There is a surprising number of sports where you hit a ball with some kind of racket or paddle. If you want to get active, and you like taking your frustration out on inanimate objects, then there are many different options to choose from.
Sure, you might be familiar with sports like tennis and ping pong, but there are many more to consider, such as pickleball and paddle tennis.
Pickleball and paddle tennis are both fairly new sports in the grand scheme of things, at least when compared to something like tennis. With that being said, both pickleball and paddle tennis are seeing an upsurge in popularity, both among the old and the young.
One of the reasons for this is because both sports are relatively easy to learn and to play, with there being many beginners leagues out there. However, pickleball and paddle tennis are two relatively different sports.
Although they may look similar to the naked eye, and in some ways, they indeed are, there are also many differences between them that you need to know about. Today, we want to do a paddle tennis vs pickleball comparison to see exactly what each one is all about and which one is best for you.
Paddle Tennis vs Pickleball: A Side-by-Side Comparison
Right now, we’re going to take a look at both paddle tennis and pickleball to see exactly what they’re about. We will take a look at both the similarities shared between them and the differences. Hopefully, by the end of this article, you’ll know which of these two sports is best for you.
What is Paddle Tennis?
Just to avoid any confusion, paddle tennis may also be referred to as paddleball or pop tennis. Paddle tennis is a game that is most often played outdoors in an enclosed area, which is to ensure safety. It’s played in enclosed area so that the ball does not go flying and hit somebody. That said, it can at times also be played in an indoor arena, such as racquetball or squash.
Just like normal tennis, paddle tennis can be played in either singles or doubles, so either two or four people can play at the same time. The scoring system in paddle tennis is fairly similar to normal tennis, as is winning a set.
Of course, there are some pretty big differences between paddle tennis and regular tennis, but in the grand scheme of things, they are fairly similar. They both involve hitting a ball back and forth over a net, with the main goal being to have your opponent miss the ball and let it go out.
What is Pickleball?
We then have pickleball, a fairly unique game that was first invented in 1965. It was invented by three fathers that lived in Washington state. The sport of pickleball is played with very smooth paddles, which are most often made out of wood. These may however be made out of different materials.
It may look similar to tennis, as it does involve hitting a ball back and forth over a net, keeping score, and more. However, unlike tennis, pickleball uses a plastic ball that is filled with holes.
One of the reasons why many people love this game so much is because it is very easy to play, even for children. It can make for good training for tennis, or just for a casual day of fun.
Pickleball vs Paddle Tennis: The Similarities
To the untrained eye, pickleball and paddle tennis may look the same. Indeed, there are some similarities shared by pickleball and paddle tennis, so let’s take a look.
1. The Paddle
Often these sports are played using rackets or paddles. Although there are some small differences between the paddles used in both sports, generally speaking, they are more or less the same.
The patterns used for both of these sports have similar shapes and are made out of similar materials, which is one of the reasons why both games are often confused for each other.
Both pickleball and paddle tennis feature a paddle that can be made out of a variety of materials. They are usually fairly rectangular in nature and have a handle long enough to easily fit a hand.
If we were to compare these paddles to another sport, they look somewhat similar to ping pong paddles, although they are substantially larger and more rectangular.
2. The Court
Another similarity that you will notice between paddle tennis and pickleball is that the courts look fairly similar, although there are some differences between them. However, at first glance, it might look like both of these games are played on what is essentially a tennis court.
Indeed, both pickleball and paddle tennis are generally played in enclosed outdoor areas, although they may sometimes be played indoors. That said, as you will see in the section about the differences between these two games, the course themselves are somewhat different.
3. The General Style
Another similarity that you’ll notice between both of these games is that, well, they are just fairly similar in general. Both sports involve players standing on two sides of the net, holding paddles, and hitting a ball back and forth over the net looking to score.
If you don’t know what they are, and you were just a bystander, you would probably assume that both paddle tennis and pickleball are the exact same game. Yes, the rules of the game are different, but in the grand scheme of things, the games are fairly similar.
4. Number of Players
The other similarity shared by these two sports is that both pickleball and paddleball can be played in either singles or doubles format, or in other words by two players or four players.
Paddle Tennis vs Pickleball: The Differences
Now that we know what makes these two games similar, let’s figure out what makes them different.
1. Court Design
Although the courts that these two sports are played on look similar, there are some differences between them. For instance, a paddle tennis court has an area of 44 feet by 20 feet, with the court being divided into service boxes and service zones, and it is also on a raised platform.
On the other hand, pickle golf ball court is generally just a badminton court and it measures 30 feet by 60 feet.
2. The Serve
What is interesting to note is that the server is quite different in these two games. Paddle tennis is not very strict when it comes to the serve. You do only get one opportunity to serve in this game, but you can serve the ball in whatever way you see fit. It can be overhand or underhand.
On the other hand, in pickleball, you only get one opportunity to serve, but you’re only allowed to serve underhanded, plus there is a no-volley zone that the ball cannot touch during the serve.
3. The Paddle
Yes, both of these games do use paddles, but there are some differences between these paddles. The biggest difference between the paddles used in pickleball and paddle tennis has to do with texture. Paddle tennis paddles are sometimes textured or sometimes not, and they may have holes in them.
However, pickleball paddles tend to be fairly smooth, as paddles that have extreme texture can lead to players having an unfair advantage. Because paddle tennis paddles may have holes in them, they tend to allow for much more speed to be generated on the swing.
4. Scoring
Perhaps one of the biggest differences between these two games is how they are scored. If we are talking about paddle tennis, scoring is virtually the same as with regular tennis, as each game features six different point opportunities. This is scored at 15, 30, 40, and gam.
Moreover, it takes six games to create a full set. You can pretty much just look up the rules for tennis.
We then have pickleball, which has a very different and unique scoring system. To win a game of pickleball, a player has to have 11 points, plus they generally need to have two more points than the other player. Due to this two-point difference requirement, scores may sometimes go past 11.
5. The Ball
The other big difference to keep in mind here has to do with the ball. In the sport of pickleball, a relatively small plastic ball with holes in it is used, which is more or less a wiffle ball. These holes are also extremely lightweight.
On the other hand, if we are talking about paddle tennis, the balls tend to be depressurized tennis balls constructed out of rubber. They almost look something like ping-pong balls. However, they’re not as small as ping pong balls, as they need to travel further distances.
Conclusion
There you have it folks, all of the major differences between paddle tennis and pickleball. Now that you know what makes these two games different, you can choose between them.
By day, I work in IT, troubleshooting network issues and deciphering error messages. But by evening, you'll find me on the pickleball court, trying to perfect that elusive spin serve or working on my still-not-quite-there drop shot.
I also contribute to a pickleball affiliate website, but let's be clear—I'm no journalist. I write articles sharing what I've learned, the mistakes I've made, and the gear I've tried. My aim is to help others navigate the learning curve a bit more smoothly than I did.
When I'm not behind a computer screen or holding a paddle, I love spending time with my family, hiking, and diving into a good science fiction novel. If you're ever up for a game or just want to chat about pickleball, feel free to reach out. I'm all ears and always looking to improve.
