Breaking Down the Pickleball Court

Looking to build your own court? Curious about the dimensions of your local court? Maybe you want to know more about the start of pickleball? We are all wanting to spend more time on the court, but did you know you can make your own court almost anywhere! We are going to break down the pickleball court! Starting with the first court on Bainbridge Island, adding pickleball court lines to an unused tennis court, even where to go to set up your own pickleball court at your own home, and where to find a court to play on near you! 

There is no better way to start than the very beginning of pickleball on Bainbridge Island, Washington. In 1965, Joel Pritchard and Bill Bell set out to cure the family’s summer boredom blues at their house on Bainbridge Island, Washington. Pritchard’s home already had a badminton court on the property, so what a great place to start. Although Pritchard’s home had a badminton court, they were missing the racquets needed in order to play. So as fathers do, Pritchard improvised with spare ping pong paddles and a plastic wiffle ball. At first, the families started to volley the plastic ball over the 60’’ badminton net but soon found out that the plastic wiffle ball bounced well off their asphalt court. Because of this Pritchard and Bell lowered the net to a more tennis-style net of 36’, which is what is still used today! Two years later in 1967, Pritchard turned to Bob O’Brian, a close family friend and neighbor, to construct the first permanent pickleball court in Bob’s backyard. To have a dedicated court solidified that this was no longer a family game, but a newfound sport! The once family backyard game has evolved into a nationwide craze! Starting with one dedicated court to now, where there are thousands of pickleball courts, both indoor and outdoor! 

Have you noticed more pickleball being played in your local neighborhood park? Maybe the tennis courts that were rarely used are starting to fill up with pickleball players? One of many reasons pickleball has swept the nation is the accessibility to play! A pickleball court can be set up almost anywhere with a measuring tape and court tape! You may have noticed that the once used tennis courts are hotbeds for pickleball play. This is due to the lack of tennis being played and the perfect area to set up not one, but two pickleball courts! To take advantage of the unused tennis courts you will need to first decide how many pickleball courts you are going to need. The simplest way to convert a tennis court to a pickleball court is to tape off the court 20’ wide and 44’ long, but don’t forget the kitchen, the non-volley zone is 7’ from the net. You can use the net that is up at the tennis court, which is 36’’. If you are wanting to get more players on the court you can do that with two pickleball courts, within one tennis court. To double the fun on the courts, you will have one pickleball court on each side of the tennis court net. Use the 60’ on each side of the tennis court net and tape off the 44’ long by 20’ wide and again, don’t forget the kitchen. With two courts you will need a couple of nets, check them out Pickleball Nets! If you drive around your local area and take a look at the tennis courts, you might just see a couple of pickleball nets already ready for play. Before buying your own nets and taping off a couple of pickleball courts for exciting play, I would first get permission from the owners/park directors of the tennis courts to ensure they want their courts filled with fun! 

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Who wouldn’t want their own pickleball court for their friends and family? As difficult as it may seem, you can have your own pickleball court with a little bit of space and elbow grease. There are two ways to go about making your own pickleball getaway. One, you can tape off the court on asphalt or concrete, or you can go the whole way and have  Picklemaster applied to your court! The first option is quick, easy, and financially doable for most pickleball players. Grab some outdoor court tape and tape off 20’ wide and 44’ long. Once you have the court dimensions you can tape off the 7’ non-volley zone from the net on each side. A net for any pickleball court can be obtained HERE! You will also need to tape off the centerline, which is done at the 10’ mark connecting the non-volley zone to the baseline. We would also recommend using a chalk line, which can be picked up at any hardware store, to ensure that your lines are straight. The second option for creating your own pickleball court, with an official pickleball court surface. The cost can be a bit more, but pays off in fun!  Keep in mind to be able to maneuver and have ample space that 34’ X 64’ is recommended for a pickleball court build. Once you have the area you are looking to install your pickleball court you can obtain the pickleball court material Shop Pickleball Court Paint! In order to apply the Picklemaster surface accurately, I would watch the following youtube How-to Video. Once you have applied the Pickleballmaster surface, you can go about taping off your lines or even painting your lines. From this point, all you will need to do is tape off 20’ wide and 44’ long, the 7’ non-volley zone, and the centerline, done at the 10’ mark connecting the non-volley zone to the baseline. If you have that DIY bone in your body, you too could have your very own pickleball court. We’ll leave the naming up to you!

As pickleball players, we are all wanting to spend more time on the court! Get out there and make your own stamp on pickleball, whether it be the first court in your town, taping off the abandoned tennis court for pickleball, or even creating your own pickleball haven in your backyard! 

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