with occasional tactical placement.
• Advanced/competitive players: maintain 80–90% while incorporating spins or challenging placements (Pickleball Union, 2025)

3 Keys for A Great Serve

A good serve doesn’t always rely on power and speed. To achieve that, there are 3 things to take into consideration:

• Deep serve – Aim your serve deep into your opponent’s court, ideally near the baseline. This pushes them away from the kitchen, and since they’ll need more time to recover their position, you may get an open chance to attack with a drop shot.
• Good Placement – By placing your serve smartly, you can dictate where your opponent moves and create opportunities for your next tactic. 3 recommended placements are backhand corner, the sidelines, and the middle.
• Keep Them Guessing – A standard serve may be too predictable. By adding spin or mixing up your serve, you can disrupt your opponent’s rhythm and increase the chance of an error. (Pickleball Union, 2025)

Balls Served, Gifts Delivered

After a long day serving balls under the warm sun and refreshing wind, it’s time to serve gifts to your loved ones as a gratitude for crawling out of their bed to play pickleball with you. Check out PickleballGoats.com and search for suitable gifts that will show them how grateful you are. We offer a variety of gifts, from a unique and funny t-shirt like I Love When My Wife Lets Me Play Pickleball to a Best Pickleball Buddies Tumbler

References

The Dink Pickleball. (2024). Data Shows Early Lead Offers 89% Win Probability. https://www.thedinkpickleball.com/data-shows-early-lead-offers-89-win-probability/

Pickleball Union. (2025). How Much Should You “Risk” Your Serve in Pickleball?. https://pickleballunion.com/how-much-to-risk-your-serve-in-pickleball/

PPA Tour. (2023). By the Numbers: Serves and Returns. https://www.ppatour.com/by-the-numbers-serves-and-returns/