To understand these two games, which at first glance seem very different but actually share many aspects, we first need to understand their origins. Pickleball evolved from badminton, while paddle tennis evolved from tennis. This means that the dimensions of the courts, the scoring and the rules of the game are very different.
Both are considered to be the fastest growing sports: paddle tennis in the world and pickleball in the United States.
In the last 5 years, from 2018 to 2023, the term “padel” has gone from being searched 25 times a day to more than 100 times a day. Something equally surprising with Pickleball, which had fewer searches and is now competing for the same number.
As a particularly curious fact provided by the Playtomic report with Monitor Deloitte, in 2022 more than 200 million euros were invested in the construction of new padel courts around the world.
However, although pickleball is growing rapidly in the United States, search statistics show that they are not competing sports but that they coexist and even share an affinity between their players. The evolution of searches over the last 5 years shows a clear tendency to embrace this Hispanic sport.
If you like to play doubles, both games will be ideal for you. However, you should know that the rules of padel require you to play doubles on a standard padel court. There are some individual courts specially designed for playing paddle tennis, but the vast majority are doubles courts.
In contrast, pickleball has no similar restrictions and can be played both in singles and doubles on the same court. That is, there are areas on your side of the court that you cannot walk on with exceptions.
When it comes to padel, it requires a lot of concentration on the force used and knowing how to control the rebound of the ball on the walls so that the game is dynamic.
One of the first things that catch your attention is how different the courts are.
Features of the padel court
Pickleball court features
The pickleball court is 16.5% smaller than a paddle court.
Find here more information about What to consider when installing a padel court in a club, residence or any project.
Do you prefer table tennis? So pickleball is the closest thing, it's like you're standing at a big ping pong table.
The face of the padel racket is thicker and more perforated, while that of the pickleball has a solid face. The ball used in paddle tennis is very similar to that of tennis, with the difference that padel balls have less pressure, so they bounce lower. Whereas pickleball uses a perforated plastic ball that moves much more slowly through the air.
Both sports usually have long balls. In pickleball, it is due to the slowness of the ball, while in paddle tennis it is the surrounding walls that keep the ball in play.
In both pickleball and paddle tennis, the court is divided by a net. In pickleball, there are lines on each side of the court that are reminiscent of badminton, while in paddle tennis the lines are like those used for service cleats on a tennis court.
The easiest starting point when comparing rules is the start of any point, that is, the service. In both games, the serve is performed by hitting the ball below waist level. In padel, you have to throw the ball before you hit it, while in pickleball you have to hit the ball without a pot, much like serving in badminton.
In pickleball, only one service attempt is allowed, unless the ball hits the net along the way, in which case you'll have the opportunity to repeat your serve. On the contrary, in padel, there is a first and a second serve, just like in tennis.
While serving in the pickleball, both feet must be behind the baseline and at least one must be in contact with the surface of the court. Compare this to padel, where the bottom line is a solid wall of glass or cement. Therefore, the paddle service is played between the baseline and the line that marks the edge of the service block. Where there are similarities in the service is that in both games the service is played diagonally, pointing to the clearly marked service block on the opponent's field. In addition, players start their serve shift playing from the right side of the court.
A padel match is scored in the same way as a three-set tennis match, including tie breaks. The only time when the padel score deviates from that of tennis is when you ask for deuce during a game. While in tennis you need 2 clear points to win the game, in padel you use the gold point.
Pickleball, on the other hand, uses a scoring system based loosely on badminton (its original sport). The objective of the game is to be the first player or team to have at least 11 points, of which they must have at least two points ahead of those of their opposing team.
In badminton, the first player/team to score 21 points is the one to win the game. The main difference is that in badminton you can score a point as well as win the serve at a point where your opponent was serving, whereas in pickleball you can only score points in your own serve. In pickleball, if the score is tied at 10 points, the game continues until one of the two players/teams has a 2-point lead.
Playing within the 4 walls of a padel court is a unique attraction of this sport. Even if you miss a hit, the ball can come back out of the wall and give you a second chance to hit the ball. The more you play, the easier it will be for you to adapt to the technique by using walls in the blows you make. This is something that is not possible on a pickleball court.
Read more about the characteristics of a paddle tennis court here.
For many, this is the deciding factor when choosing one or the other. Pickleball has become popular because it can be played in both singles and doubles. In padel, the general rule is that it is played in doubles, with the exception of a handful of individual courts built for this purpose. The fact that doubles are played between four walls by default makes padel a very social game.
At MejorSet we are manufacturers of paddle tennis courts since 2003, having actively participated in the development of the game with the design of the Full Panoramic court, the court currently used in all tournaments that provides total visibility of the game thanks to the fact that it has no corners. We are currently the Official court of the International Paddle Federation, which means that our courts are installed in all the major Paddle Premier tournaments.
If you are thinking about Invest in a padel club, you want to buy a residential padel court, or your company is part of a group of hotels and resorts interested in paddle tennis courts, do not hesitate to contact us.
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