Singles Pickleball: The Rules, the Rhythm, and Why You Should Try It
Singles pickleball doesn’t get the spotlight that doubles does, but anyone who’s played it knows this: it’s fast, strategic, and way more accessible than people expect. One opponent. One court. No hiding behind a partner, and no blaming anyone but yourself.
Singles teaches you how to move, how to think, and how to stay composed under pressure. The more you play it, the more you realize the lessons stick long after the match ends.
Singles vs Doubles Pickleball: Key Differences
If you’ve only played doubles, singles will feel like a new sport that happens to use the same equipment.
You’re covering everything
In doubles, you’re responsible for half a court. In singles, you’re responsible for all of it. Movement becomes a real skill. You learn how to recover faster, anticipate earlier, and manage the open space behind you.
Watch top players like Federico Staksrud or Chris Haworth. They make the court look shrink-wrapped because they recover immediately after every shot. Their positioning is half their success.
Rallies start from the baseline, not the kitchen
Doubles is built around kitchen battles. Singles isn’t. Most points start and stay from the baseline until someone earns a chance to come forward. It’s more tennis-like: deep serves, deep returns, and drives used to set up passing shots.
This is why players like Kate Fahey shine. She builds points one swing at a time and doesn’t force her way into the court until she’s created the right opening.
One server, simpler rotation
There’s no second server and no “first server, second server” call. Your score tells you where you serve. Even = right side. Odd = left. That’s it. If you lose your point, it’s a side-out straight to your opponent.
It’s clean. It’s quick. It keeps the pace moving.
Skills You Build by Playing Singles Pickleball
Endurance and athletic confidence
Singles will show you how fit you aren’t… until suddenly you are. It’s one of the best ways to build court speed, stamina, and real movement patterns that translate instantly to doubles.
Just look at Christian Alshon. He became a threat the moment he tightened his movement and stopped wasting steps. Singles sharpened that.
Shot-making under pressure
In singles, every ball you hit has a consequence. You don’t have a partner to clean up your half-finished ideas. You learn placement over power. Depth over flash. Clean mechanics over rescue swings.
Players like Parris Todd and Genie Bouchard win because they don’t panic when they’re pulled off court. They reset with depth, start over, and wait for the right ball.
Patience
Here’s the secret: singles demands more patience than doubles.
You can’t bail yourself out by rushing the net. You have to build the point and out-think someone who is trying to do the exact same thing.
The longer you play singles, the more you realize it teaches you how to stay centered when everything is moving fast.
Mental resilience
There’s nobody to lean on. You solve problems yourself. You recover from mistakes yourself. You stay composed because if you don’t, the match slides fast.
That head-down, figure-it-out mindset is exactly why so many high-level players keep singles in their training. If you can manage your emotions alone, you’re harder to beat in any format.
Why You Should Try Singles Pickleball
It’s a killer workout and way more fun than a treadmill.
You only need one other person to get a real match.
It makes you better at doubles instantly.
It’s a personal challenge without the social pressure.
It builds confidence in your game instead of relying on someone else’s strengths.
And honestly, singles is where you really learn what kind of player you are—not the polished version you show your partner, the version that shows up when you’re tired, stretched wide, and trying to find one more good shot.
Give it a go
You don’t need to be a top athlete to play singles. You don’t even need tournament goals. You just need a paddle, a court, and the willingness to chase a few balls that feel out of reach. Eventually they won’t be.
Singles is strategic. It’s accessible. It’s brutally honest. And once you try it, you’ll get why more players are mixing it into their weekly routine.
If you want the fastest way to grow your game—this is it.
