Explore “Paddle tennis vs pickleball” to enlighten yourself, so don’t get confused in the future between these two games.

You must be into some fun activity games if you are sporty. If yes, then you should consider playing paddle tennis and pickleball. These are not very old games, so few people know everything about them. So, if you also have some questions regarding these games, this article is for you.

Paddle Tennis Vs Pickleball

Paddle tennis and pickleball are not like any traditional sports. They somewhat look similar, which confuses many people which is which. In this article, we will mainly focus on paddle tennis vs pickleball. Read the guide below if you want to know everything about these games, like their similarities and differences.

What Is Paddle Tennis?

Let’s start with paddle tennis. After hearing its name, you might instantly think it is similar to tennis. Well, it is somewhat true and played similarly. From players to scoring, paddle tennis, and tennis have much in common.

It is an outdoor game but can also be played indoors. To play paddle tennis, you need to have a special racket. Although it is very similar to tennis, a tennis racket can not be used to play paddle tennis.

What is Pickleball?

I will briefly explain the basics of pickleball. Like paddle tennis, pickleball has been gaining popularity for the past few years. It is loved equally by kids and elders. Like tennis, it is played with a racket and a ball, but they are nothing like a tennis ball and racket. The game setting is similar to tennis and can be played between teams or single players.

Difference Between Pickleball And Paddle Tennis

If pickleball and paddle tennis are very new to you, you may confuse these two because of how similar they look when you play these games. Many people even find it similar to tennis. No matter how similar they look, pickleball and paddle tennis are quite different from each other and have some uniqueness. Let’s find out together how they differ from each other.

1. Paddle Tennis Vs Pickleball Court Size

One big difference between these two sports is the court size. So let’s dig in more to know how much difference is in the dimensions of the court where you play paddle tennis and pickleball. So, let’s start with the paddle tennis court dimensions.

Lengthwise, it is 50 feet long with a width of 20 feet. These are the standard dimensions of a paddleball court. The pickleball court is 60 feet in length and 30 feet in width. In short, a pickleball court has a larger area than a paddle tennis court.

2. Paddle Tennis Racket Vs Pickleball Racket

Next on the list are paddle tennis and pickleball rackets. No matter how similar these two games look, you can easily guess the game if you pay attention to the rackets. Players are allowed to play with specific rackets only. The pickleball rackets are smaller than paddle tennis rackets.

Taking it forward, I would like to mention the lengths and sizes of the rackets to make the differentiation easier for you. So, a pickleball racket will be 17 inches tall at max. The paddle tennis racket has a standard size of 17.5 inches, and you will never find a paddle tennis racket shorter or taller than this height.

3. Paddle Tennis Ball Vs Pickleball

The balls of these two games are not alike. Both games are played with particular balls specially designed for the game. Pickleball is played with smaller plastic balls with holes, whereas paddle tennis players use rubber paddle ball balls. Remember that the rubber ball of paddle tennis is smaller and has less pressure than a standard tennis ball.

4. Court Layout of Pickleball And Paddle Ball Tennis

As I have discussed earlier, the court of both games has a little difference in dimensions. The court of a pickleball is shorter than a paddle tennis court. One noticeable difference between these two is a non-volley zone. This zone is only a compulsion of pickleball, while paddle tennis players are free from such compulsion.

Is Paddle Tennis The Same As Pickleball?

No matter how related these two games look to each other, their differences are so noticeable that anyone can tell paddle tennis and pickleball are not the same games. But it can not be denied that people still ask if paddle tennis is the same as pickleball. So here are a few basic differences that make these two similar-looking games differ from each other,

• If you pay attention to the serves of both games, you will know if it’s paddle tennis or pickleball. Serves are underhanded in pickleball, while in paddle tennis, players should serve overhead.
• You must now know that the pickleball court is smaller than paddle tennis. But did you know the net height is also different in these two? The net’s height in pickleball is low, whereas paddle tennis is played with a higher net.
• The pickleball is much lighter than the paddle tennis ball. Usually, pickleball is played with a plastic ball, while paddle tennis is played with a rubber ball.

Similarities Between Paddle Tennis And Pickleball

We can say both games are modifications of tennis, which is why they look similar if you see someone playing any of these games. People often ask if paddle tennis is the same as pickleball. Do you also have this confusion?

You will be happy to hear that your confusion will disappear shortly. Here are a few similarities between paddle tennis and pickleball that you should know.

• Both games are played in a similar style. Opponents hit the ball to pass it over the net to another player. They keep on passing the ball until one player misses it.
• The equipment of the game is very similar to each other, from rackets to balls.
• People mostly get confused in these two games because of similar-looking rackets. The paddles look alike, but one can easily differentiate them if one looks closely at the racket. A few differences can be easily found just by paying a little attention.
• Another common feature of paddle tennis and pickleball is a similar-looking court. The court’s dimensions, layout, and design look similar to a layman’s.
• The scoring system of pickleball and paddle tennis is similar to that of a usual tennis game.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Pickleball Shoes The Same As Tennis Shoes?

No, pickleball shoes are not the same as tennis shoes. Although games look similar, pickleball shoes are built to support lateral motion and have extra cushioning to comfort the players.

Difference Between Tennis And Pickleball Shoes?

The basic difference is the outsole. The pickleball shoe’s outsole is constructed from softer and stickier rubber to comfort the players. A pickleball shoe should provide a better grip for lateral movement, which a tennis shoe can not provide, so there are specific shoes for pickleball that fulfill its requirements.

Is Pickleball The Same As Paddle Tennis?

No, pickleball is not as much as paddle tennis. Both are different games from each other. The only thing that is common between them is the paddle. Some differences between both games are paddle size, ball type, court rules, court layout, and hitting pressure.

What Is Paddleball?

Paddleball is played on a court almost half the pickleball’s length. It can be played by two players (singles) or four players (doubles). Paddleball paddle has smaller holes in them for less air friction. It uses small soft balls and can be played with tennis balls.

Can You Play Pickleball On A Paddle Tennis Court?

No, a pickleball court differs from a paddle tennis court in layout. According to USAPA, you can’t play pickleball on the paddle tennis court, but unofficially, for fun and casual, you can play pickleball on it. There are some modifications needed for that.

The Final Verdict

Both pickleball and paddle tennis are variants of tennis, which is why people find them quite similar to each other. Although these are the alternations of a popular game, this can not overshadow the differences between pickleball and paddle tennis. I am enlisting a few of these differences between paddle tennis and pickleball,

• Court Dimensions of pickleball court is smaller than a paddle tennis court
• The Net Height of pickleball is much lower than that of a paddle tennis net height
• The Ball in pickleball is plastic and is much lighter than a paddle tennis rubber ball

Paddle tennis and pickleball have much in common because both are modern versions of traditional tennis. Recently, both games have been popular among kids and youngsters, particularly in America. I hope this article helps you understand the basic similarities and differences between the two.

 

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Pickleball Vs Tennis is an inevitable debate when you are in love with racket sports and here is everything that you need to know.

Pickleball has evolved as one of the best recreational and competitive sports over the years. It has borrowed rules and playing styles from various racket games, but people believe that it mainly originated from tennis. Also, it is quite similar to paddle tennis since both sports have the same origin. In this post, I’ll discuss how pickleball compares to tennis and paddle tennis.

Pickleball Vs Tennis

As stated earlier, both paddle tennis and pickleball originated from tennis. Tennis and pickleball are similar and different from each other in many ways, and here we have got you covered with all these distinctions and similarities.

Difference Between Pickleball And Tennis

1. Rackets And Paddles

The most obvious difference between both sports is, of course, the equipment they use. Tennis is played with traditional tennis rackets. A tennis racket has a stronger frame with taut strings crisscrossing its interior.  Paddles used in pickleball are half the length of tennis rackets.

These paddles have a solid, smooth face instead of crisscrossed taut strings. Paddles have short handles, and they are lighter than tennis rackets. The tennis rackets have strings on the face, and when you strike the ball, these strings bend and tend to compress into the ball.

The paddles have a smooth, solid face, and when you hit the ball, it is deflected from its original angle since there is no compression and bending to accommodate the pickleball balls. In simple words, a pickleball paddle pops off when you hit the ball.

2. Tennis Court Vs Pickleball Court

Court size differs greatly in both sports. Pickleball courts are shorter and narrower than tennis courts. A standard tennis court measures 78×36 feet. Tennis courts designed for some tournaments are even bigger than this. On the other hand, a pickleball court measures 44×20 feet that are almost equal to standard double badminton courts.

3. Court Layout

The pickleball court is the same for singles and doubles, but tennis courts designed for singles are different from the courts designed for doubles. The key differences are double alleys and kitchen:

• Double Alleys

In pickleball court, there are no double alleys, and both players of the team can use every single inch of the court. In the tennis court, two lines run through the court perpendicular to the nets. The area between these lines is called a double alley. When you are playing singles, the shots landing in this zone are out.

This space is basically to provide extra space for doubles games. So, in doubles, shots landing in these games are legal. In pickleball, there is no concept of double alleys, and the court size remains the same for both singles and doubles games.

• Kitchen

The kitchen Or No-Volley zone is the biggest difference that lies between the tennis and pickleball court layouts. The no-volley zone in the pickleball courts measures 7 feet to both sides from the center lines. In this zone, players are forbidden to stand in while volleying the ball. On the tennis court, you won’t see any no-volley zone.

4. Net Size

Net size in tennis measures 3 feet 6 inches from the center. In pickleball, it is 6 feet from the center. The Pickleball net is also narrower than tennis nets.

5. Balls Weight

Pickleball is played with small plastic balls that are very similar to Wiffle balls. These balls have perforated holes in them. Balls currently being used in pickleball weigh around .88 Oz and are slightly heavier than traditional Wiffle balls (.7 Oz). On the other hand, tennis balls have pressurized rubber cores that are covered with nylon-wool blend cloth.

These balls weigh around 2 Oz and are much bigger and heavier than plastic balls in pickleball. Tennis balls have more bounce than pickleball balls. However, pickleball balls travel smoothly through the air since they have less drag due to the perforated construction. Holes on these balls are round and evenly spaced.

6. Pickleball Vs. Tennis Ball

7. Keeping The Scores

Keeping scores in tennis is different from keeping scores in pickleball. In pickleball, there are no set games as in tennis. Tennis is a four-point game, and these four points are named Love, 15, 30, and 40. The player/team who scores 4 points with a lead of 2 wins the game.

If both teams reach a score of 40, the game extends further until one of them wins the game by a lead of 40. Four points win a game, 6 games win a set, and two or three sets win a match. On the other hand, pickleball is an 11-point game. The team that scores 11 points with a lead of 2 wins the game. The winning score can be 11-9, 10-12, 13-11, and so on.

8. How To Score

The goal in tennis and pickleball is to win a rally, but the rules for scoring a point are entirely different. In pickleball, only the serving team can score a point. When you hit a serve, and the opponent fails to defend it, you score a point. But if the serving team loses the rally, the receiving team doesn’t get a point.

The serving team loses the right to serve, and the other team wins the turn to serve. To score a point in pickleball, you must be on the serving side of the court, but in tennis, you are rewarded with a point for both successful defense and offense.

Similarities Between Tennis And Pickleball

1. Same Playing Styles

Both sports are played on rectangular courts divided by nets. Both sports are based on hitting the ball back and forth around the nets. To win and survive in tennis and pickleball, you need to win rallies. Rally is hitting the ball back and forth in a sequence after the service and before a fault.

2. PickleBall Vs Paddle Tennis

Pickleball and paddle tennis have many things in common that help them differentiate from the tennis for which they originated. Since both are paddle sports, they may look the same at a glance. However, some key distinctions are making them entirely different from each other. To help you understand pickleball Vs. paddle tennis, I’ve enlisted the key differences and similarities between these sports.

Difference Between Pickleball And Paddle Tennis

Here is a table outlining the differences between Pickleball and Paddle Tennis:

Aspect	Pickleball	Paddle Tennis
Court Surface	Usually played on hard courts	Typically played on clay or hard courts
Equipment Weight	Paddles are typically lighter	Paddles are typically heavier
Ball Type	Plastic ball with holes	Rubber ball
Court Boundaries	Includes non-volley zone (the “kitchen”)	No specific non-volley zone
Scoring System	Rally scoring is common	Traditional side-out scoring
Serve Location	Must serve from behind the baseline	Can serve from anywhere behind the baseline
Net Design	Lower net with two-inch overlay at the ends	Standard net height throughout
Ball Bounce	Plastic ball has a lower bounce	Rubber ball has a higher bounce
Rules for Volleys	More strict rules on volleys	Fewer restrictions on volleys
Court Lines	Different court lines for singles and doubles	Same court lines for singles and doubles

1. Paddle

Paddles used in both pickleball and paddle tennis look similar, but when we take a closer look, the differences are more evident. The maximum length of the pickleball paddle is 17 inches. The length of the pickleball paddles varies between 15.5 and 17 inches. Paddles used in paddle tennis come in three lengths: 17 inches, 17.5 inches, and 18 inches.

Most adult paddles are 18 inches in length, but junior ade can be 18 inches in length. The face texture of the pickleball paddles is also different from the paddles used for paddle tennis. Pickleball paddles have to be completely smooth, while paddle tennis paddles are often textured and sometimes perforated.

The paddles used in paddles tennis can have up to 87 holes each having a diameter of 3/8 inches. The texture and holes in the paddle enhance the swing and rebound and sometimes have an unfair advantage. Pickleball paddles needed to be perfectly smooth and leagues use a special tool to measure the smoothness of the paddle surface.

2. Court Dimensions

The standard pickleball court is almost equal to a doubles badminton court, and it measures 20 feet in width and 44 feet in length. These are standard dimensions that also include the lines. The width of paddle tennis courts is the same as pickleball courts, but it is 6 feet long, and the length measures 50 feet.

3. Balls

Pickleball and paddle tennis are played with entirely different balls, and this is one of the most evident differences. Initially, pickleball was played with lightweight plastic balls that looked like Wiffle balls. There is a slight improvement in design over time, and nowadays, pickleball uses a smaller plastic ball riddled with holes.

Paddle tennis, being close to tennis, uses depressurized rubber balls that are entirely different from the plastic balls used in pickleball. These balls are bigger than plastic pickleball balls.

4. Keeping The Scores

The scoring system in paddle tennis follows the scoring pattern of tennis, i.e., starting from love to 15 to 30 to 40 to victory. To win a set you need to score 6 points and if a game reaches 6-6 a tie-break to 7 points is played to decide the winner.

The scoring system in pickleball is unique and rather more complex than paddle tennis. The team that scores 11 points with a lead of 2 wins the game, for instance, 12-10, 13-11, or 11-9. Etc. Keeping the score in pickleball is quite difficult due to its complex scoring rules.

5. Scoring Rules

The scoring rules of both of these sports are also different. Paddle tennis follows the traditional scoring rules of racket games. In paddle tennis, you get points for both successful offense and defense. Whether you are on the serving side or the receiver side, you have an equal opportunity to score a point.

In pickleball, only the serving team can score a point. If the serving team wins the rally, they score a point. If the opponent teams win the rally, the serving right of their opponent is lost, and they win the turn to serve. To win a point in pickleball, you must be on the server side.

6. Court Layout

The court layout is almost the same for both paddle tennis and pickleball. The key difference between the court layout is the no-volley zone. The no-volley zone is only found in pickleball. It is a zone that extends 7 feet to both sides from the center. In this zone, the players are forbidden from smashing the ball back over the nets.

The Pickleball court is already shorter than the paddle tennis court, and the presence of a non-volley zone leaves a very limited space for hitting the ball. It makes the pickable a little more challenging than paddle tennis.

Similarities Between Pickleball And Paddle Tennis

1. Both Use Paddles

Paddle tennis and pickleball are both classified as paddle sports. Tennis is played with rackets featuring solid frames and taut strings in a criss-cross pattern. Paddles look similar to the rackets but they have a solid face.

2. Style Of Play

Both these games are based on hitting the ball back and forth around the net. To survive and win the game, the basic goal of every player is to win a rally. Both games have a similar court layout as there are no double alleys in both pickleball or paddle tennis courts. It means all players on the teams can play from any point of the court.

People Also Ask

Is Pickleball Easier Than Tennis?

Pickleball is much easier to learn than tennis when it is compared to rules, court dimensions, paddles, balls, stretch, and hit patterns. A Pickleball court is also smaller than a tennis court and also requires less effort and cost than a tennis court. Pickleball paddles and balls are also lightweight as compared to tennis.

How Is Pickleball Different From Tennis?

Pickleball is different from tennis in many ways, from court size, game rules, ball size and shape, racket shape, and others. Tennis courts have large sizes and widths as compared to pickleball. Pickleball players use plastic balls and lightweight paddles, while tennis players use a heavy racket with rubber-covered balls.

Is A Pickleball Court The Same As A Tennis Court?

No, the first difference between pickleball and tennis is their court layout. Pickleball is played on a smaller court while tennis has a large size court. Tennis courts are 60 feet wide and 120 feet long, and pickleball courts are 20 feet wide and 44 feet long.

Is Pickleball Played On A Tennis Court?

Yes, you can play pickleball on the tennis court, but for this, there is a need for some modification on the tennis court. You have to convert the tennis court to a pickleball court. Reduce the length of the tennis court from 60 feet to 20 feet, and width from 120 feet to 44 feet, and the net height to 34″ in the center.

Do You Need Special Shoes For Pickleball?

Yes, for optimum performance, you need to wear shoes designed for pickleball. Regular Running shoes lack the stability that you need on pickleball courts. Pickleball shoes have a wide base and big heel cup size, making them more stable on the court.

Can You Wear Running Shoes For Pickleball?

It is not recommended to wear running shoes for pickleball. These shoes offer limited traction and stability as they have a narrower base.

Can You Wear Pickleball Shoes For Tennis?

No, you can’t wear pickleball shoes. Pickleball shoes feature a design that is specific to sports and cannot be used as multi-purpose athletic footwear. These shoes feature specific designs to accommodate rapid cutting and lateral movement without limiting stability.

Is A Pickleball Bigger Than A Tennis Ball?

No, pickleball is played with smaller balls as compared to tennis balls. Pickleballs are around 3 inches in diameter, and tennis balls are slightly higher than pickleballs. Pickleball Balls are also more lightweight than tennis. As pickleball is played with plastic balls with holes in them pickleball is louder than tennis.

The Final Verdict

I’m hopeful that this guide will help you understand how pickleball is different from tennis and paddle tennis. Though paddle tennis and pickleball are newer than tennis, they are the best competitive sports that you can play at any age.

 

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