Differences Between Tennis, Padel, and Pickleball - blog

Differences Between Tennis, Padel, and Pickleball

While tennis is the most popular racket sport currently globally, other ones like padel and pickleball are also pretty well-known. If you are naive to the sports, you may often get confused between each of them as they look so similar. However, some eminent features will allow you to understand the fine lines. Let us discuss those eminent differences between the three sports to understand how to identify each of them.

The Tennis Sport

A game of tennis does not require any introductions in today’s time. You can easily identify it with the rackets in the hands of the players. However, do you know how old is this sport? France is the birthplace of handball which aristocrats started playing in the 12th century. Soon, an update entered the sport according to which these royals started playing the game with a racket in place of their hands. Since the starting only, 2 to 4 players would participate in the game according to the types of game they are playing. The gameplay is to use tennis rackets to hit the small yellow tennis ball across the net to score points.

The game starts when one player serves the ball and then the other player across the net makes sure to hit back the ball to the opponent court side. This continues till one of the players does not miss out on hitting the ball. The person who has hit the ball in such a way that the ball falls in the other person’s courtside wins a point. The player winning a maximum number of points wins the game.

One of the major features that make this sport unique from many other sports is that you can play it on different court surfaces. The tennis sport started on the grass court of Wimbledon and now most tournaments are held on the hard court surfaces. Also, you will find many tournaments offering clay court surfaces for the championship.

The Padel Sport

It is quite unlikely for you to not know what padel is if you are well-versed in tennis. In terms of the popularity of racket games, padel comes just after tennis. Would you not like to know who came up with this sport?

It is said that in 1969, a Mexican businessman Enrique Corcuera got so inspired by the platform tennis being played in the USA that he thought of owning the game. The next step that he took was to make certain modifications to his existing squash court to play platform tennis conveniently. Soon, a new game was introduced with this combination by the name of Padel.

The game is played within closed walls and the players use paddles with small holes in place of rackets. While the sport had its birth in Spain, now it has become a favorite sport in Europe and America.

The Pickleball

After taking a short trip about tennis and padel, it's time to understand what is pickleball. If you are someone from the United States, you will know how popular this sport is in this country. The game culture started way back in the mid-1960s and soon its fame spread out throughout the whole nation, Often you will find pickleball is similar to badminton in several ways such as the court size. However, the net of both sports is slightly different from each other. It is one of the games with paddles and balls such as the padel sport. The paddle of the game was traditionally made up of wood but now you get also options in composite materials. The ball used in the game is made up of perforated plastic. In both sports, you will see players playing in singles and doubles formats.

Now, if you are someone outside the United States, it is natural that you may have this common question in mind: Is pickleball hard? To this question, you must know that the Pickleball game is much easier compared to its other two variants, tennis and padel. Most importantly, Pickleball is more about social interactions, unlike the other two sports.

Tennis, Padel Tennis, and Pickleball - The Differences

Absorbing details about these games must have been quite a load, isn’t it? So, let us put them all together to understand the major differences between them.

The court of the 3 sports-

Different factors	Tennis	Padel	Pickleball
Court Size	Tennis courts are 60 feet wide and 120 feet long.	For padel tennis, you must have a padel ball court with walls. The padel court size is 32.8 feet wide and 65.6 feet in length.	Much smaller than a tennis court. 20 feet wide and 44 feet long.
Types of court	Tennis courts can be hard courts, grass courts, and clay courts.	Padel tennis courts are made up of wired mesh and glass for the rebound walls.	Pickleball is usually played in hard courts.
Court format	Court sizes for singles and doubles are different	Court sizes are different for different formats, like doubles and singles.	Court sizes for all formats are the same.
Net	The net is slightly higher than pickleball and padel. the net stands at 3 feet tall in the center and 3.5 in the posts.	Padel nets are 3.28 feet long, 2.89 feet high from the center, and 3 feet at the end.	The net is slightly lower. It’s 34 inches in the center and 36 in the sides.
Racket handles	Played with larger rackets that have frames and strings with longer handles.	Played with rackets having shorter handles. The racket consists of a core foam that is sturdy enough that is surrounded by durable fibreglass.	Played with plastic pickleball paddles with a paddle ball.
Balls	Balls used have felt coverings with a rubber shell underneath and can be pressurized to different levels.	Balls are similar to tennis balls but are less pressurized.	Uses plastic balls with holes between 26 and 40 in number. The plastic balls bounce higher, making it perfect for a smaller court.
Racket weight	The Weight of rackets is 9-12 ounces.	Padel tennis rackets weigh approximately 12 ounces.	The Weight of rackets is 6-10 ounces.
Servings	Needs an overhead serve in the beginning.		Uses an underhand serve.
Gameplay and style	Can be played slowly with extended points and longer rallies.	Strategic game with shorter swings, high net play.	Quick reflex and the precise placement of racket and balls are needed.
Scoring system	The traditional scoring system starts from 15, then 30, 40, and so on. The teams tie on 40.	The teams tie on 40. But the scoring system is almost the same as tennis.	The traditional scoring system in pickleball starts from 11.
Pace of game	Tennis is a fast and powerful game.	Padel tennis uses strategic use of the walls while playing every shot.	This is a fast game with smaller balls that drop and move faster, making the game a perfect whirlwind.
Good for	Cardio	Social game and strategy	Fun game

Is there anything common between Tennis, Padel, and Pickleball?

Yes, there are several similarities between these sports even when we discussed many differences above.

You can easily come up with the very first similarity that racket-like equipment is used in all these three sports.
When you see the players playing, you cannot differentiate initially. So, the gameplay of the sports is also almost similar.
When you know that the gameplay is almost similar, the scoring in the game has to be somewhat similar too.

Tennis, Padel Vs. Pickleball - Which is more Strenuous?

The intensity of the workout can be different in each sport. In all three games, you require a combination of your footwork and eye coordination to play great shots and score. However, in terms of strategies, the padel game has an advantage as it is played within closed walls and the players have the advantage of the ball getting bounced back from the wall. Pickleball players have to play a lot of lateral movements for the game. So, great balance and eye coordination are required for the game. Also, pickleball is known as more of a social interaction game.

The tennis game is known to be highly strenuous compared to the other two games because it has a larger court than padel and pickleball to run around. In addition to that you have to be fast to not miss out on any shot in that large court. Also, you have to be flexible enough to never miss a ball coming from any of the directions.

Whatever sport you choose, you must put in your best physical activities, eye coordination, and focus for a great match each time.

FAQs

What is tennis good for, padel good for, and pickle good for?

If you want a better cardio round with long rallies, then tennis is good for you. If you are looking for social games and strategy, then you can play Padel. However, pickleball is best for you if you want to have a quick fun game, whatever age group you are in.

Can I play pickleball on a tennis court?

Yes, playing pickleball on a tennis court is possible. but you need to adjust the height of the net before you play.

What is the kitchen in Pickleball?

This region is the 7-foot area from the net where you can not hit the ball without bouncing.

Which sports is easiest for beginners?

Padel ball tennis and pickleball are both beginner-friendly. however, for tennis, you need stamina and fitness, which makes this sport challenging for beginner players.

What type of padel is used for pickleball?

Normally, a solid paddle made of composite is used in pickleball.

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