Want to Get Better at Doubles? Play More Singles.

In partnership with

Speak naturally. Send without fixing.

Wispr Flow turns your voice into clean, professional text you can send the moment you stop talking. Not rough transcription you have to clean up. Actual polished text — ready for email, Slack, or any app.

Speak the way you think. Go on tangents. Change your mind mid-sentence. Flow strips the filler, fixes the grammar, and gives you text that reads like you spent five minutes writing it.

89% of messages sent with zero edits. Millions of professionals use Flow daily, including teams at OpenAI, Vercel, and Clay. Works on Mac, Windows, and iPhone.

Start flowing free

Hey Picklebackers! 🏓✨

There’s a special kind of honesty that comes with singles pickleball.

No partner to cover the angle.
No “yours!” or “mine!” confusion.
No hiding from a ball that is very clearly your responsibility.

It’s just you, the court, and every decision happening in real time.

And while singles can feel intimidating at first, it might be one of the best ways to level up your entire game. Your movement gets sharper, your shot selection gets smarter, and your confidence covering space starts to grow fast.

This week, we’re breaking down how to play better singles pickleball — and why those solo-court skills can make you a stronger doubles player, too.

Singles Pickleball Explained!

There’s something incredibly satisfying about singles pickleball.

It’s just you, the court, and a hundred tiny decisions happening in real time.

No partner to rely on.
No confusion about whose ball it was.
No hiding from your fitness level.

Just clean reps, smart movement, and the kind of rally that makes you feel like an athlete again.

And the best part?

Playing singles makes everything in your doubles game better.

Your footwork sharpens.
Your consistency improves.
Your court awareness levels up fast.

So if you’ve been wanting to get more confident in singles, here are a few strategies that change everything.

Movement Wins Matches

The biggest difference in singles isn’t power.

It’s positioning.

Strong singles players recover to the middle after every shot and stay balanced through rallies. The goal isn’t to cover the entire court at once — it’s to move efficiently and stay one step ahead.

A simple habit that helps immediately:

Hit. Recover. Reset. Repeat.

The faster you recover after your shot, the calmer the game starts to feel.

Deep Returns Create Opportunities

A deep return is one of the most valuable shots in singles.

Why?

Because it buys you time and keeps your opponent pinned farther back behind the baseline.

That gives you a better chance to control the next ball and work your way into the point instead of reacting immediately.

You don’t need to paint the line.

Just aim deep and consistent.

Pressure adds up quickly in singles.

Are You Ready to Actually Retire?

Knowing when to retire means knowing what it costs, how long your money needs to last, and where the income comes from. When to Retire: A Quick and Easy Planning Guide helps investors with $1,000,000 or more work through all of it.

Download your free guide.

Use the Whole Court — Patiently

One of the most fun parts of singles is learning how to create space.

You’re not trying to hit a winner on every shot.

You’re trying to move your opponent enough to earn the opening.

Crosscourt shots are especially useful because:

• they give you more margin

• they open angles naturally

• they allow more recovery time

The players who stay patient usually end up controlling the rally.

Your Serve Can Set the Tone

In singles, the serve matters.

A strong serve can immediately put your opponent on defense and help you start the point with momentum.

Focus on:

• depth

• consistency

• placement

You don’t need to overpower anyone.

A deep serve to the backhand or into the body can be just as effective as raw pace.

Think of your serve as the first move in a sequence, not just the start of the rally.

Fitness Becomes an Advantage

Here’s the good news:

Singles naturally improves your conditioning without feeling like traditional cardio.

You build:

• quicker recovery

• better balance

• stronger footwork

• more confidence covering space

And over time, you start noticing something surprising:

Balls that used to feel impossible suddenly feel reachable.

That’s one of the most rewarding parts of the game.

Stay Calm and Let the Game Slow Down

At first, singles can feel fast.

But the more you play, the more patterns you start to recognize:

• where opponents like to pass

• when they’re under pressure

• which shots create short balls

• how to recover efficiently

That’s when singles becomes really fun.

You stop scrambling and start constructing points.

You start trusting your movement.

And suddenly the whole court feels manageable.

So if you haven’t played singles in a while, consider this your sign.

Grab a water bottle.
Find a willing opponent.
And go cover some court.

Your doubles game will thank you for it.

See you out there.

— The PICKLEBACKCLUB Team

Your Sports Knowledge Pays

Turn your sports knowledge into profit. Trade on real game outcomes, and earn if you’re right.

No house. Peer-to-peer. Cash out anytime.

Start with $10 here.

Claim Your $10

_{Trade responsibly.}

_{Check out our previous posts…}