Singles or doubles? Lessons or open play? Indoor or outdoor? Lightweight paddle or something heavier? Every pickleball player faces these choices, and the right answer often depends on what you want from your game.
Key Takeaways
- There is no single correct answer to pickleball’s most common playing debates.
- The best choice often depends on whether your priority is fitness, improvement, competition or enjoyment.
- Understanding the trade-offs can help players make better decisions and improve faster.
Every pickleball player faces the same decisions eventually.
Do you play singles or doubles? Should you book lessons or learn through open play? Is it better to play indoors or outdoors? Should your paddle be light, heavy or somewhere in the middle?
None of these choices has a universal answer. What suits one player may frustrate another. But understanding the trade-offs can help you improve faster, avoid common mistakes and enjoy the game more.
If you’re following how the global game is shifting week by week, the World Pickleball Report breaks this down every day in our morning briefing.
Singles vs Doubles: The Fitness Debate
In singles matches, you are responsible for everything.
Every shot. Every mistake. Every decision.
A doubles match removes some of that individual responsibility, but at the same time you lose some of the control that comes from being the only player on your side of the net.
Singles places a much greater physical demand on players because you have to cover the entire court yourself. Some players enjoy that challenge, and it can be an excellent way to improve footwork, movement and shot consistency.
Doubles, meanwhile, offers a different experience. Teamwork, communication and positioning become just as important as shot-making. It is also where most recreational pickleball is played and where much of the sport’s strongest competitive depth currently sits.
Despite singles being easier to organise, as you only need two players, many people are drawn to doubles because of its social side. Sharing victories, frustrations and tactical decisions with a partner has played a major role in pickleball’s growing popularity.
I asked a few Facebook groups which format they preferred. Most chose doubles, citing reasons such as age, covering less ground and, in one case, having somebody else to blame when things go wrong.
WPM Verdict
If your goal is fitness, movement and developing your all-round game, singles remains a valuable training tool. If your goal is joining the wider pickleball community and competing regularly, doubles is where most players eventually spend most of their time.
Open Play vs Lessons: The Improvement Debate
When starting out in pickleball, you may choose to attend lessons, allowing you to focus on specific skills while receiving immediate feedback from a coach.
Lessons can be vital in preventing bad habits from forming, something that is far more likely to happen when learning entirely through open play.
However, lessons remove some of the unpredictability that comes with real matches. Open play gives players the opportunity to learn about positioning, serving, strategy and match management in a live environment.
It also allows players to ask questions between games and learn from opponents with different styles.
One factor that often drives people towards open play is cost. Lessons can be expensive, while many open play sessions cost only a few pounds or are even free.
If you learn best by doing, open play may suit you. If you prefer a structured approach and want to improve quickly, lessons often provide a faster route forward.
Over on Facebook, many players suggested that drilling with a coach becomes particularly valuable when progress starts to stall. Several recommended combining lessons with open play, using coaching sessions to develop skills and match play to test them under pressure.
WPM Verdict
Lessons provide the fastest route to improvement, particularly in the early stages of a player’s development. Open play remains essential because skills only truly matter when they hold up in match situations. The best long-term approach combines both.
Indoor vs Outdoor: The Environment Debate
The most obvious advantage of indoor courts is that they are unaffected by the weather.
Rain, wind, snow or even the occasional thunderstorm will not stop play.
Indoor courts also provide a more controlled environment, with no wind, changing sunlight or debris affecting the ball.
For newer players, that consistency can be extremely helpful.
Yet outdoor pickleball offers challenges that many players enjoy. Wind, temperature and changing conditions all become factors, adding another layer of decision-making and shot selection.
Outdoor courts often have greater availability too. Unlike indoor venues, they frequently do not require advance booking and are often free to use.
Players who regularly switch between the two will also notice differences in the balls. Outdoor balls are typically harder, have fewer holes and travel slightly faster than indoor balls. The official USA Pickleball rules remain a useful reference point for players learning how equipment and playing conditions fit within the wider game.
Among the players I spoke to, preferences were split.
One player said: “Love the intensity of playing in a sports hall with plenty of room and a decent net.”
Another preferred outdoor pickleball, saying: “Outdoors is faster and dinking seems easier. Optically, I also feel the court looks bigger despite that not being the case.”
WPM Verdict
Beginners often find indoor pickleball easier because conditions are more predictable. Players who want to compete regularly should spend time outdoors as well, as many tournaments are played outside.
Lightweight vs Heavy Paddle: The Equipment Debate
When many players first pick up a paddle, they simply use whatever is available.
But paddle weight can have a significant impact on how the game feels.
Lightweight paddles generally offer quicker reactions, easier manoeuvrability and greater control during fast exchanges at the kitchen line. They can also feel more comfortable during longer playing sessions.
Heavier paddles tend to provide more stability and power. Players who like to drive the ball or generate pace often appreciate the extra weight behind their shots.
The trade-off is that heavier paddles can be slower through the air and may place more strain on the wrist, elbow and shoulder over time.
Neither option is automatically better.
The best paddle is usually the one that complements your style of play and feels comfortable in your hand.
WPM Verdict
There is no perfect paddle weight. Faster hands and control generally favour lighter paddles, while players seeking extra stability and power often prefer heavier options. Comfort and confidence matter more than the number printed on the specification sheet.
So, Where Do You Stand?
The longer you play pickleball, the more likely you are to discover that your answers change.
Many players begin indoors before moving outdoors. Some start with singles before embracing doubles. Others move from open play into structured coaching as they look to improve.
The important thing is not choosing the “right” option.
It is understanding what each choice can teach you about your game.
The more you understand the strengths and weaknesses of each approach, the better equipped you will be to find the version of pickleball that works best for you.
Further Reading
- Latest pickleball news from around the world
- Tournament coverage and results
- Rankings and player profiles
- Regional pickleball coverage
For a clearer view of where the sport is heading each month, you can download the latest free issue of World Pickleball Magazine.
Sarah Leaver
EditorSarah Leaver is part of the World Pickleball Media Academy, a contributor programme designed to develop emerging sports media talent.
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