What are Slender Singles in Pickleball?

You’ll find one thing in common in almost all Pickleball players; their preference for doubles over singles. Being physically less demanding, doubles are overwhelmingly favored by players over the age of 50. Due to this reason, many new players aren’t much familiar with slender singles. If you haven’t played these singles then you’re in for a treat. It not only improves your accuracy but also your physical fitness. 

And here’s all you need to know about playing slender singles. But to understand it properly, you’ll first need to know about skinny singles in pickleball as they are similar in many ways. So, let’s get started.


What is Skinny Singles and how is it Played? 

  • Skinny singles is a Pickleball game that more closely mimics the strategies and shot selections you implement when playing doubles. It is played using half the court with an opponent. The skinny singles rule or strategy in pickleball is you need to hit the ball in a way that it crosses half of your opponent’s court and that half should be the same half into which the ball was served. If your ball can’t make it to the appropriate half, it would be considered a fault.
  • For example, if your score is even i.e.,0,2,4.., then you must serve from the right or even serving area and the ball would be received by your opponent in the right or even service court. Now, if your score is odd i.e., 1,3,5..., then you need to serve from the left or odd serving area and the ball would be received by your opponent in the left or odd service court. 
  • So in a nutshell, your score determines the side of the court from where the service should be made. Now, if you lose the rally or make a fault, a side out will occur and service will be awarded to your opponent.

Playing pickleball skinny singles is a great way to master the control over the ball to keep your opponent moving but for many people, it sure is a tough task. Injured and elderly people find it difficult to cover a full 20-foot wide court. Here’s when a new form of singles called slender singles comes in.


What are Slender Singles?

  • As the name implies, slender singles mean the court would be smaller than normal singles. Not to be confused with skinny singles, where you use one side of the court which allows for a small play area, the game of slender singles allows you to go for a smaller net.
  • Taking 4 feet off the court, the net would be 16 feet instead of 20 feet. A no volley zone of 7 feet is considered in slender singles. Since you’ll have 20% less court to cover, a slender singles game would last much longer than a normal singles game.

Weather is a key factor that decides your net’s life. Due to variations in weather, its durability will reduce and you’ll end up with a damaged net. Owning a more durable net would provide you an uninterrupted game of singles or doubles. At Pickleball Court Supply, you’ll find many weatherproof nets and Douglas Pickleball Net 36” Height is one of them.

This net is 36” high and 21’9” long which comes with unsurpassed durability and weather resistance. Along with vinyl-coated polyester headbands, you’ll also find double lock stitched bottom and side tapes. This product comes with a 4-year limited warranty.


Difference between Skinny Singles and Slender Singles

  • These both are formats of Pickleball and are considered much similar to each other. They are great for working on shot depth and aiming for the sidelines. What makes them different is the dissimilarity in their playing surfaces.
  • For better comparison, we’ll also include the playing surface of a normal Pickleball game. The size of a normal Pickleball playing surface for recreational purposes is 30ft * 60ft. When used for tournaments, the size changes to 34ft * 64ft.
  • Now, coming to skinny singles, the size of the playing surface is 15ft * 30 ft. Slender singles playing surfaces are a bit smaller as compared to skinny singles. Their playing surface size is 16ft * 20ft.

Due to its health and social benefits, Pickleball has become tremendously popular around the world. You too can experience these benefits by engaging in the game of Pickleball. 


Social and Health Benefits

  • Burn Calories:

Like tennis, this game doesn’t demand any serious running but playing it does provide the benefits of aerobic exercises. For people who want to engage in less strenuous physical activities, Pickleball is hands down one of the best alternatives. As this game is a combination of tennis, ping-pong, and badminton, you’ll get in a little moderate exercise while having fun.


  • Helps You Make New Friends:

This is a social sport and must be played by two or more people. While playing singles or doubles, you come in contact with many other enthusiastic players. This engagement will also help you escape from anxiety and depression.


  • Reduces Health Risks:

Many people with injuries find it difficult to participate in any high-intensity sport. Pickleball gives them an amazing opportunity to take part in a sport without risking their health. This doesn’t put them in any physical pain and they further lose 40 calories more than walking.


  • Enhances Agility:

The game of Pickleball uses a much slower ball than the ball used in tennis which helps you increase your hand-eye coordination. You’ll have your muscles toned which in turn will improve your agility.


For all your Pickleball needs

We hope the above information was helpful. Now if you wish to grab some exciting Pickleball products, head to our store, Pickleball Court Supply. From indoor backdrop curtains to net replacement parts, you’ll find all Pickleball related equipment at our store.

Do visit our website and get amazed by our exclusive range of Pickleball equipment. For more information, contact our support staff. We’d be happy to assist you. 

Thanks for reading!