Pickleball’s invention took place on a badminton court. The sport was invented when a group of family friends were unable to find a shuttlecock in order to play badminton. A nearby shed housing a bandsaw fabricated the paddles and a perforated hollow ball formed the basic equipment for a new sport. The bunch of innovative people lowered the pickleball net and began rallying, thereby laying down the foundation of the sport we now know as Pickleball.
When it comes to dimensions, a pickleball and badminton court are similar in length – 44 feet. The width is also the same for both courts – 20 feet (including the singles sideline of a badminton court). The marked difference in both courts is the dimension of the no-volley zone (also known as “kitchen”) in pickleball.
The kitchen is a zone that is seven feet long on either side of the net on a pickleball court. This zone corresponds from the net to the short service line on a badminton court. The length of this area on a badminton court is 6.5 to 6.6 feet which is barely 4-5 inches shorter than the kitchen.
The surface of the badminton court is either wooden or synthetic. The latter is made of PVC which provides a good non-slipping surface. A pickleball can be played on either surface. However, the most commonly used surface for Pickleball court is made of asphalt or concrete.
Pickleball can be played on badminton courts. But such a conversion of a badminton court to a pickleball court is only done in recreational clubs or a backyard court. In professional tennis, the dimensions of the zone cannot be compromised with, thus letting to independent fabrication of Pickleball courts.
