Tennis and pickleball are two sports with many similarities, and people often get the rules a bit mixed up. Understanding the separate elements that make up these sports is beneficial to playing confidently. Here are the three main differences between tennis and pickleball.

Equipment

The first difference between tennis and pickleball is the equipment. While these two sports are very similar, they need different equipment to play the game. For example, you use a racquet to hit the ball back and forth in tennis. In pickleball, you use a paddle instead of a racket. The ball is also different in these two sports. In tennis, you use a tennis ball, which is larger than a pickleball. A pickleball is smaller than a tennis ball and has holes in it, much like a wiffle ball.

Court

The court is the second difference between pickleball and tennis. While the courts are generally the same shape, they differ in size. A standard tennis court is much larger than a pickleball court. There are also some differences in how players use the courts. In pickleball, the court has a “no-volley zone,” which is an area in front of the net where players are unable to hit volleys. However, in tennis, there is no such thing as a “no-volley zone,” and players are still allowed to hit volleys near the net.

Serve

The third difference between tennis and pickleball is the serve. While serves are an essential element in both sports, the way players serve is significantly different. In pickleball, players strictly serve underhand because overhand serves are against the rules. In tennis, however, players serve overhand. Because of the ball and court size, the serves vary between these two sports. Players widely consider the underhand serve easier to learn than a tennis serve.

Now that you know the major differences between pickleball and tennis, you can have a better understanding of these two popular sports. All Star Tennis Supply has all the tennis and pickleball supplies you need to get started playing these sports today.