Play Pickleball on a Tennis Court

using a tennis court for pickleball
November 5, 2022
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Read Time:7 Minute, 24 Second

Besides having 35000+ pickleball courts in the US, people are now considering turning their tennis courts into pickleball courts. If you have given this a thought, you may have thought of how pickleball can be played on a tennis court or if this will damage your tennis court. 

To answer your queries, we’ve got all the much-needed details for you to help you play pickleball on a tennis court! 

To enlighten your knowledge further, the key elements of this post are

  • Playing pickleball on a tennis court
  • How Many Pickleball Courts Can a Tennis Court Hold? 
  • Painting pickleball lines on a tennis court
  • Adapting a Tennis Court to play pickleball 
  • Why Pickleball Markers should be added 

Can Pickleball be Played on a Tennis Court? 

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You’re probably wondering if and how to play pickleball using a tennis court. Without a doubt, yes you can play. Pickleball and tennis share many similarities, although their sports equipment is different. You can, for example, play them both indoors and outdoors. With the growing popularity of pickleball and fewer pickleball courts available, you can save time by playing pickleball on a tennis court. Furthermore, because the tennis court is twice the size of a pickleball court, it is simple to turn the tennis court into a pickleball court with more than just one pickleball court. 

How Can Pickleball Be Played on a Tennis Court?

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Now that we have established the fact that you can, in fact, play pickleball on a tennis court, let’s build a pickleball court together!

There is no science behind it. Just get this equipment and you are good to go.

  • Measuring Tape—for accurate dimensions of the court
  • Painter’s tape—to get those sleek edges
  • Chalks or markers—for marking the important lines.
  • Pickleball Net

Did you get the required equipment? Let’s get started with the pickleball tennis court conversion!

  1. First, create a pickleball court layout on a tennis court and measure the pickleball dimensions on a tennis court.
  2. The tennis net can now be lowered by 2 inches or a new pickleball net can be set up.
  3. For sidelines, measure the tape to 22 inches and trace a line of 22 inches. Moreover, you can also just mark 3 ½ feet from the tennis court lines. 
  4. The center line is the same as the service box line. However, you can also draw a 20-foot-long center line from the midpoint down the baseline. Apply the same technique to the other side of the net now.
  5. For the non-volley zone, also known as the kitchen, measure 7 feet from the net to the baseline and mark it. Repeat the same with the other side of the net. 
  6. Connect your non-volley line with the sidelines. Also, put a mark halfway (10 ft.), which will connect the baseline to the non-volley area line. 
  7. After tracing the lines along the edges of the measuring tape, let’s get to taping the pickleball lines on the tennis court. 
  8. In case you want to paint those lines, use painter’s tape to smooth out the edges. 
  9. Furthermore, you can add markers to the surface to avoid any confusion between the tennis court and pickleball. 

How Many Pickleball Courts Can a Tennis Court Hold? 

Generally, you can make 4 pickleball courts on a tennis court, but even that can get a little bit crowded. While a tennis court has dimensions of 60 inches x 120 inches, a single pickleball court dimensions on a tennis court are 20 inches x 44 inches. Furthermore, if you want a permanent pickleball court on a tennis court, we recommend building 1 or 2 pickleball courts on a tennis court. For two, the pickleball courts’ dimensions on the tennis court will be 30 inches x 60 inches. 

Where is Pickleball Traditionally Played?

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When pickleball came into being, it was traditionally played in

  • Backyards
  • Tennis Court 
  • Pickleball courts  
  • Parks 
  • Ferrys 

With the rise in its popularity, people are considering setting up a pickleball court on a tennis court. In addition to this, the best part about playing pickleball is that it does not require any hard surfaces. You can even play it on grass or clay ground. Furthermore, using a tennis court for pickleball is convenient. Keep reading to learn how you can play pickleball on a tennis court.

Which Part of the Tennis Court Do We Use for Pickleball?

Tennis courts are twice the size of pickleball courts. The best option is to draw a pickleball court around the tennis net. In addition, one tennis court can be converted into two pickleball courts. Either buy a temporary pickleball net or lower the tennis net by 2 inches. Although the singles lines in tennis are wider than those in pickleball, the baselines are nearly identical in both sports.

Lastly, if the tennis lines are white, it is best to use yellow for marking to avoid confusion.

Painting Pickleball Lines on Tennis Court

If you have made up your mind about converting the tennis court to a pickleball court, you may want to know these things.

Firstly, decide whether you want to paint permanent or temporary pickleball lines on your tennis court.

Then, using a measuring tape, measure and mark a rectangle 20 inches by 44 inches with chalk or a marker. Painter’s tape can be used to create smooth, professional-looking pickleball lines on a tennis court. Finally, use any white or yellow acrylic resurfacer for the blended paint.

Important: Do not forget to get permission from the court owner before painting the tennis court with pickleball lines!

Converting a Tennis Court into a Pickleball Court

We assume you want to convert the tennis court into a pickleball court. However, the drawback of this would be if you want to play tennis, you wouldn’t be able to do so.

Although you are passionate about pickleball, you do not want to do this on your own. Call any professional constructor to do this for you.

The pickleball tennis conversion will include painting the entire surface of the court, removing the 36 inches tennis net with its anchor pipes, and replacing it with a pickleball net & its new anchor pipes. 

Lastly, it is best to add pickleball markers to your new court. 

TIP: It is better to make 2 pickleball courts on a tennis court for better. Even though you can fit four, it will only create a hassle. 

Why Add Pickleball Markers to Your Tennis Court?

If you don’t have access to pickleball courts, pickleball markers are a terrific investment.

Besides being easy to use, pickleball markers have great durability. They are bright and easy to see.

It is a great idea to own a club with a tennis court only; however, what is even better is to have both tennis and pickleball markers on that very court.

As mentioned before, pickleball is in high demand. Thus, having pickleball markers will attract a great crowd to your club. Besides that, a player would want to explore more racquet sports in your club.

FAQ

Can you play pickleball on a tennis court?

Using a tennis court for pickleball is absolutely possible! With the right measurements and equipment, you can even turn the tennis court into a pickleball court. Despite the differences, they have many similarities. 

Is the pickleball court the same size as the tennis court?

The size of the pickleball court and tennis court is one of the major factors that contribute to their differences. The size of the pickleball court is half the size of the tennis court, with dimensions of 30 inches x 60 inches. Therefore, no, they are not of the same size.

How many pickleball courts can you fit on a tennis court?

With accurate dimensions, you can fit up to 4 pickleball courts on a tennis court. However, if you are likely to make a permanent pickleball court, the most suitable option is to go with 1 or 2 pickleball courts on a tennis court.

You now know about converting your tennis court into a pickleball one in addition to the fact that you can play pickleball on a tennis court. Why miss out on the fun if you don’t have access to a pickleball court when you can just play on a tennis court with a little setup?

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Hey, fellow pickleball player!

My name is Ethan Josephson. I am a pickleball enthusiast who has been playing this fantastic game for more than 5 years. Before that I had almost 20-years-experience with tennis and table tennis, but pickleball fascinated me completely.