Have you ever thought you might enjoy singles pickleball… if it didn’t involve quite so much running?

Not talking about the 22-year-olds who can sprint corner to corner without blinking. You’ll be fine.

But for the rest of us — the ones who still love competing but don’t necessarily love chasing wide passing shots all afternoon — singles can feel less like strategy and more like survival.

And that might be about to change.

The Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) Challenger Series has begun experimenting with narrower singles court lines — reducing the width of the singles court by 1 metre (0.5m each side).

Why?

Because the goal isn’t fitness testing. It’s better pickleball.

The PPA has described the trial as a way to explore how narrowing the court could lead to longer rallies and a more exciting match experience for both players and spectators. In other words, less baseline sprinting and more actual pickleball exchanges.

Let’s be honest — traditional singles can sometimes start looking suspiciously like tennis. Big serves. Big drives. Big passing shots. Quick points.

But what makes pickleball unique?

Drops. Dinks. Cat-and-mouse battles at the kitchen. Hands exchanges that get the heart racing.

Shrinking the singles court could bring more of that into the singles game.

Instead of winning by simply stretching your opponent beyond recovery, you may need to construct points with control, precision and patience. That sounds a lot more like pickleball.

And here’s the interesting part for the leading pickleball club in the South West, Busselton Pickleball Club Inc., and their club coach, Power Pickleball Academy.

Their indoor venue is already perfectly positioned for this type of evolution.

They actually already have tramlines on their courts that create a naturally narrower playing width. They don’t need to repaint or reconfigure anything — the infrastructure is already there thanks to their venue previously being used by a badminton club.

Imagine singles that:

• Feels more tactical than exhausting

• Encourages touch and creativity

• Extends rallies

• Makes the game more accessible to players who love competing but don’t want to sprint endlessly

Could this be the future of singles pickleball?

Nobody knows yet.

But if the professional game is willing to experiment, it suggests something important — the sport is still evolving.

And evolution is exciting.

Because sometimes a small change in court lines can completely reshape how a game feels.

Keen to try tramlines out singles at Busselton Pickleball Club Inc.? Head to busseltonpickleballclub.com.au and book a spot in their organised social sessions, or powerpickleball.com.au and book a private lesson, drills session or high-level match-play session.