The PPA Tour Is Testing Smaller Singles Courts — a Few Top Pros Have a Different Idea

The PPA Tour thinks the experiment could lead to longer, fiercer points, but some current pros say the court isn't the problem

The PPA Tour announced this week it's testing narrower singles courts during the next four PPA Challenger tournaments.

"In an effort to create a more dynamic game and further highlight the athletic abilities of pro pickleball players," the Tour said on X, "a test of narrower court dimensions will take place in Pro Singles at the Houston PPA Challenger."

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The new courts will effectively introduce a doubles alley, new lines that narrow the overall width by a total of three feet.

So far, online reaction has been visceral and mixed.

• Some feel it will encourage longer, more “cat and mouse”-like points
• Others argue the opposite; a smaller court will lead to more missed shots and ultimately fewer rallies

Another potential experiment has emerged entirely: instead of the speedy Life Time ball, some active pros we talked to wonder, why not adopt a slower ball for singles only, something that plays closer to the Franklin X-40?

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A top singles pro weighs in

In regards to trying a narrower singles court, the PPA Tour thinks it could make things more exciting.

"This change will allow for longer points, fiercer battles, and a more exciting player and spectator experience."

I chatted with several top men's singles pros, including Chris Haworth, who should need no introduction by this point.

Chris positively dominated singles on the APP Tour before joining the PPA Tour this year. In just the past couple of months, he's won gold at the Life Time Open, PPA Daytona Beach, and the PPA Masters. And he's on the hunt at the PPA Indoor National Championships, currently underway in Lakeville, Minnesota.

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Chris says he's totally open to trying new things to improve the on-court and viewer experience.

But he sees a smaller court playing out differently than some:

I don't think it will produce the desired outcome. I’m completely fine trying to figure out a way for longer points but I don’t know if this is the right solution.

I think the worst singles product we have ever had is when the returner rushes the net, the server tries to hit a passing shot and it is either, a) a winner, b) an error, or c) a put-away volley. I think the smaller court will lead to this type of point almost every time; points will very rarely be more than three or four shots.

I love the athleticism that is displayed now with the longer baseline rallies and having to choose wisely when to come to net. I think a great idea if they want more cat and mouse or more long rallies would be to have a singles specific ball.

Logistically, I don’t see how adding extra lines will work – you have to think of all the courts players are practicing on, and then if the smaller court is for pros only, I think viewership goes down even lower for singles, because it becomes something most people don’t even have access to play.

The narrower singles courts, as we've said, are trials only at the PPA Challenger level.

After Houston, they'll be rolled out at the next three Challenger events: Harbour Island, Newport Beach, and Opelika.