Over the past few years, pickleball has risen considerably in popularity to the point that many new players are finding it difficult to find a pickleball court near them. This is good news because it means that the demand for playing pickleball is outstripping the supply of courts that are available in many communities. However, there is a solution available thanks to the number of tennis courts that can be transformed into a pickleball court with just a little work.
Pickleball courts and tennis courts have many similarities to the point where making the transition does not require much in the way of materials. All you need is a little time and effort and soon your group can start playing pickleball at one of the many tennis courts in your area.
Size & Shape of Tennis Courts
The first step is to correctly identify the type of tennis court that you can work with so you can start playing pickleball. Consider that a standard tennis court measures 60’ x 120’ and a pickleball court is 30’ x 60’ which means that you can easily fit up to four pickleball courts into one tennis court by using lines on the tennis court as the boundaries for pickleball.
However, if the tennis court has angled corners, then you can fit two pickleball courts perfectly into the area available. Also keep in mind any nearby fences or other obstructions that might alter how you set up your pickleball court. If you are setting up two courts, the tennis net can act as the backstop between them.
Pickleball Court Materials
You will need a portable net if you are setting up a temporary pickleball court. Unless no one is playing tennis anymore, your transformation will be a temporary one. Still, a portable net can be quickly set up and taken down so that you can play. You may also want to use cones to help reconfirm the boundaries for your court by placing them on the lines that will be used.
Creating Four Courts
For tennis courts with no angled corners, setting up four pickleball courts is no problem. You will need an eight-foot distance between the baselines for pickleball and the backstops. In many cases, the tennis court will have such lines so you can use them as the reference. This is important because it will help eliminate any confusion for those playing the game.
If you need to create a line, that is where the cones come into play. If you want to eliminate the confusion which the use of cones sometimes brings then you can use tape to mark out the lines. That way there’s no arguments about whether you or your opponent thought it the Pickleball ball landed inside or outside the imaginary line. Otherwise, you can use the lines that are available and create two to four courts for you and your friends to play.
The popularity of pickleball is such that it’s becoming harder to find enough standard courts where you live. However, with a temporary net, a few cones(or tape), and a copy of the rules, you can transform a tennis court into a pickleball court easily and enjoy hours of fun playing this remarkable game.
