Pickleball Strategies for Playing Singles
If you’ve ever played singles pickleball (or tennis), you know that the singles strategy can be very different than playing doubles. Some of the pickleball doubles strategies overlap with the singles game but the overall feel of the game is different. Speed, stamina and power play a huge part, where double is far more about precision, patience and placement. In singles it is all up to you. You are now covering the full 20′ width of the court by yourself. A short shot or bd placement you leave you at a disadvantage. Here are 10 singles strategies for pickleball to improve your game.
1. Serve it Deep
This one also applicable to doubles, but is extremely more important in singles. A short serve creates an advantage for the returner to return. It allows them to more easily return serve deep into one of the corners. Now you have a complicated third shot. Passing shots and drop shots are harder when you are pinned deep. Serve the ball deep and make them hit a short return that you can drive with your next shot.
2. Return it Deep
Return the ball deep preferably hard and to one of the corners. A well placed deep return makes for a difficult passing shot from your opponent. Passing shots and third shot drop shots are harder when you are pinned deep. The third shot can determine the outcome of the point in many games.
3. Position Yourself Near the Middle Line When Serving
Your positioning in singles needs to be part of the strategy. You are the only one coving the court and if you start out wide you leave a lot of area to cover. The serving position in singles strategy is different than when playing doubles. A good down the line return of serve will make your third shot more difficult if you have to come from all the way across the court. Give yourself a better opportunity to reach all returns, whether they be cross-court or down-the-line, by serving from the middle.
4. Follow your Return-of-Serve to the Non-Volley Line
This one works for both doubles and singles strategies. Follow your return-of-serve to the non-volley line whenever possible. The server has to let the ball bounce on their side so with a good return, you will have the advantage and be at the NVZ line.
5. Know Angles & Court Positioning Concepts
Angles are important in pickleball. Returning serve and advancing to the non-volley line require positioning strategies. Anyone can race up and position themselves in the middle of the court at the non-volley line. You need to think about where your return went and what angles you left the opponent for their next shot. If your return was to the deep left corner you positioning may need to be slightly more left middle court so that you can more easily intercept the ensuing passing shot. Positioning strategy simply means you need to put yourself in the best place to cutoff whatever angles you left the opponent. It may mean advancing slightly left or right of center depending on which side of the court you hit and how short or deep you hit it.
6. Learn to Drive the Ball Down-the-Line
This singles strategy takes some pickleball practice. When a shot pulls you wide near the sideline, try hitting the ball straight ahead (down-the-line). The result is a ball that quickly moves down your opponent’s side line and can be difficult to get to. By learning to “drive” (hit with power) the ball down the line you will leave your opponent with little time to react.
7. “Run Around” your Backhand
This is common practice in tennis but typically not preached in pickleball. Most players have a stronger forehand than backhand so by running around the backhand shot you are able to hit a stronger forehand and drive the ball. This does require you to be a little more agile and required better footwork but the result can be momentum changing. This is not a strategy we suggest for doubles.
8. Hit Behind your Opponent & Wrong Foot Them
This is another strategies more suited to the singles strategy in pickleball. Moving your opponent side-to-side during a rally keeps them unsettled while they are racing to cover the “open” court. When the time is right you stop running them side to side and hit the ball behind them. This strategy takes some setup and proper timing but executed correctly is every effective. Your opponent will be unlikely to recover in time and just watch the ball will go whizzing behind them.
9. Exploit your Opponent’s Weaker Side
This strategy is effective is doubles and singles. Everyone has a stronger side and a weaker side. For most the stronger side is their dominant hand forehand shot leaving their backhand as the weaker shot. Exploit the weaker side when possible. Serve to the weaker side. Hit returns to the weaker side. Volley to that side. It just makes sense.
10. Don’t Forget the Soft Game
The soft game is critically important in doubles. It’s not quite as important when playing singles, however balancing power shots with the finesse game is very effective. With well placed dinks and drops you keep your opponent unable to anticipate your next shot and that is definitely good pickleball strategy. If you are fleet-of-foot and can generate and anticipate angles you will certainly want to experiment with dinks and drops. It will add a whole new dimension to your singles game.
Final Thoughts on Singles Strategy
There you have it – ten strategies that will surely help your singles game. If you haven’t yet played singles, I highly recommend it. Not only will it improve your fitness and conditioning, but it will also help you think much more strategically on the pickleball court. And skills that you work on in singles will translate quite well to your doubles game.