Who knew that racquet sports would grow beyond tennis, racquetball, and badminton? Pickleball and paddle tennis have both experienced meteoric growth throughout the last decade. It’s easy to confuse the two, as they have many similar aspects to them. But they’re quite unique from one another. Pickleball vs paddles tennis – let’s dive in and take a look.
The Similarities
Both sports are variants of tennis. You need to hit a ball over the main obstacle, the net, and pass your opponents to win a point. Both Pickleball and Paddle Tennis use paddles instead of rackets. So, no worries about getting rackets restrung with these sports!
There are no doubles alleys in either sport – the entire court is used for both singles and doubles. Both court set-ups include four service zones.
The Differences
Court Dimensions – the paddle tennis court standard is 50 feet x 20 feet while a pickleball court’s size is 44 feet x 20 feet with a non-volley zone affectionately called the kitchen.
Court Layout – The challenge is increased on a pickleball court with the addition of the kitchen, the non-volley zone. Players are forbidden from stepping into it and smashing a ball back over the net. Paddle tennis has no such restrictions, but each individual paddle court is enclosed by screens around the perimeter. These screens are high fencing similar to chain link but a lighter gauge and coated, and most importantly, they’re a key part of the game. Players can return balls after they bounce into the screens which adds another layer of fun and strategy to paddle tennis.
Equipment – Both sports use paddles, the difference here is the texture. Pickleball is played with smooth paddles. Paddles with too much texture in pickleball can create an unfair advantage. Paddle tennis can be played with smooth or textured paddles, while most typically have air holes with a diameter no greater than ⅜” wide.
Pickleball is played with a hard plastic ball similar to a wiffle ball. The ball has holes and is lightweight; there are some minor differences between an indoor pickleball ball and an outdoor ball. Paddle tennis uses depressurized rubber balls.
Scoring – Paddle tennis uses the same scoring that tennis does. Games are played in the love-15-30-40-game setup. And sets are still played first to six games, best of three sets to win the match. Pickleball made its scoring system simpler. It’s the first player or team to 11 points, win by 2. Pickleball adds another twist: only the serving player or team can score each turn. If the serving team gets the point, they serve again. If the returning team scores, they don’t win the point, but the serve is turned back over to them.
Style of Serve – Pickleball has very strict rules when it comes to serving, as mentioned above, but it also restricts the type of serve allowed. Underhand serves are the only serves in the game of pickleball, and the ball can’t land in the non-volley zone/kitchen while serving. Paddle tennis gives you some freedom, allowing you to serve either underhanded or overhanded.
Pickleball vs Paddle Tennis
While sharing some similar elements, each sport has a lot of its own unique elements. Both offer a great way to get active and a new challenge. Try them both out and have fun. Let’s go!