Pickleball Court vs Tennis Court: What's the Difference?

Part tennis and part badminton, pickleball has taken off around the country. It’s well on its way to becoming a favorite sport for all ages. Many pickleball enthusiasts are even converting or adapting old tennis courts into pickleball courts to accommodate their new passion. Though pickleball and tennis are both played on rectangular-size courts with a net down the middle, there are some differences. Here's what you should know about a pickleball court vs. tennis court.

Pickleball Court vs. Tennis Court

The most obvious difference between pickleball and tennis courts is their size. Pickleball is played on a much smaller court. Whereas tennis courts are 60 feet wide and 120 feet long, pickleball courts are 20 feet wide and 44 feet long, about the same size as badminton courts. You can actually fit four pickleball courts on a standard tennis court!

Other differences between the two courts include:

Netting. The net on a tennis court is the same height—36 inches—as the one on a pickleball court, but a pickleball court net measures 34 inches in the center.
Volley zone. In pickleball, there’s a seven-foot no-volley zone from the net, three-and-a-half feet on each side. The zone is popularly referred to as the “kitchen.”
Singles and double courts. Tennis courts have “doubles alleys” on each side which teams of two can use. A pickleball court is the same size for singles and doubles.

As for the markings on each court, they’re similar to one another.

The Game Differences Between Pickleball and Tennis

Two big differences between the sports are in the equipment. Both use balls, but a pickleball is more of a plastic shell that looks and behaves a lot like a wiffle ball, but with smaller holes. And where tennis players use rackets, pickleball enthusiasts use paddles that look like oversized ping pong paddles. Modern pickleball paddles are composite models that have a honeycomb-shaped core, a face, and an edge guard.

Some of the less serious social aspects of pickleball include:

The boisterous heckling that goes on amongst players.
The playing of loud music.
Balls hit to people’s bodies on purpose.

Two Courts for Two Great Sports

Both pickleball and tennis are enjoyable sports for anyone who’s interested in all-around fitness. Highly social, the games are also great opportunities to meet new people. Whether you choose one, the other, or both, you’ll find yourself having fun, making new friends, and simply having a ball!

Ready to design your own pickleball court? Contact Sport Court of Las Vegas online today or call us at 702-883-8386 to learn how to get started.