Pickleball vs Tennis

You might be asking yourself why is pickleball so popular? Pickleball is taking the world by storm, especially in places with mild winters and a lot of public outdoor tennis courts. While both pickleball and tennis are racquet sports, there are some key differences in the equipment, rules, pace of the game, and various levels of play.

Pickleball Equipment vs Tennis

In pickleball, players use a composite paddle and a plastic ball with holes (wiffle ball), while tennis requires racquets and a felt-covered ball. Pickleball courts are also smaller, measuring 20x44 feet compared to the regulation tennis court size of 78x36 feet. Additionally, the pickleball net is lower at 34 inches compared to 36 inches in tennis.

The pickleball itself is a key difference in the game. Since its a wiffleball, its extremely light has a low bounce. This changes the timing of hitting the ball when compared to playing tennis. Tennis balls have a much higher bounce and can be hit with a lot of spin. A high level tennis serve can cross the net at over 100 mph, making preparation pretty difficult.

The low bounce and slower speed of the pickleball can be difficult to get used to for a tennis player, but easier for someone that is new to racquet sports. You have plenty of time to get to the ball and prepare your feet to hit a decent shot.

There are also various levels of equipment depending upon the skill level of the player. You can pickle up a tennis racquet or pickleball paddle for a beginner at your favorite retail store. But if you’re looking for something for a more advanced player, you’ll have to look online or go to a specialty store.

For a beginner or recreational player, the equipment won’t make too much of a difference in your game. The best way you can improve is to spend more time on the court and hitting a lot of balls. As you begin to improve, eventually you’ll feel the equipment limit your ability and it will be time for an upgrade.

Pickleball rules vs Tennis

Pickleball rules are a blend of different racquet sports to keep the game competitive. There are some key differences between the two that take some time to get used to.

The “kitchen”, or the non-volley zone is an area close to the net where you can’t hit the ball out of the air and must let it bounce. This is a big difference when compared to tennis since no such area exists and hitting the ball out of the air while close to the net is the easiet way to win a point. Without the kitchen, the points would be over much quicker and the overall strategy of the game would change. The kitchen allows for players of all ages and levels of play to stay in the points longer.

Double faults also aren’t a thing in pickleball, and neither is a let. You have one chance to serve in pickleball and if the ball hits the net while serving and still stays in, that counts. The one serve rule in pickleball is likely to keep the game moving quickly since you can only score points on the serve, which is another interesting rule.

Scoring on the serve is a big difference between pickleball and tennis. In tennis, you can win a “game”, “set”, or the entire match when the other person or team is serving. In pickleball, you can only score points when you or your team is serving. When you’re returning, you’re trying to prevent your opponent from getting any points so you can get back on serve.

Pace of play

These differences lead to a slightly different game dynamic. Pickleball is typically a slower paced game with an emphasis on positioning and finesse, while tennis is known for its fast pace and power. Both sports offer a great cardiovascular workout and the opportunity to socialize and have fun. So whether you prefer the larger court and faster pace of tennis or the strategic elements of pickleball, both are excellent options for an active lifestyle.

The pace of play has a lot to do with the type of ball used in each sport. The wiffle ball used in pickleball is extremely light and travels much slower through the air. This can lead to longer rallies with many ‘dinks’ before a putaway shot presents itself. Tennis has evolved from a serve and volley game to a hard-hitting base line game. This is because equipment has improved from a racquet and court standpoint, and professional players are much stronger than they were in decades prior.

The rules and scoring of pickleball and tennis also vary, but both involve rallying the ball back and forth over the net until a player is unable to return it. In pickleball, the return of serve must bounce before being hit by the server, while in tennis there is a strategy known as ‘serve and volley’. Pickleball games are played to 11 points, with players switching sides at 6, while tennis is typically played in sets of 6 games, with the winner being the first to reach 6 games and a 2-game lead over their opponent.

Levels of play

There are various levels of play for both tennis and pickleball. Recreational players typically play for fun at public courts and have never taken private lessons. Ironically, these are the typically the players who want to improve the most!

Both sports have leagues, tournaments, and a professional level. One notable difference is that pickleball teams do not yet exist at the high school or college level. Professional tennis has obviously existed much longer, and there are many more players on the men’s and women’s tennis tour. That isn’t to say that pickleball can’t grow to have as many professional players, but the prize money and sponsorships aren’t there for a few thousand players to play pickleball full time.

There are many more club level tennis players than there are pickleball players, with the USTA having more than 680,000 individual members. Not all of them play or even participate on a consistent basis, but this is much larger than the 53,000+ USA Pickleball members. With that being said, USA Pickleball membership increased over 40% from 2020 to 2021, and the number of casual pickleball likely drawfs the number of casual tennis players.

Pickleball vs Tennis Conclusion

Overall, pickleball and tennis offer similar physical and social benefits, but with some key distinctions in equipment, court size, and gameplay. It is amazing to see pickleball explode in popularity over the last few years, and it’s great to see vacant tennis courts put back to use. Will pickleball ever have an equivalent of a Grand Slam? Maybe, but that will have to do with the amount of fans that show up to watch. Either way, the grassroots nature of pickleball has a lot of people rooting for it, even the tennis players!