I normally play twice a week with three other similarly-skilled players for a three hour power session of doubles. It’s the highlight of my week thanks to plenty of trash talking, joke telling, and insane shots that come out of nowhere. It’s also easier on my aging knees and hips, as I don’t lay in a reclienr for four straight days recovering from these sessions as I do playing a single hour of singles.
About once a week, one from our group hits me up with a text and we play a grueling 1-1.5 hour session of singles. We’re very close in skill level, and the matches are intense. And every time we do this, i’m much better on the court on our doubles days. I also spend a considerable amount of time the rest of the week icing my shoulder and resting my knees. Here is why Playing singles pickleball will no doubt make you a better doubles player.
Improved Physical Fitness and Speed
When you play singles pickleball, the entire court is yours and yours alone. While you won’t get quite the workout in doubles, singles play will have you running from edge to edge, covering twice the space which will of course improve your physical conditioning and court agility. Do this enough, and covering only half of the court in doubles matches will seem like a walk in the park.
Better Shot Accuracy
In singles, you rely heavily on placing your shots precisely to win points so that you don’t have to expend as much energy, as you don’t have a partner to cover half the court. This alone will improve your shot accuracy and control, making you a more effective player in doubles by enabling you to place shots strategically to challenge your opponents.
Strategic Thinking
Singles pickleball compels players to think strategically with each shot since every point counts directly against them. This kind of pressure fosters a deeper understanding of pickleball strategies, such as when to drive the ball or when to opt for a softer shot. These skills are invaluable in doubles, as strategic play is key to setting up shots for your partner and outsmarting the opposing team.
Stronger Mentally
If you are a doubles pickleball player (especially one that is not, or was not, a tennis player), then singles pickleball can be daunting. You are responsible for every shot, which includes a lot of big, aggressive groundstrokes. You have no partner to rely on. You also have to push yourself to understand, strategize, and execute on a deeper level.
With that said, what may be the most challenging in singles pickleball is relying on yourself from a mental perspective. If you lose a few consecutive points, it is easy to quickly spiral down and feel like you are on an island. In other words, it is easy to get down on yourself and let one mistake turn into ten mistakes, as you do not have a partner to help relieve pressure and keep you mentally engaged and positive.