Games Like Pickleball
The demand for pickleball over the globe is growing day by day. Players of all levels are playing in both genders. Pickleball, a racquet game, offers a vibrant type of gameplay that combines the elements of tennis, badminton, and ping pong.
Due to these factors people also want to explore games like pickleball. Pickleball is a combination of Tennis, Badminton and Ping Pong, these are the sports similar to pickleball. By doing little bit changes in these three sports it creates a blend called pickleball. They are not same by all means but they share some sort of similarities and on the other hand differences as well.
In the article, we will have a detailed overview about sports like pickleball. How they are alike and what are the differences between them.
Games like pickleball- Higher to Lower Comparison
Here is a comparison from most similar to least pickleball sports. We have arranged this hierarchy from top to bottom like the sports more similar to least similar games.
(1) Paddleball
It is the closest game of pickleball. They have almost the same equipment and court design. Both the sports are using racquets. They are made up of solide material like wood, corben fiber and graphite.
Their balls are identical in shape but different in structure like the pickleball is made up from plastic and has many holes while the paddle ball has no holes and is made up from rubber.
Paddleball has a larger court area than pickleball. You can play it indoors or outdoors as well with the same court dimensions. Net is compulsory in both of the games and its height is 2 inches more than a pickleball net.
Pickleball and paddle ball are the sports which work on the same strategy. Both can be played on singles and doubles as well with high eye-hand coordination.
(2) Platform Tennis
The second most similar game to pickleball. Both the sports use paddles which are different in shapes and structures. You will find holes in the face of platform tennis paddle with oval shap while the face of pickleball padlle has zero hole with rectangular shape.
Both can be played on doubles and singles but doubles is the most common way in platform tennis than pickleball.
Despite these major similarities, some differences are also found there like that the court of a pickleball will be a harder surface while the court surface of platform tennis is made up from the almunium surrounded by the four walls around it. The scoring system is more like traditional tennis. Its winning point may extend upto 40 points from 15,30 while pickleball has an absolute system upto 11 finishing points plus 2 more to win.
(3) Padel
Padel and pickleball are more alike games. Thay have the same type of paddles but are different in the structures. It also has easy gameplay similar to pickleball.
The court size of a paddle is half of the pickleball court, like the Padle court size is 20 by 10 meters (about 66 by 33 feet). Net on the middle of the court is compusory but there are a little bit differences in their heights like the Padle net height is 34.6 inches in the center which is 2.6 inches lower than a pickleball.
There should be 4 walls around the court made from the mesh.
Their paddles are made up from the composite materials. Both sports have the main objectives. Padles has a solid paddles with perforations and no strings, designed to handle the impact of hitting the ball against walls.
By analysing all it’s features like pickleball, there is no age difference but the demographical differences is remarkable. Padel originated in Mexico in the 1960s and is very popular in Spain and Latin American countries while Pickleball epicenter in the United States in the 1960s and has rapidly gained popularity, particularly among older adults, in North America.
(4) Badminton
It is the most similar game to pickleball. They are both paddle sports and will be played on the court as well. The points which make them alike is that “ they can be played on turf or grass court as well”. Both the sports need Recquet grip according to their requiremnets.
When the shotted material ball/shuttlecock hits the ground then it will be considered as a point for the serving side. They are both mainly focused on accuracy, precision, and control. Badiminton can be played either from overhand or underhand while pickleball can be played only from overhand.
Their courts are similar in sizes. Badiminton and pickleball can be played on the court size of 44×20 (L x W).
The height of a pickleball net from a surface is 2.6 inches while the height of a badminton net is 5.1 inches from the court surface.
The scoring system of badimonton works on the relly scoring in which the serving team will win a point on every rally while the pickleball will win a point when the opponent team fails in back shot. Badiminton winnig maximum points are 21 plus 2 more than this to win a match while pickleball winning points are 11 plus 2.
(5) Tennis
Tennis is also a sport similar to pickleball. Most of the units of pickleball are derived from tennis. They both court the sports. Pickleball needs half of the tennis court. We can say that these are the sports which are similar upto 70%.
Tennis players who want to play pickleball can easily adopt the pickleball rules. The size of the pickleball court is smaller than a tennis court. Both have the same requirements for the net and have the same heights.
Both the sports use round shaped balls and rackets for gameplay. Tennis uses the ball of rubber for high bouncing quality while the pickleball uses the small perforated plastic ball.
Both sports can be played in singles (one-on-one) or doubles (two-on-two) formats. They use a rally scoring system where points can be won on the serve or the return.
After analysing it, their scoring systems are different from each other. Tennis uses a system of 15, 30, 40, and game, with a deuce and advantage rule when both players reach 40 points. Sets are won by reaching 6 games with a 2-game margin, and matches are typically best of 3 or 5 sets.
While, In pickleball, only the serving team can score, and games are played to 11 points with a win-by-2 rule, with matches often best of 3 games. This straightforward point system contrasts with tennis’s more complex scoring.
(6) Table Tennis
Table tennis also belongs to paddle sports. Another similarity is that they can be played on the doubles and single as well and there should be a net in the middle of Tennis.
The least features are shared with the pickleball. It is clear from the name of Table Tennis that it will be played on the Table Court. It measurements are round about Length 9 feet (2.74 meters), Width 5 feet (1.525 meters) ,Height 2.5 feet (0.76 meters)
The net extends 6 inches (15.25 centimeters) beyond the width of the table on each side and is 6 inches (15.25 centimeters) high.
The paddles which are used in Table Tennis are smaller than pickleball paddles. Both sports have the same strategy to shoot the ball over the net.
They have the same scoring systems. It means that their finishing point is 11th place. Ping Pong is an indoor game while pickleball can be played either indoor or outdoor.
Their equipment is way different from each other like the ping pong can be played on the smaller paddles then pickleball. Another remarkable difference is that the size of the ping pong ball is so smaller than the pickleball ball.
Both have different gameplays like the gameplay of pickleball is somehow slower than ping pong. It needs quick reflexes and flexible movement in a single place. Their rules are also different from each other but despite all the differences it is a game similar to pickleball.
(7) Beach Tennis
It also has some major similarities with pickleball. Both use paddles or racquets.
Beach tennis is commonly played on the doubles and we know that the pickleball can be played on doubles and singles as well.
This name (Beach Tennis) provides a clear picture that this type of Tennis will be played on the Beach. So, the place where it will be played is not a hard court but the structure and design of a sandy court while pickleball needs a hard court to be played.
Both are played with a net dividing the court. The Net height of a Beach Tennis is 5.6 feet (1.7 meters).
They both have different rules like there is no concept of kitchen in Beach Tennis, and is similar to traditional tennis with overhand serves and no ball bounce.
Uses paddle-like racquets and tennis balls. There will be multiple small holes in the face of a Beach Tennis paddle. Unlike pickleball, the ball will bounce and you will hit the ball. There is a single shot game play.
Pickleball has a faster pace than Beach Tennis.
(8) Racquetball
Racquetball is a game like pickleball. They belong to the same category which is paddle sports. This is the only similarity between them.
These are the factors which keep them different from each other.
Their equipment is completely different from each other. Like, the pickleball needs a paddle to be played while the Racquetball will be played on the racquet.
The face of racquetball is made from the strong strings which will be used to hit the rubber ball while in pickleball, the paddle has a flattened shape used for the plastic ball to be hitted.
Racquetball can only be played indoors. There will be 4 walls around the court of racquetball but similar to pickleball, you will hit the ball after it bounces. Racquetball has a smaller court size (40 x20 ) than pickleball. But the main difference is that their game play is totally opposite to pickleball. Like pickleball needs a in the middle of a court while there is no need for a net in the racquetball court.
In Pickleball the serve must be underhand and hit diagonally into the opponent’s service area. The server’s score must determine the serving position (even scores serve from the right, odd from the left).
While, in Racquetball the Serve can be overhand or underhand. The server must bounce the ball once on the floor before hitting it directly to the front wall, and it must land beyond the short line.
(9) Squash
Both sports use an implement to hit a ball—racquets in squash and paddles in pickleball. It involves hitting a ball within defined boundaries. In squash, it’s within the four walls of the court, and in pickleball, it’s within the marked lines on the ground.
Squash will be played in an enclosed indoor court with four walls. Pickleball will be played on an outdoor or indoor hard court similar to a badminton or tennis court.
Squash uses strung racquets and a small rubber ball. Pickleball uses solid paddles and a plastic ball with holes (similar to a wiffle ball).
The standard squash court size is 32 feet long and 21 feet wide which is smaller than a pickleball court dimension.
The Squash uses a point-a-rally scoring system where either player can score a point on any rally. Matches are typically best of 5 games, with games played to 11 points, win by 2.
While, in Pickleball Only the serving team can score points. Games are typically played to 11 points, win by 2.
Squash focuses on speed, and the use of walls for angle shots. It is highly dynamic with fast-paced rallies. While, the pickleball aim is trategic placement, control, and dinking (soft shots). It combines elements of tennis, badminton, and ping-pong.
(10) Spec Tennis
Both Spec Tennis and pickleball are played on smaller courts compared to traditional tennis. Spec Tennis courts are typically smaller than standard tennis courts, similar to pickleball courts in size (44 feet by 20 feet).
They use paddles instead of strung racquets. Spec Tennis uses paddle-like racquets, similar to pickleball paddles. They are similar sports that typically use a rally scoring system where points can be won on any serve or rally, contributing to fast-paced gameplay.
Spec Tennis can be played on various surfaces, including hard courts and modified tennis courts and uses low-compression tennis balls, which are larger and less bouncy than standard tennis balls.
Pickleball nets are lower (36 inches high at the sides, 34 inches at the center) compared to Spec Tennis, which uses a standard tennis net height.
The Spec Tennis follows traditional tennis serving rules, where the server stands behind the baseline and serves to the opponent’s service box while Pickleball serves must be underhand. So, Spec Tennis is the alternative of pickleball.
Conclusion
Pickleball is the mixture of many paddles games which provide a good amount of workout and quality time. Here I have collected the nears and dears of pickleball or we can say the games like pickleball which can provide you the best insight as a player. Most of them share alots of features with each others while some of them can only be related with the help of equipment , court dimensions, and rules.
Which Sport Is Pickleball Most Similar To?
Pickleball is most similar to paddle tennis due to their shared use of solid paddles, a plastic ball with holes, and a similar court size and setup. Both sports emphasize quick reflexes, strategy, and net play, making them closely related in terms of gameplay and equipment.
What Are Some Other Paddle Sports Besides Pickleball?
Some other paddle sports besides pickleball include platform tennis, paddleball, paddle tennis, beach tennis, padel, and spec tennis. These sports vary in court size, equipment, and rules but share the common element of using paddles to hit a ball over a net.
What are some other paddle sports similar to pickleball?
Games like platform tennis, paddleball, paddle tennis, beach tennis, and spec tennis are similar to pickleball due to their use of paddles and net play.
Is badminton similar to pickleball?
Yes, Partially. Badminton and pickleball both involve hitting a shuttlecock or ball over a net with racquets or paddles, but badminton uses a shuttlecock and has different court dimensions and rules.
