The boom of pickleball has left players tussling for court time and many entrepreneurs are wondering, can pickleball be played on a tennis court to capitalize on the craze. You can absolutely play pickleball on a tennis court but you need to need to mark the sidelines, centreline, and non-volley zone, and use a different portable Pickleball net. Pickleball courts are smaller than a tennis court and the net is shorter.
In this post, I guide you through the process of tailoring your tennis court to your pickleball needs. including:
- Drawing The Lines: Learn how much tape or paint you need for the lines.
- Equipment Required: Discover what you will need to make a pickleball court.
- Court Preservaton: Learn how to avoid damaging a tennis court.
Table of Contents
How To Convert A Tennis Court To Pickleball Court
It takes three easy steps to convert a tennis court to a pickleball court. You start by measuring the lines of the court, then you mark the lines of the court and employ a lower Pickleball net compared to the one currently on the tennis court. In three easy, but laborous tasks, you have a pickleball court set up and ready to receive guests.
1. Measure The Pickleball Court
The dimensions of a pickleball court are 44 ft by 20 ft. The sidelines are 44 ft long and the base line is 20 ft in total, but seperated at the 10 foot mark by the 15 foot centerline which runs down the middle of the court from the base line to the non-volley zone.
The non-volley zone or the kitchen extends across the court and it’s 7 ft long from the net to the kitchen line. The smaller size of pickleball courts allows you to fit four of them onto one tennis court surface, which is an excellent way to maximize your club’s revenue in a limited area.
Channel your inner Ron Swanson and deploy a 25 ft and 50 ft measuring tape to identify the sidelines and baselines of the pickleball court. Use a piece of chalk to draw the lines as the measuring tape doubles as a ruler. Once you have marked out the area of the pickleball court, it should look like this image below.
2. Line The Tennis Court For Pickleball
You can create the side, center, and kitchen lines with paint or green frog tape when transitioning from tennis to pickleball. Your tennis court should look like the orange diagram shown on the image below after you have drawn the lines for one pickleball court.
Using Court Paint
If you are going all in on pickleball and want the markings long term, find a durable asphalt paint like Alpha Grip, which is made specifically for asphalt. Paint is the most affordable approach over time thanks to its durability and cost-efficient application.
Green Frog Tape
If you’re unsure how often you’ll use the tennis court for pickleball, Green Frog tape is an excellent temporary solution. You’ll need 198 ft of tape to mark sidelines, center lines, and non-volley zone lines. The green prevents imploding tennis players who battle to tell the difference between pickleball and tennis court lines.
In my experience, green frog tape stays glued to asphalt better than its yellow counterpart, giving it hulk like strength. However, it lifts off the surface easier than duct tape, which rips off chunks of paint and impacts the aesthetics of the court.
Green Frog tape is excellent for tennis clubs hosting a once-off pickleball tournament, or homeowners entertaining friends for the holidays. A roll of tape is super affordable and it is worth always having one on standby in case the existing tape withers away on the court.
3. Use A Lower Net
A pickleball net is 2″ lower in the center and 6″ shorter on the sides compared to a tennis net. If you really want to, you can use a tennis net for casual games, but the added height increases the difficulty of the game. While I appreciate a challenge, it might frustrate other players and ruin the experience, and if you’re a club, it will rule you out of hosting any pickleball tournaments.
A pickleball net is 34″ in the middle and 36″ on the side, and they are affordable and easy to set up. I find portable nets do the trick, especially if you plan on using the court for tennis and pickleball. They cost less than $80 and can go up or come down in under a minute, which is ideal when rain starts bucketing down and you need to take it indoors.
I am currently loving the Fostoy System because of its lightweight design, stable frame, and excellent value for money, which is an excellent starting point to keep construction costs down.
4. Preserve The Court
I recommend using temporary markings like Green Frog tape on a tennis court for pickleball play. This allows you to remove the tape without damaging the court and removing paint. Although duct tape is solid, it’s vengeful and will take a chunk of your court with it when you remove it.
If you paint the pickleball lines within a tennis court, be sure to use a different color, like yellow or blue, We do not want to start a beef between tennis players arguing over whether a ball is in or out, because of the presence of pickleball lines. Make them easily distinguishable from the tennis court lines.
Fun Ways To Play Pickleball On A Tennis Court
Building one pickleball court inside the confines of a tennis court provides more space to the players, allowing them to experiment. Naturally, you can dabble in a standard singles or doubles match or you could get inventive and make the most of the space.
Short Court Games
Short court games for pickleball on tennis court surfaces shorten the area, speed up the match, and allow more people to play. Use the width of the tennis court and place the net in the middle, then play normal pickleball rules, except you can win a point when receiving and the first team to five wins. These are excellent games for families and friends to play at gatherings where the group is large and time is limited.
Diagonal Play
Play a singles match using only the diagonal of the tennis court, use normal scoring and rules except for the sidelines. If the pickleball lands outside of the diagonal box on a serve or rally, it’s ruled as out. This tests the accuracy and control of picklers on drives and dink shots.
Verdict: Can Pickleball Be Played On A Tennis Court
At the start of the post, you were wondering, can pickleball be played on a tennis court, and now you know that it can be. All you need is paint or tape to mark the lines and a portable net, which is lower than a tennis net. It’s an excellent idea to convert a tennis court to pickleball courts, whether you are a club or have one in your backyard.
If you decide you love your pickleball court, which you will, you can also build more. The petite size of a pickleball courts allow you to fit four into the area of a single tennis court. If you’re interested in using a tennis court for pickleball permanently, I suggest using durable court paint. However, tennis court owners seeking a temporary solution should use Green Frog tape.
Why Can’t You Play Pickleball On A Tennis Court?
You can’t play pickleball on a tennis court because the court is too big and the net is too high. You have to create new lines for the pickleball court and use a net that is lower than a tennis net.
How Many Pickleball Courts Will Fit On A Tennis Court?
Four pickleball courts will fit on one tennis court if you follow the USA Pickleball recommended dimensions of 44 ft by 20 ft.
How Do You Draw Pickleball Lines On A Court?
You draw pickleball lines on a court first using chalk to mark out the lines and then applying paint or Green frog tape. Green Frog tape is better for a temporary solution, but if you want a permanent fix, then I suggest court paint.
Does Pickleball Use The Same Lines As Tennis?
No a pickleball court doesn’t use the same lines as tennis because the court is 34 ft shorter and 7 ft narrower. The shorter design requires separate lines that generally fit inside the borders of a tennis court.
Is There A Smaller Version Of A Pickleball Court?
Yes, mini pickleball courts are 10 ft narrower than a standard pickleball court, but it is still 44 ft long. It is designed for senior pickleball players thanks to its reduced movement and lower injury risk.
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