All you need to know about padel and pickleball
Padel vs pickleball is ongoing topic of discussion. Padel is a racket sport that is played both indoors and outdoors. It is similar to tennis but uses a smaller ball and has a shorter court.
Pickleball is another racket sport that sports enthusiasts have relished for decades. However, it has only gained popularity recently and has become one of the fastest-growing sports.
Even though pickleball and padel may look similar at first glance, these two sports have different origins. Pickleball got its start from badminton, and padel evolved from tennis. This blog post on padel vs pickleball will explore some significant differences.
What is padel?
Padel is a racket sport played on a rectangular court with two opposing walls and in singles or doubles matches. The game’s objective is to hit the ball over the net and into your opponent’s court.
What makes it different from tennis is the smaller court size and the involvement of walls as part of the game. Furthermore, the ball used in padel is similar to tennis but differs in internal pressure and size.
History of padel game
Padel is a sport that was invented in 1969 by Don Enrique Corcuera, who wanted to put up a tennis court at his home but had no space. So, he put the court in his backyard anyway with modifications.
One of the sides of the court backed onto his home, so he built another wall at the other end. He also used wire mesh fencing to enclose all four sides, which is worth noting because padel courts look like that.
Padel became popular outside Argentina through Alfonso Hohenlohe, who introduced it to Spain. Around the same time, it increased in popularity in other places, such as Chile.
At some point, Julio Menditengui took padel back to Argentina and organized competitions which amplified the spread of the game created by Don Enrique Corcuera a decade earlier.
What is Pickleball?
Pickleball is a racket sport that is played on a badminton-size court. The ball is slightly smaller than a tennis ball and has holes that can be gripped easily when wet.
Pickleball can be played on different court surfaces, these include carpet or grass courts, and hard or clay courts.
You can play the game with one person against another or two teams of two players.
History of pickleball
Pickleball started in the 1960s as well, when three dads on Bainbridge Island near Seattle invented the game. They were Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCullum, who wanted a new way to play with their kids, so they came up with pickleball.
The sport of pickleball started with homemade equipment and has evolved a lot today. Today, it is most popular in the US and Canada, but the interest is growing worldwide.
Court dimensions difference
Both these racket sports have varied court sizes and features that make them distinct and different from one another.
Padel game court features:
- The court dimensions should be 10 meters wide and 20 meters long
- The net divides the rectangle into two equal areas, both with the same size
- Net’s both sides have their service lines for the players
- A line separates a net and its service area into blocks of equal size
- The recommended width of the painted service line is 20 centimeters
- A minimum height of 6 meters is mandatory for covered courts
- After a service, the ‘service blocks’ indicate where the ball should bounce
Pickleball court features:
- The court must measure 13.41 meters wide and 6.1 meters long
- As in padel, the pickleball net also divides the rectangle into two equal areas, both with the same size
- It uses the same size court as badminton
- There is a line that divides the right and left sides of the service area
- The net height in pickleball is 0.91 meters
- ‘Service blocks’ indicates where the ball must bounce after a service in pickleball
Padel vs Pickleball equipment comparison
In the padel vs pickleball comparison, equipment is another area that we should explore.
Ball
A padel ball is very similar in appearance to a tennis ball but smaller. Tennis balls are typically 2.57-2.7 inches around, while padel balls are only 2.5-2.63 inches in diameter.
Pickleball balls are spherical and plastic; they can be any color but must be solid. Unlike padel balls, they have holes in them.
Racket
A padel racket is made of primarily solid materials such as carbon and plastic, and they contain holes to reduce air resistance when you swing them. It is approximately 18″x10″ and is 3.8cm wide, so it is much thicker than any other racket.
A pickleball paddle differs from a padel racket because it looks more like a table tennis racket than a tennis one. They are nearly the same size as padel racket but have a square and rounder shape.
Wrap up
If you are a fast-paced game fan and want to lose weight or exercise your body regularly, you will enjoy padel. Pickleball may be a better choice if you are keen on something slower and want to enjoy a leisurely activity with friends.
