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5 Differences Between Pickleball Court Vs Tennis Court
Tennis and pickleball are two sports that seem very similar to one another. However, when it comes to pickleball court vs tennis court, there are differences many beginners are not aware of.
Indeed, these two sports cannot be played in the exact same area. There are some different rules that require different courts.
If you’d like to learn about differences between pickleball and tennis courts, here’s everything you need to know:
1. Court Size
The first and most notable difference when it comes to pickleball court vs tennis court is their size. You don’t even have to be a player to notice that these two courts have very different dimensions!
A tennis court is much larger than a pickleball court. According to the International Tennis Federation regulations, a regular tennis court has dimensions of 78 x 36 feet.
If the court is intended for singles only, it will be somewhat narrower. Such a court will have dimensions of 78 x 27 feet.
On the other hand, a pickleball court has a size of 44 x 20 feet. As you can see, this is quite a significant difference.
How Many Pickleball Courts Fit On A Tennis Court?
When making a tennis court suitable for a game of pickleball (yes, you can play pickleball on a tennis court, but with a few catches), you need to know how many pickleball courts you can fit on one tennis court.
Just by looking at the dimensions, you can fit up to four pickleball courts on one court designed for tennis. However, this might not be the best idea.
If you try to fit four pickleball courts on a tennis court, you’ll have no space for spectators, and players from one court might clash with players on the other one.
As such, the safest option is to fit no more than two pickleball courts on a tennis court. This will allow you to have an as comfortable game as possible.
2. Single And Double Courts
Another difference is the court type. What do I mean?
In tennis, there is a size and line difference between courts made for singles and for doubles.
Courts for doubles have what is called the doubles sideline. These are the outermost lines that spread lengthways on the court edges.
You can play singles on a doubles court. You just have to ignore these additional lines. Nothing else will change.
However, there are tennis courts designed specially for singles. These tennis courts don’t have these doubles sidelines, so they are a few feet narrower.
Keep in mind that you cannot play doubles on a singles court. even though the opposite is possible.
On the other hand, pickleball courts will have the same dimensions for both singles and doubles. There are no differences in size or lines between the two, and you play them within the same area.
3. Net Height
Pickleball court and tennis court don’t have the same net - or rather, their net isn’t the same height.
This is one of those differences that not everyone will notice at the first glance.
A pickleball net is a few inches shorter than a tennis net. This is why many times when you go on tennis courts that can be adjusted for pickleball you’ll see a sign that says Bring Your Own Nets.
A tennis court has a middle height of 36 inches, but its edges have a height of 42 inches.
On the other hand, the pickleball net is 36 inches tall on the edges, and its middle part has a height of 34 inches.
This doesn’t mean that you cannot play pickleball using a tennis net. You just need to make sure your ball goes higher.
However, I would never advise this. Not only will this disrupt your game, but if you play pickleball on such courts more often, you might have a hard time adjusting to a proper pickleball court later on.
Of course, picking a proper pickleball paddle will help. Having proper equipment can greatly improve your ball control.
4. Non-Volley Zone
Another difference is regarding the court lines.
A pickleball court has a non-volley zone, also known as the kitchen. This zone doesn’t exist on tennis courts.
Kitchen is a 7-foot side line that players cannot volley in.
While the existence of this zone might seem like just another rule to confuse players, it actually has a rather logical purpose.
If players were to stand and volley within this line, they could easily smash every hit. The kitchen makes sure the game is more versatile and fair.
5. Doubles Sidelines
Tennis courts made for doubles have doubles sidelines no pickleball court has.
While I’ve already mentioned them before, let’s get a bit deeper.
Doubles sidelines are located 18 feet from the center mark. This is why the doubles court is 9 feet wider than a singles court.
Don’t get me wrong, a pickleball court does have sidelines. Every court does. However, the specific double sidelines are exclusively found on courts for tennis and badminton.
Final Words
As you can see, there are quite a few differences when it comes to pickleball court vs tennis court.
While the two sports might seem similar at first glance, they are actually two individual games with their own individual rules. They require their own paddles, their own balls, and, finally, their own courts.
Having a proper court is one of the most important parts of playing any sports game properly. While some courts can be adjusted, it’s important to learn what distinguishes the two, so you can know what to focus on.
I hope this article has made things clearer for you.
Enjoy your game!
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