ADVANCED by ALICE TYM
SLAY YOUR SINGLES GAME
Singles play is increasing due to the overall popularity of pickleball and the increasing number of pickleball courts. The number-one deterrent is the lack of available court time because a doubles foursome takes precedence over two singles players at most facilities. But there is every reason to play singles when possible.
Singles will help your conditioning. It will add new shots to your repertoire. Singles will increase your strategic and tactical toolbox. And singles is easy to organize because it just takes two players.
First, you need to accept that it’ s a different game than doubles. Speed, agility, and conditioning are more important. Add conditioning drills to your routine. Jogging every other day gives you a place to start. Then find a track to alternate sprinting a quarter and walking a quarter. A good on-court fitness footwork drill is to start at the baseline then dart( with your paddle back) to the right corner where the NVZ line meets the sideline, stop and scissor back as you return to center, dart to the left corner, return, and dart up the center to the T. Reverse and repeat. Now you are committed and ready to play!
While doubles is a game of placement, singles is a game of placement and movement. You want to make your opponent move to the max while reducing your own movement, especially those movements that get you out of position. You want your opponent to be the one lunging.
So, the chess game begins with the serve and a strategy. If your opponent has good angle shots, you want to serve down the middle and take them away. If he does not have a strong backhand, you want to serve wide to the backhand on the left side and pull him off the court. You have to initiate your strategy from the get-go. Place your serve, and vary your serve’ s height, depth, and spin.
Singles has myriad options. The more fit you are, the more spin you can generate, the greater the depth you can achieve, and the more pace you can initiate all give you greater options in your arsenal. Focus on creating openings. If your opponent has a strong shot, try hitting to that shot to force him to run to his weaker side for the second shot. Hit to the strength to open up the weakness. Of course, you must be able to deal with his strength. Or you can chip away at his weaker side until you get a put-away shot.
In women’ s singles, pull her up to the net with a short ball then lob over her head. Make her run the diagonal. Deep to the backhand, drop to the forehand and vice versa. In tennis the secret is deep crosscourts. Because the pickleball court and the paddle are smaller, sharp angle shots are especially effective in setting up an opening. A good way to learn and practice shots is skinny singles, using the half court. If, for example, you have a weak backhand, use the diagonal half court and force yourself to hit every ball using your backhand. Find out what you can do with each shot.“ Know thyself” is the singles mantra.
The return of serve is the“ money ball.” You must be able to determine where the serve is coming to, prepare early to hit it, transfer your weight into the ball, and make a quick recovery to gain good court position. Good body mechanics and no shortcuts— it takes PRACTICE.
Now the point is developing. You need to anticipate. When can you hit a shot that will carry you to the NVZ line? Always look for an opportunity to get to nirvana, the NVZ line. By now you have a sense of the opponent’ s favorite passing shots. Take them away with your spin and placement. Don’ t give your opponent hero shots. When he is playing well, you are letting him.
For ladies, a good strategy is to return a high loopy ball to the backhand corner since the server cannot rush the net. If your opponent runs around it to hit a forehand, she will be way deep and out of position. Make her run the diagonals. Height is a huge advantage in both pickleball singles and doubles. Some ladies must compensate in that department by being especially fit and by being shot makers. Develop a good drop shot. If you can pull your opponent up to the NVZ line then lob her a few times, you will start controlling the pace of the match. Women’ s singles is tough. Help your opponent build character.
For men, roll that topspin serve and groundstrokes or chip with a slice. It is not enough to just pound the ball unless you pound it better than he does. Men’ s singles is a dogfight. You have to work your opponent over with angles. Deep shots to the corners then drop
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