The pickleball expansion as a successful sport in the USA is coming to Europe, and specifically to Spain. This situation is causing many sports clubs to be forced to to adapt a tennis court to a pickleball court to meet the high demand and degree of curiosity.
It is estimated that pickleball is practiced in Spain by more than 2,000 people. and it is expected that by 2025 some 4,000 people will be playing it in our country. There are autonomous communities such as Madrid and Andalusia in which the sport is becoming more and more widespread and in which there are more than eight exclusive tracks.
In view of this situation, sports clubs that incorporate pickleball courts or that decide to adapt a tennis court to pickleball will have to have an efficient to pickleball will have to have an efficient management, administration and membership control software to handle the high demand.
Differences between a tennis court and a pickleball court
Dimensions
The playing surface of a tennis court is 23.77 meters x 8.23 meters (for singles matches) and 23.77 meters x 10.97 meters (for doubles matches). On the contrary, the size of a regulation pickleball court is 6.10 meters wide and 13.41 meters long. These measurements are valid for both singles and doubles matches.
That said, if you want to adapt a tennis court to a pickleball court it must be taken into account that the tennis court is considerably larger and that takes up to seven times more space. However, the lines of the courts of both sports are similar, varying only in the size of the playing area.
To adapt a tennis court to a pickleball court, taking into consideration that the pickleball court represents one third of the size of a standard tennis court. In addition, certain specific areas must be set aside for this new sport. They have a right and left service zone and a non-volley area of 2.13 meters in front of the net.
It must be taken into account, when adapting a tennis court to pickleball, that in this new sport the ball has less bounce and no double track. This motivates the singles and doubles matches to be played on the same field. As in volleyball, pickleball has a free area called the ‘kitchen’, which runs from the net.
Thus, by being able to concentrate up to four different pickleball matches on a single tennis court will allow more people to practice this unusual sport simultaneously. All the players will be in close proximity to each other, generating greater dynamism and social interaction. This is one of the great advantages of adapting a tennis court to pickleball.
Signage
When adapting a tennis court to pickleball, taking into account the international rules, it must be taken into account that the tennis lines must be white. Therefore, if we want to be able to practice pickleball on a tennis court, the ideal is to paint them in a different color. This will allow players to focus on all possible lines. It is also possible to play pickleball on basketball or volleyball courts.
As a temporary measure to adapt a tennis court to a pickleball court, the following could be used adhesive tape. A total of 60 meters of tape will be required to completely line the track. Another option would be paint the marks on the ground with a chalk.
The height of the net
This is another key factor if you want to adapt a tennis court to pickleball. Tennis court nets are usually a few centimeters higher. To achieve the correct height, a temporary adjuster should be used to lower the height of the net center and sides. The pickleball rules are as follows 91.44 cm at the ends and 86 cm in the central area.
The major disadvantage that appears when adapting a tennis court to pickleball is that when the ball passes in front of the players there is a large space behind them. This is uncomfortable if you have to go from the baseline to the fence. A fixed pickleball net can cost around 400 euros, although a more practical option would be to go for a temporary one which would be half the price (about 200 euros).
Consequently, we see that it is possible to practice and adapt a tennis court to pickleball as long as a number of small adjustments are made. A series of small adjustments without a large financial outlay. In this way, clubs could adapt to the new reality and attract new members motivated by an incipient sport that is triumphing around the world.
