If you play tennis, you've probably heard someone mention pickleball in the last year or two. Maybe you've been curious but not sure if it's worth trying. Here's the honest comparison — coming from a club that sees tennis players walk in every week and leave completely hooked.
The court
A pickleball court is significantly smaller than a tennis court — roughly a quarter of the size. It's the same dimensions as a doubles badminton court (6.1m x 13.4m), which means less ground to cover and shorter points. If your knees or hips have been telling you tennis is getting harder, pickleball is worth a serious look.
Courts can be set up indoors or outdoors. At Carpe Dink'em, we play indoors at Coolum State High School — no sun, no wind, no weather excuses.
The equipment
Instead of a strung racquet, you use a solid paddle — typically made from carbon fibre or fibreglass — roughly the size of an oversized table tennis bat. The ball is a hard plastic wiffle ball with holes, which moves slower through the air than a tennis ball and bounces lower.
The slower ball speed is one of the biggest adjustments for tennis players. Points feel more like extended rallies with less raw pace — and a lot more finesse.
The scoring
Pickleball uses rally scoring up to 11 (win by 2), though some formats play to 15 or 21. In doubles — which is by far the most popular format — only the serving team can score a point. The serve rotates between players on the serving team before passing to the opposition.
It sounds confusing at first, but most people have it figured out within one game.
The kitchen
This is the biggest tactical difference from tennis. The "kitchen" (officially the non-volley zone) is a 2.1m area on either side of the net where you cannot volley the ball. This rule fundamentally changes the strategy of the game — you can't just rush the net and smash winners like you can in tennis.
Instead, points are often decided at the kitchen line in a dinking battle — soft, controlled shots played just over the net, waiting for your opponent to make a mistake or pop the ball up for a winner. It rewards patience and touch over raw power, which is one reason the sport suits a wider age range than tennis.
The serve
Serves in pickleball must be hit underhand and land in the opposite diagonal service box — similar to tennis, but without the topspin bombs. There's also a "double bounce rule": the return of serve must bounce before the serving team can hit it, and the serve itself must bounce before the returning team can hit it. After those two bounces, volleys are allowed (outside the kitchen).
How long does it take to pick up?
If you play tennis, you'll be competitive within a session or two. Your footwork, court sense, and hand-eye coordination all transfer directly. The main adjustments are:
- Softer touch: Tennis players often hit too hard at first. The game rewards controlled dinks over power.
- Staying out of the kitchen: The instinct to rush the net can get you in trouble early.
- The underhand serve: Takes about five minutes to get comfortable with.
Most tennis players who try pickleball describe their first session as immediately fun — not frustrating like learning a new sport from scratch.
Should you try it?
If you enjoy tennis but want something you can play more socially, with less physical demand, and in a shorter time window — yes, absolutely. A pickleball session at Carpe Dink'em runs two hours, costs $15, and you'll get more actual game time than a typical tennis hit because the court is smaller and rotation is constant.
Plenty of our regulars still play tennis too. They're not switching — they're adding. And that's probably the most honest sell: pickleball doesn't replace tennis. It just gives you another reason to pick up a paddle.
Ready to give it a go? Browse upcoming sessions →