When placed side by side for comparison both elements of Pickleball and Platform tennis seem to blur the lines to such an extent that it’s hard to figure out their key distinction.
Because for starters both of these Sports have similar mechanics and sort of match the same vibes, even so you would be wondering “If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it is a duck, right?”
Well to burst your bubble, even though they might seem like the different sides of the same coin, there are some hidden differences that I will be labeling when comparing Pickleball to Platform Tennis.
So without wasting any further time, I would suggest that you dive down below and attain some esoteric knowledge about it.
Pickleball And Platform Tennis – Direct Comparison
Let’s take a look at how these two sports share similarities while also owning their separate domain.
1. Court Dimensions
One of the most interesting elements when comparing these two sports is the Pickleball and Platform tennis court physical dimensions. You could literally play on the same court without having to worry about any sort of compatibility issues except for one, the Kitchen Zone.
To further elaborate, both Pickleball and Platform tennis is 20 feet wide and is 44 feet in length with net dimensions of 34 inches at the center region while being 36 inches at the sidelines where the permanent posts are located.
The only apparent difference is the kitchen zone which in Pickleball happens to be only around 7 feet while in Platform tennis it ranges up to a whopping 12 feet, which indicates both sides across the net are the non-volley zone, allowing much more leeway for players, keeping the nature of the game quite casual.
2. Serving Style
Another “hidden ” divergent element is the way you serve and return a ball, in Pickleball, players can serve in both underhand or overhand methodology all while ensuring the ball must bounce at least once before it is returned to the opponent.
On the other hand, in Platform tennis, the ball can only be served through the underhand technique, and it needs to bounce at least once in each service court before it is returned, if not, it will result in a penalty.
3. Equipment Type
On the flipside, Platform tennis uses a textured paddle which ensures friction to manipulate the trajectory of a spongy rubberized ball. The overall dimension of a Platform tennis paddle is 17.5 inches with a width of 8 inches.
Since pickleball uses a smoother and hollow ball with 20-40 holes, the paddles have a smoother lining on both sides and are made from graphite or wood. The overall dimensions of a paddle are 16 inches with a width of 7 inches, indicating they are slightly smaller than a typical Platform tennis paddle.
Regardless of the type of ball used in each corresponding sport, the maximum diameter of a ball is 2.5 inches and must not exceed the threshold.
4. Scoring System
Even though platform tennis its core might look simple at first glance, the scoring system can get tricky as it closely follows tennis rules. In general, any player that reaches a score of 4 points and has a 2-point lead wins the match.
However, if both team attains a 3-3 score, the game is transitioned to a tie break which implies the first team to reach 7 points with a score lead is concluded as the winner of the session.
Pickleball follows much more simpler and straightforward scoring rules, as the maximum score is capped at 11 points and any player with a 2-point lead wins the game. Unlike Platform tennis only the server can score a point and a point is scored if the ball fails to land in boundaries or makes its way across the net.
Keeping the scoring system in mind, Pickleball matches tend to be considerably longer as each corresponding session ranges up to 30-40 minutes, unlike Platform tennis where each match is concluded with around 4 points.
Bottom Line
Regardless of how both of these sports are played, both of them pose quite a challenge and are undoubtedly a great source of thrill and adrenaline rush if that’s something you chase the most. On the other hand, the best part about both of these sports is that since they are created from an already established predecessor, they happen to have refined rules and are free from bias so both the server and returner can have fun without feeling the game is one-sided.
To top it off, the community of Pickleball and platform Tennis is exponentially growing and evolving, so if you actually want to get into any of these sports, now might be an amazing time to start.
