Singles Pickleball: Where Legends (and Lunatics) Grind Alone
This one’s for the warriors of the one-on-one court. The singles players. The go-big-or-go-homers. You know who you are.
Hi, I’m Gina Cilento. You might’ve seen me playing doubles on the senior pro tour or competing in the NPL. Last year, I was ranked 5th in the country. But here’s a secret… I’m obsessed with singles.
Let’s be real: singles isn’t the most popular format in pickleball. Most people stick with doubles: less ground to cover, more time to breathe, and someone else to blame when things go south. But for those of us who still hear the echoes of baseline battles and booming tennis serves, singles is our playground.
There’s something addictive about it. It scratches the itch to hit out, move hard, and grind it out. It’s you versus them. No partner to bail you out, or to blame. Every mishit? On you. Every winner? Also on you. That’s the thrill. No fist bumps. No support squad. Just you, your shots, and the hustle. And that’s the hard part sometimes.
My #1 weapon in singles? The serve.
I go big. I’ve got five or six serves that I rotate like a DJ spinning tracks, each one with a different beat. A slicer. A topspin smoker. A flat missile up the T. A loopy moonball. I don’t want you to get comfortable. I want you guessing, reaching, scrambling.
And when that return floats back weak? I’m pouncing. If it’s anywhere near my forehand, I’m driving it to the corner. Feeling spicy? I’ll go short and wide, drag you off the court, and open up the space to finish the point.
Listen, I’m not here to trade 15-shot rallies. I’m a senior pro, not a cardio junkie. I want to end points fast. Push you deep, draw out a soft return, then fly in and close at the net. No mercy.
Watching the top singles pros? Mind-blowing.
The stamina, the footwork, the precision; it’s another level. Those long rallies are mesmerizing. But let’s be real: I’m doing everything I can to avoid them. My pickleball singles strategy? Strike hard, strike fast, and get off the point.
Want to get better at singles pickleball? Drill with purpose.
Grab a pal and work on specific shots. Practice rolling your forehand wide. Hit your slice backhand to the corner. Use cones or visual targets. Focused reps make your game tighter, your decisions smarter, and your weapons sharper.
And don’t forget the mental game:
If I see you lean hard to one side, I know you're already thinking about recovering to center. That’s when I hit it right back where you came from. Off-balance = mine. If your backhand’s shaky, I’m going there until you beg for a forehand. Then boom! Point over.
And in warmups? I’m showing you nothing. I’ll lollipop every stroke. Soft serves. Gentle groundies. You’ll think I’m here for a casual hit... until the first point. Buckle up.
One more tip: attack the backhand.
Unless you’ve got a wicked two-hander, most players can’t hurt you from their backhand side. That gives me a green light to charge the net and look to put the ball away.
So yeah, maybe I just gave away all my strategies for singles. Maybe I’ll see you on the pro tour, armed with all this intel. And maybe, just maybe… you’ll have a shot at beating me. LOL.
