Padel is a doubles game. The official rules, the tournaments and almost every court in India are built for four players. Singles exists, and it is a brutal workout, but it is a different sport in more ways than people expect.
Why doubles is the default
A standard court is 10 m wide. With two players per side, each covers half of it, and the walls keep rallies going. With one player per side on the same court, the angles are too big: a cross-court ball into the side glass is very hard to reach alone. That is why singles is usually played on narrower single courts, which many clubs don't have.
What changes in singles
| Doubles | Singles | |
|---|---|---|
| Main goal | Win the net as a pair | Move your opponent around |
| Lob | The key shot to take the net | A way to buy recovery time |
| Running | Short, sharp movements | Much more, and more sprinting |
| Communication | Constant | None |
| Mistakes | Your partner can cover | Every gap is yours |
Is singles worth playing?
As training, yes. It improves footwork, fitness and shot placement, because you have to create every opening yourself. As your main game, probably not: the net battles, the teamwork and the lob game that make padel what it is mostly disappear. If your club has a single court, use it now and then for a hard session, and keep doubles for matches.
Doubles skills to work on
- Call every ball through the middle: "mine" or "yours".
- Move as a pair: forward together, back together.
- Lob when both opponents are at the net.
- Aim low at the feet or through the middle, where the two players might hesitate.