If you have the mobility and energy to play pickleball singles, it can be as fun and even more challenging than playing doubles. But what are some differences in strategies that you should know when playing pickleball singles vs doubles? Here are a few.
Pickleball Singles Vs Doubles: Differences In Strategies
While the pickleball court and rules are essentially the same for both pickleball singles and doubles, the strategy is not necessarily the same. Before we go over the strategy, it should be noted that each player only gets one serve per turn, unlike in doubles where each side will get two serves.
Power Vs The Soft Game
The biggest difference between pickleball singles vs doubles is the amount and kinds of shots that you will be making. For example, you may be dropping or dinking a lot more when playing doubles. Since you normally have two opponents covering the court, playing the soft game is generally a better approach.
But in singles, you will find drives more useful to try to pass your opponent. This is easier to do than in doubles since you have the whole court to work with. There is only one opponent that has to cover the court. You also want to make your drives powerful with a lot of topspin or backspin to make your opponent’s next shot harder.
That is why your aim on groundstrokes is important when playing singles. If you come from tennis, you will find pickleball singles to be the most similar to a tennis single.
If you’re training for singles, you would want to practice your shots down the line, crosscourt, and deep toward the baseline. While in pickleball doubles, you would want to practice more drops and dinks.
Cardio vs Placement
Playing any sort of physical sport does require a certain level of cardio. While you don’t need to be a runner or in tip-top shape to play pickleball doubles, you will want to be on top of your cardio when playing singles.
Similarly, while placement is important when playing singles or doubles, you will want to have better touch on the ball and placement when playing doubles because you have two people covering the court. So your strategy in doubles is to move your opponents around, separate them, and find holes to put the ball away.
Movement On The Court
The general strategy in playing pickleball is to move up to the kitchen line and control the net. So you may look to rush to the net when you’re playing doubles. However, you don’t necessarily want to do the same in singles.
If your opponents are great at groundstrokes that are precise and often land close to the sidelines, they may be able to pass you easily at the kitchen net. You will want to have great lateral movement to shuffle and return those balls.
While you want to eventually make your way up to the kitchen line but make sure it is not after making a weak shot. You want to give your opponent a harder shot to return so it buys you time to be ready at the kitchen net. This includes a deep shot to their backhand or a shot that is on the opposite corner of where they’re standing.
Communication
When you’re playing pickleball singles, you’re responsible for every single shot. You know you will have to return the ball. Or to let the ball bounce first to see if it lands within bounds.
In doubles, you have a partner that you have to communicate with. That is especially the case for middle balls or even when the ball is closer to someone’s backhand while you have the forehand. Or if there is a high or fastball that looks like it may go out.
In general, there is more strategy when you’re playing doubles because there are more players and thus more elements that are at play. Communicating with your partner is key in doubles while you don’t have the same issue in playing singles.
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