Paddle Tennis vs Pickleball
Being a pickleball enthusiast, it’s perfectly understandable to live with the dilemma that every other sport feels sort of similar even down to the last-minute detail.
Let’s just take Paddle tennis for instance, you could almost enter a session at your local public park and confuse it with a pickleball game.
But then again, that’s just the core beauty of pickleball which has inherited so many features from other sports that it has blurred the lines when compared with each other.
That being said, today I am going to compare Paddle Tennis Vs Pickleball and shed some light on whether or not “Is Pickleball easier than tennis”.
Comparison Of Paddle Tennis vs pickleball
Here are some elements illuminating its differences,
Paddle Type
In Pickleball, a wooden paddle which resembles a ping pong paddle is used and is made from wood with rubberized lining at each side to support both backhand and forehand shots.
The rubber texture also has a porous surface to provide griping and enough friction so you can spin the ball easily.
Although typically made from wood, there are some variants that are also made from graphite components, nevertheless, a pickleball paddle is supposed to weigh no higher than 8 ounces measures approximately 22 inches in length, and has a width of 8 inches.
Paddle tennis, on the other hand, is much heavier in nature and weighs around 11 ounces at maximum, meanwhile, they are generally smaller in length measuring around 17.5 inches in height with 8 inches in width.
As per the official physical dimension limit, an adult tennis paddle cannot exceed the 18-inch limit, whether it’s made from carbon fiber or fiberglass.
Court Dimensions
Paddle tennis in this department takes things to the next level since most of the sessions are played in enclosed walls or fences to allow the ball to bounce through it for much more fast-paced action.
It is also no doubt much bigger measuring at 20 meters in length and 10 meters in width.
On the flip side, Pickleball players get to play on a much smaller court as it measures a mere 13.41 meters while having a width of 6.1 meters.
Astoundingly, both courts, despite having a night and day difference when compared in terms of physical dimension, have a similar net height of 36 inches at the sides while being 34 inches in the middle.
Ball Type
The biggest difference in fact lies in its ball type, a Pickleball uses a plastic ball measuring 2.75 inches in diameter and weighs only 2.10 ounces since it is pretty much hollow with around 20-40 holes depending on the type of brand you are using.
Due to their hollow nature, they tend to hold lesser momentum and don’t travel with speed even when hit with a considerable amount of force, this keeps the game in a more relaxed state as compared to Paddle Tennis.
A Paddle Tennis ball is much more bulky and weighs 2.25 ounces with a diameter of 2.5 inches and is made from synthetic composite and has a wool covering to provide friction whenever it makes contact with the surface.
Is Pickleball easier than tennis?
The core strategies and variations are much more inclined towards casual and intermediate players. Although it could still be played in competitive leagues when compared to paddle tennis, most of the playstyle is incredibly lenient especially if you consider its scoring system.
Paddle tennis is all about going frenzy and putting your opponent on the edge because not only do you have heavier equipment to handle but you also have to work on a much bigger court in an enclosed walled field which could also be used to your advantage if necessary.
I wouldn’t necessarily call it easier, it’s just that some strategies and shot combinations are so much easier to execute with a slower wiffle ball in contrast to a speedier and bulkier synthetic composite ball which holds much more momentum that you have to counteract against.
So in other words, if you do have ultra instincts or are proficient with your reflexes, consider opting for paddle tennis, however, if fast-paced thrillers aren’t your cup of tea, feel free to bask in the leisures of Pickleball itself.
Bottom Line
I would conclude this article by giving my two cents by stating that it wouldn’t be ethically and professionally appropriate to give a biased opinion about one sport over another, having proficiency in both of them, both Paddle tennis and Pickleball have attained a renowned status and is played actively by millions of players worldwide.
Nevertheless, when it boils down to Pickleball vs Paddle tennis, the former seems much more oriented toward elderly and casual players while Paddle tennis raises the bar a step further with its bigger court and snappier response times when it comes to reflexes on each side of the court.
