With both sports gaining popularity in recent years, it's easy to write them off as similar racquet sports. But each game is uniquely nuanced and fun in its own way!
Registering for this site allows you to access your order status and history. Just fill in the fields below, and we’ll get a new account set up for you in no time. We will only ask you for information necessary to make the purchase process faster and easier.
Create an AccountWith both sports gaining popularity in recent years, it's easy to write them off as similar racquet sports. But each game is uniquely nuanced and fun in its own way!
Two sports with shrunken tennis courts and using paddles. Must be the same game right? Two sports where eye to hand coordination drives a small ball is perhaps the key physical skill. Gotta be the same right? Two sports that are usually played as a doubles game and are highly social forms of competition and are reachable by people of very wide age ranges. So pickleball and platform tennis are really the same right?
Not so fast! While the comparisons appear to favor two very similar sports, the reality is that these two very fun forms of exercise are quite different. In general, pickleball is a faster game and while certainly tactical in its own way, is somewhat less grounded in playing tactics than platform. Read on for the deep dive on all the differences making these fun and popular games so very different.
Perhaps the most glaring difference is found in the construction of a platform court vs. the construction of a pickleball court. With pickleball, literally any flat, smooth, hard surface such as asphalt or concrete can be used for a court if it is big enough. Just paint some lines, put up a net and you are good to go.
With platform tennis, the good news is the ground does not have to be level. The bad news is the court is constructed on pilings (typically) with deck boards being the surface played on and twelve foot high chicken wire walls enclosing it. These wire walls make the game structurally different as players are allowed to hit any ball bouncing off the wire back into the opponent’s court. The walls also mean that power, while important to a degree, is not everything as a ball hit past you might be playable off the back or side walls - similar to the tactics used in racquetball.
Finally, a pickleball court is 20 by 44 feet inside the lines:
While on the other hand, the platform court is 30 by 60 feet with 8 feet behind the base lines and 5 feet along each side. Because of the walls, that is the maximum distance for play.
Platform players view themselves as hearty, tough athletes. Because the courts are built on top of a platform, heaters are usually installed beneath the surface allowing (indeed encouraging) play in cold, wet, and even snowy conditions. While there is no rule requiring the game to be outside, it is exceedingly rare to find any played indoors.
Pickleball is only played in dry conditions but is often played indoors, particularly in cooler climates. Indeed, balls are made differently for indoors than outdoors.
While they are similar in length (platform: 18 inches, pickleball: 16-17 inches) the similarities end there. Both sports have governing bodies that certify what paddles are legal and which ones are not. See our Buying Guide for Pickleball and our Buying Guide for Platform Tennis for more details, but in quick summary some key differences are:
Platform Tennis Paddle
Pickleball Paddle
In addition to the fundamental differences in paddle design, the other equipment each sport varies. Specifically, this includes:
Of course, there are also some major difference in the rules of each game. We recommend checking out our guide to the Five Basic Rules of Pickleball and the Five Basic Rules of Platform Tennis for full details, but to point out some key differences:
Since both games emphasize the social aspects of play, it is fair to say that fun is the most important similarity. However, you still should shop TennisRacquets.com for the best paddles, balls, shoes and other accessories. Getting exercise while smiling this much is an amazing way to enjoy your day. Why not get started today?