This new game is exponentially growing and becoming popular over the last two decades especially in the last 3 years after covid. The game is very easy to pick up and more and more people are joining this sports community. My dad had a close friend who owned a tennis court and wanted to convert it into 4 pickleball temporary courts. So he asked my dad to help him. I still remember we all as a family teamed up together. We all divided the responsibilities to convert the tennis court. My Dad and mom were leading and guiding each one of us providing us technical as well as aesthetics perspectives. 

   My task was to cut the tapes and my brother’s task was to take measurements. We completed measuring and marking the tapes within 1-2 hours and there were 4 Pickleball courts ready.The last thing was net height requirement – it is down by 2” from center compared to tennis net. My mom used carabiner clips instead of adjusting the tennis net tie-down strap.

 In this article I will be sharing the same information that we used to convert the court along with different options that suit you.

Image source : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M25BsODX-WM

How does pickleball differ from tennis?

• Court difference

  A pickleball court is smaller than a tennis court. A tennis court is 78 feet long, 27 feet wide for a single match, and 36 feet wide for a doubles match. The pickleball court is 44 feet long and 20 feet wide. A tennis court can be converted into one to four pickleball courts.

• Game difference

  The equipment used to play tennis and pickleball is different. In tennis, players use racquets that are bulky to hit the ball. On the other hand, picklers use paddles which are light weighted to serve the perforated balls.

How do you stripe a tennis court for pickleball?

To stripe a tennis court for pickleball, you have to ensure whether you need a permanent or temporary court. If you need a permanent court, the existing tennis court line should be erased without rupturing the surface, the tape should be put on the dimensions, and the lines should be marked with permanent markers like durable paints. In the case of temporary court setup, the markings are done by mobile or detachable tapes without rupturing the surface and the tennis lines.

1. Permanent floor marking tape
2. Deluxe vinyl floor tape
3. Amylove court tape
4. Temporary floor marking tape
5. Packard nylon webbing tape
6. Canvas cotton tape

Can you play pickleball with a tennis net?

Adjusting the height of a tennis net allows one to play pickleball with it. The net at the post must be 36 inches high, and the center should be 34 inches.

What are the tools required to build a pickleball court?

1. Measuring tape
2. Floor tape (Temporary tape, Permanent tape)
3. Threads and washer
4. Chalkpiece
5. Net
6. Floor mat
7. Paint
8. Carabiner clip

How do you prepare a tennis court to play pickleball?

• Court layout
  

  We cannot use the same color for the lining on the tennis court. The layout should be done according to the stipulated dimensions. The court must be placed 44ft long and 20ft wide in the north-south direction to avoid the sunbeam. If it is indoors, the direction could be north-south or east-west.

• Netting
  

  The netting of this popular sport is shorter than that of tennis nets. You can use the existing tennis net or the new one. The existing tennis net is 42 inches at the post of each side and 36 inches at the center of the net. To play pickleball, you must reduce the net’s height to 36 inches at the post on each side and 34 inches at the center of the net. 

How many pickleball courts can accommodate a single tennis court?

You can set up a court according to your needs, but a single tennis court can accommodate a maximum of four courts.

For setting 1 pickleball court in a tennis court

1. Divide the length(78ft) of the tennis court into 2 equal parts (39ft+39ft)
2. The center of the tennis court measures 22ft on both the left and right sides of the center.
3. For width, divide the width 36ft of the tennis court into 2 equal parts (13ft +13ft).
4. The center of the tennis court measures 10ft on both the left and right sides of the center.
5. Then, join the four sides using floor tape.
6. You can use the tennis net only after reducing the height to 36 inches on the post and 34 inches on the center with a carabiner clip to pull the net down.

For setting 2 pickleball courts in a tennis court

1. Divide the length(78ft) of the tennis court into 2 equal parts (39ft+39ft)
2. As we know, the length of the court is 44ft; for 2 courts, we need 88ft length. (if you want the gap between 2 courts, you can leave the gap in the center of the tennis court and mark the lines after that)
3. We need to extend the tennis court’s length by 5 feet on both sides.
4. Then, divide the court into two equal parts.
5. Do the markings as mentioned above (for setting 1 pickleball )
6. You need 2 nets to tie it at 36 inches on the post and 34 inches on the center, with a carabiner clip to pull the net down.

For setting 3 pickleball courts in a tennis courts

1. The tennis court has to be divided into 2 equal parts as A and B for 3 courts.
2. Then divide A into 2 equal parts to set up 2 courts and in B set one court aligned at centre of B.
3. Then, some gap between one court and another court on both length and broad lines should be left in the 2 courts of A.
4. Mark the length and broad lines of the 3 courts as length 44ft and width 20ft.
5. You need 3 nets to tie it at 36 inches on the post and 34 inches on the center, with a carabiner clip to pull the net down.

For setting 4 pickleball courts in a tennis court

1. The tennis court has to be divided into 4 equal parts for four courts.
2. Then, some gap between one court and another court on both length and broad lines should be left.
3. Mark the length and broad lines of the 4 courts as length 44ft and width 20ft.
4. You need 4 nets to tie it at 36 inches on the post and 34 inches on the center, with a carabiner clip to pull the net down.

Layout measurements of a pickleball court.

To mark lines, you have markers. Note A and B for a distance of 44 feet, and mark A to C and B to D as 20 feet. After that, you must mark the serving area 15 feet from A, B, C, and D. From the end of 15 feet from A and B, the kitchen or non-volley area lasts 7 feet and reaches the centre of the layout as 22 feet.

• Tape length calculation for one pickleball court

1. A length of 128ft of tape is needed for the outer line.
2. For the serving area, one side needs a length of 20 ft + 15 ft =35ft, and for two sides, 70 ft.

• Tape length calculation for multiple pickleball courts

1. The length of tape required for one court is 198 ft.
2. The length of tape required for two courts is 396 ft.
3. The length of tape required for four courts is 792 ft.

How Much Does It Cost To Convert Tennis Court to Pickleball Court in the USA?

The rate and cost of converting a tennis court depends on the land value, the cost of required tools, and the material quality. The average cost required in the USA to make a permenant pickleball court is between $5000 and $10000.

Conclusion

Finding a suitable court to play this popular sport is challenging because it is occupied by a tennis court and other games. So, the conversion of tennis courts to pickleball courts is considerably increasing. As the nature of the sport is slightly the same as that of tennis, it can easily accommodate a tennis court with few alterations.

 In this article, we discuss how a tennis court can be converted into a pickleball court, the tools required, and how to divide the tennis court layout for pickleball courts. If you are looking for a pickleball court or thinking of converting a tennis court into one, the above-discussed information may help you with the conversion.