Why Doubles Players Should Play Singles
You don’t have to become a singles specialist to benefit from playing singles. Covering the court on your own challenges your movement, decisions, and execution in ways that can help you become a more complete doubles player.
Improves court coverage
With no partner sharing the court, you learn to anticipate shots, move efficiently, and recover for the next ball. Returning to doubles can feel more manageable as your awareness and ability to cover space improve.
Develops better footwork
Singles makes inefficient movement harder to hide. Practicing how to get behind the ball, stay balanced, and recover after contact can help you arrive in better positions in doubles.
Builds endurance and fitness
Singles gives you frequent opportunities to move, recover, and repeat. With an intensity suited to your ability, it can be a valuable part of your conditioning and help you handle longer sessions of play.
Encourages more consistent shot-making
You’re responsible for every shot on your side of the court. That gives you repeated practice with serves, returns, groundstrokes, and volleys—and a clear reason to value consistency over unnecessary risk.
Improves shot selection
Singles challenges you to recognize when to attack, defend, neutralize a point, or change direction. Those decisions can sharpen your judgment in doubles, even though the tactics differ.
Develops mental toughness
Every point asks you to take responsibility, respond to mistakes, and prepare for the next ball. Learning to compete without a partner can help build composure and confidence under pressure.
Strengthens serves and returns
Depth, placement, and consistency matter when you must cover the next shot yourself. Singles gives you a strong incentive to practice serves and returns that create a better start to the point.
Builds better recovery habits
Your job isn’t finished when the ball leaves your paddle. Singles teaches you to recover toward a useful court position and prepare for your opponent’s reply instead of watching your shot.
Reveals areas to improve
Movement, backhand consistency, fitness, and transition decisions become easier to evaluate when you’re covering the court alone. Singles can help you identify what deserves focused practice.
Start with practice points or a short game against someone at a similar level. Focus on quality movement and thoughtful decisions, then build from there. The goal is to use singles as another way to improve your overall game.
Related: Singles Pickleball Strategy Guide