Why Pickleball Is Better Than Tennis: 6 Reasons
If tennis has become a bit strenuous for you and you’re looking to branch out into other racquet sports, you might be drawn to pickleball.
This game is taking the racquet sports world by storm, and many ex-tennis players say pickleball is better than tennis (not to mention a few notable athletes who started playing). But is this true? Is pickleball really better than tennis?
We’ll look into the different aspects of pickleball versus tennis so you can compare and choose the best option for you.
6 Reasons Pickleball is Better Than Tennis
The number of people playing pickleball increased by about 40% between 2020 and 2022. Going by these statistics, it’s safe to say that the game is currently the fastest-growing sport in the U.S.
Most people prefer to play pickleball over tennis for the following reasons:
1. Fewer Injuries
Physical injuries are a normal part of playing sports. However, the nature of some sports puts you at a higher risk of getting injured than others. A good example is tennis.
You’re more likely to get injured playing tennis than pickleball because tennis requires several sudden start-stop movements to keep the game going. These movements strain your lower back muscles, legs, ankles, and feet resulting in body aches and pain.
Pickleball, on the other hand, requires less movement, meaning the chance of getting injured is lower.
Specifically, tennis players are more likely to get shoulder injuries than those who play pickleball. This is because a full swing in tennis is longer and faster. Usually, it’s an overhand serve that requires delicate shoulder and torso movements.
You could tear your rotator cuff muscles during tennis matches if you don’t get the overall technique of the forehand or backhand shot right. But this isn’t something you have to worry about when playing pickleball because it requires underhand serves, which reduce muscle strain.
An underhand serve in pickleball is also often below the waist, so chances of overstretching and hurting your rotator cuff are minimal.
In addition, tennis equipment is heavier than pickleball equipment. On average, a tennis racquet weighs around 11 ounces compared to pickleball paddles, which weigh approximately 9 ounces. The weight of tennis racquets adds more strain to your shoulders, especially if you’re a regular tennis player.
2. More Health Benefits
When played correctly, both pickleball and tennis provide a physical workout. But you’re likely to exercise more muscles playing pickleball than when you play tennis.
Here’s why:
Scalable Cardio Workout
Tennis courts are large, approximately three times bigger than pickleball courts, and tennis balls are heavier than pickle balls.
A tennis ball weighs around 2 ounces compared to a pickleball ball, which weighs between 0.78 and 0.94 ounces. It moves quickly and over longer distances. So you have to run around the large tennis court to follow the ball and hit it to keep the game in play.
Because of all the running a tennis game requires, you could get a more intense cardio workout as a tennis player.
In contrast, pickleball requires less running since a pickleball court is small, like a badminton court. For this reason, cardio training in this game is scalable. It can be intense or not, depending on the level of your play.
You’ll most likely be able to have more back-to-back days of pickleball without experiencing fatigue, and it’s a more manageable cardio workout overall.
Better Hand-Eye Coordination & Increased Flexibility
That said, it’s critical to note that keenness and agility are a necessity in pickleball. The plastic ball resembles a wiffle ball. It’s lightweight and can only move so far.
You have to hit it with enough strength and precision to get it to your opponent’s side. Doing this improves your hand-eye coordination better than playing tennis (especially with the up-close play near the kitchen).
Furthermore, playing pickleball gives you a better range of motion than tennis. You move in different directions, activating several muscle groups, including your forearms, biceps, and triceps.
You also have to bend more since a pickleball net is lower than a tennis net, strengthening your hamstrings and quads. Plus, the sport allows you to activate the slow-twitch muscles in your arms, glutes, and legs if you play at a relaxed pace.
Overall, pickleball is a great sport if you want to improve your muscles and tendons while increasing cardiovascular endurance.
3. More Competitive
Both pickleball and tennis are competitive, but most people consider pickleball more competitive than tennis because the games are shorter, particularly during a singles game.
On average, a single pickleball game could last 15 to 20 minutes, whereas a tennis game may take up to 90 minutes. You need to be alert and competitive from the beginning when you play singles in pickleball. There’s not enough time to play catch-up with your opponent if things go wrong.
You also want to remain aware of your pickleball court markings to avoid losing points due to unforced errors throughout the short games. Doing this while observing all the rules, like the double bounce and no volley zone rules, makes pickleball a fairer and more competitive sport.
Another aspect of pickleball that makes it more competitive is the challenge of hitting different types of shots. Because a pickleball court is smaller and the net shorter, hitting volleys, angled, and lob shots is more challenging than in tennis.
4. Better Social Atmosphere
Although tennis boasts a bigger court, the game is more routine and ritualized, generally played by many as a fast-paced sport. It’s less fun than pickleball, where you can play at variable speeds.
A pickleball game may be as light-hearted, relaxed, slow-paced, or intense as the players want. The smaller court also means pickleball players are closer together than tennis players. There’s room for them to chat and have social conversations.
You could fit four pickleball courts in a single tennis court. So you can have up to 16 people playing pickleball and interacting simultaneously.
Generally, there’s more laughter and joy in pickleball because matches get played loudly with more cheers accompanied by music. Tennis players, on the other hand, often prefer silence during games.
5. Less Demanding & Easier
The court size, paddle construction, and bounce of the ball make pickleball easier to pick up than tennis. It’s a beginner-friendly sport whose rule book combines elements from other sports.
You can start from scratch and become a professional pickleball player in much less time than it would take in tennis (give it a shot!).
Pickleball is also less demanding on the body than tennis. Your overall fitness doesn’t matter as much as it does in tennis. The sport is more about making quick reactions, and if you can focus on shot placement instead of power-hitting, you’ll become a great player fast.
6. More Accessible, Convenient, & Inclusive
Pickleball is a more accessible, convenient, and inclusive sport than tennis.
You can create a pickleball court on your driveway using chalk and a rope tied between two chairs. Then get the entire family, including adults 55 or older, to play and have fun. It’s harder to re-create tennis courts in the same way.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, pickleball is a lower-impact, more social sport than tennis. The game provides a safe way for people of all ages to stay healthy.
It also offers ex-tennis players the opportunity to remain active in sports since pickleball and tennis share a lot in common. They’re still two massively different sports though, so remember to choose the option that you feel most comfortable with after giving both a chance.