Okay, so I’ve been getting into pickleball lately, and it’s been a blast! But I started out playing on a tennis court with some makeshift lines, and let me tell you, it wasn’t ideal. I finally decided to figure out the real differences and make a proper pickleball court. Here’s how it went down:
First, The Reality Check
I grabbed my measuring tape and headed out to the tennis court I usually play on. I already knew the basics – pickleball is smaller, but I needed the specifics. Turns out, a tennis court is way bigger: 78 feet long and 36 feet wide for doubles. Pickleball? Only 44 feet long and 20 feet wide. Big difference!
Marking It Out
- I used some bright orange chalk first because I wasn’t sure. I measured out the 20-foot width, centering it on the tennis court’s baseline. Easy enough.
- Then came the length. 44 feet. I measured that in from each side, making sure to leave plenty of space at the back of the tennis court.
- The Non-Volley Zone (aka the “kitchen”) was next. 7 feet from the net on each side. I marked that line across the width of the court.
- Finally, I drew in the service boxes. 15 feet from the non-volley zone, creating that nice, clean rectangle in the middle.
Chalk to Tape
The chalk was okay for a test run, but I wanted something more permanent. So I went and bought some heavy-duty outdoor tape – bright blue, so it would stand out. I carefully followed the chalk lines, laying down the tape and pressing it down firmly. This took a while, gotta be honest. Making sure the lines were straight and the tape was stuck good was a bit of a workout!
The Net Problem
Here’s where it got tricky. A tennis net is 3.5 feet high at the posts, and pickleball net is lower, more like 34 inches in the center, and I measured 36 inches on the side. What did I end up doing? Since I am not taking down the tennis court net, I just kept it that way, and play. After a while, my friends and I got used to it.
Game On!
Finally, I stepped back and admired my handiwork. It wasn’t perfect, but it was a huge improvement over the wobbly chalk lines. We played a few games, and the difference was immediately noticeable. The smaller court made for faster rallies, and the kitchen line? Let’s just say there were a few…discussions…about foot faults. All in good fun, though!
It was a bit of work, for sure, and to make it perfect I still need to figure out the net height, but totally worth it. If you’re thinking about playing pickleball, take the time to set up the court properly. It makes a world of difference!
