Does pickleball remind you of tennis with wooden racquets?

diggler

diggler

Hall of Fame
When I see those volley exchanges in pickleball, it reminds me of tennis doubles with wooden racquets. Volley exchanges, dink shots, no slugfest. Anyone else feel the same?
 
Have you had a chance to play? The only strokes in PB similar to tennis are groundstroke, especially in singles and overhead smashes. Net exchanges and dinks are different. Nothing like them in tennis since you have to maintain a minimum distance from the net when volleying in PB.
 
I think you mean the rallies not the volleys, right? Yes, I've often said the same thing to others. PB is slower, and the old school technique may work as well or better in PB than modern tennis technique with all the spin and power. Modern tennis has become so speed, power and spin oriented, that it has become a much more physical sport than it used to be, so much so that the learning curve and physical demands are much higher. Plus, coming to net right away is essential in PB, are much like old serve and volley tennis used to be.
 
-yeah, i guess!?, in some ways
-in the volley exchanges specially, where the racquet stays out front of you, and you punch/block volleys
-slices also, no big swinging slices, but rather short well placed ones
 
LOBALOT said:
Not even close.

I was grabbing some pizza with my family tonight and they had PB on ESPN. That is nowhere close to what tennis was or what it is now. I can't believe people watch this stuff.
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You don't find PB interesting too watch?
 
No- wooden tennis racquets still have strings and you could create more spin than you even could with modern PB paddles. Serve-and-volley tennis remains much the same as when it's played today.
 
No.
Pickelball is more like ping pong.
- You're hitting a plastic wiffle ball and
- there's this stupid restrictive kitchen area (which takes away the fun of drop volleys or running to get the drop volley)
- .PB scoring is very unique.
It's not tennis at all.

On the other hand, Paddle tennis (pop tennis) resembles tennis a lot more.
-The game uses a deflated tennis ball.
- mini tennis court which PB adopted
- same scoring as tennis
- underhand serve or forehand
- no kitchen area. (you will get tagged at the net but your volley skills improve dramatically)
same for Padel in Europe. They use a real tennis ball, real scoring and allow you to hit a plastic wall.
Google it or watch on youtube. You'll thank me.
 
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Bill Lobsalot said:
I'm a member of a club that has many crossover players tennis/PB and the tennis people tell me it's a different game.
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It's a different game, that's a given. However, it shares many of the same shots as tennis. That's why tennis players can transition to PB easily and quickly get to a 4.0 level, assuming they are a 4.5+ level tennis player.

PB singles play is very similar to tennis as far as constructing points. However, PB requires better touch, feel and higher precision shots because of the kitchen, the court size and the overall strategy of keeping the ball as close to the net top as possible.
 
Bud said:
It's a different game, that's a given. However, it shares many of the same shots as tennis. That's why tennis players can transition to PB easily and quickly get to a 4.0 level, assuming they are a 4.5+ level tennis player.

PB singles play is very similar to tennis as far as constructing points. However, PB requires better touch, feel and higher precision shots because of the kitchen, the court size and the overall strategy of keeping the ball as close to the net top as possible.
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Agreed. But easier for a tennis player to be competent at PB than the other way around.
 
Bill Lobsalot said:
Agreed. But easier for a tennis player to be competent at PB than the other way around.
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Again, another given. Nobody I know or talk with picked up tennis after playing pickleball. It's culture shock and not in a good way. At we've seen on this forum, some are insufferably arrogant about tennis and its hierarchy within racquet sports.

Tennis is much more difficult to learn because of the racquet size, length and weight. In addition, there's the ball weight, spin and bounce from strings versus a hard paddle face against a lighter plastic ball.
 
I definitely don’t think PB is similar to table tennis. Table tennis is a high paced, high topspin game, where you never take the ball out of the air.
 
Not even close. My friend was strait pegging the balls at me while at net and they were slow and easy enough to block. I would have needed magic hands to get those in tennis
 
I started this thread when I had never played pickleball. Now that I have played for 6 weeks I have a reasonable idea.

I've only played doubles. I think they are very different sports. I rarely hit a groundstroke in pickleball as I go to net ASAP like you should.

Third shot drop is uniquely pickleball. Dinking rallies occurred in the wood racket days on rare occasions. Volley exchanges did exist in the wooden racquet days. I think that is the most exciting thing about pickleball. The fast reflexes required remind me of table tennis. Dinking exists in badminton but is usually followed by a lob.
 
a10best said:
No. Pickelball is more like ping pong. You're hitting a plastic wiffle ball and then there's the restrictive kitchen area which takes away the fun of drop volleys. PB scoring is unique.

Paddle tennis (pop tennis) resembles tennis a lot more (deflated tennis ball and same scoring and no kitchen area). Google it or watch on youtube. You'll thank me.
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I wish pop tennis was more popular! There’s a huge scene in venice beach but haven’t seen it anywhere else
 
kevonian said:
I wish pop tennis was more popular! There’s a huge scene in venice beach but haven’t seen it anywhere else
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I played there in the late 90s in my 20s also in Culver City, a park in MDR and Manhattan Beach. Can't beat that weather. The only other places I heard had them were in NY, St Augustine FL and Buenos Aires.
 
The rules make it less like tennis and more like standup ping pong. No overhead serves, no slice serves.
  • the server’s arm must be shifting in an upward arc/an upward motion – not sideways like hitting a groundstroke, or side arming it. ...
  • The ball must come into contact with the paddle below the waist.
 
recreationalplayer said:
The rules make it less like tennis and more like standup ping pong. No overhead serves, no slice serves.
  • the server’s arm must be shifting in an upward arc/an upward motion – not sideways like hitting a groundstroke, or side arming it. ...
  • The ball must come into contact with the paddle below the waist.
Click to expand...
Slice serve is perfectly legal, as long as the paddle also moves upwards, which is inevitable if the ball has to go forward.

theracketlife.com

Can You Slice Serve In Pickleball? - The Racket Life

An estimated 4.8 million Americans play Pickleball, and if you’re one of them or want to join in, you might notice that Pickleball seems to...
theracketlife.com
 
tennytive said:
Fencing is forward and back. Pball is side to side at the kitchen. Badminton footwork has more in common with fencing than pball.
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Pickleball is in all directions. Even at the kitchen, you move forward and back slightly. You also have to cover lobs.
 
Understood. My point was more about footwork that involves lunging, which is used in both fencing and badminton.
 
tennytive said:
Understood. My point was more about footwork that involves lunging, which is used in both fencing and badminton.
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You lunge in PB much more than tennis as the ball bounces half as high.

Perhaps, someone who plays badminton and pickleball competitively can chime in.
 
I've fenced in high school, lettered and had Dave Littel as a team mate who went on to fence in the Olympics.
I played badminton (and recently returned to) in college, winning 4 singles tournaments.
I played one year of Varsity singles and doubles tennis in college and lettered as a walk on my senior year.
I play pickleball now because my mobility is no longer there for singles tennis. Our group is at 4.5, which I consider competitive enough to comment on footwork.
Lunging is basic in fencing. Lunging is common in badminton to return drop shots.
I agree that lunging in PB happens, but in my experience, it's almost always when the ball hits the tape and then drops over so close that the only reply possible is to lunge from the kitchen line and tap it just back over the net and quickly retreat so you don't get hit with the next ball on the fly. This is rare in most games. The most common footwork is running up to the line and moving side to side to cover the middle and lines during a dinking exchange. Lobs at 4.5 don't happen too often as young guys are too quick and can blast overhead winners with ease.
I do remember lunging in tennis, but that was mostly when I played serve and volley and was late to the net.
You're right that PB needs good footwork, no arguement there, I just feel there's a big difference from other games I've played from my own experience and offering some personal input.
 
TennisDawg said:
It took a lot of skill to play tennis back in the day with a wooden frame having a 60 sqin racquet. It’s not even the same game as pickle.
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It takes a lot of skill now and arguably more athletic ability at the top. There wasn't as much power and spin and placement was more important.
 
Bud said:
It takes a lot of skill now and arguably more athletic ability at the top. There wasn't as much power and spin and placement was more important.
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The players are bigger now but are more agile, women and men. Also tennis teaching is more sophisticated and the strokes have changed. Not to mention racquet technology that allows for more power and spin. Laver and Roswell were top players back then and played what is now referred to as classic tennis.
 
diggler said:
When I see those volley exchanges in pickleball, it reminds me of tennis doubles with wooden racquets. Volley exchanges, dink shots, no slugfest. Anyone else feel the same?
Click to expand...

First thought is not tennis. I reminds me of something I've seen played at my kids day camp or at a community picnic in a park. Like paddleball crossed with wiffle ball crossed with padel tennis, but louder and more obnoxious.
 
nope. I have a chris evert autograph wooden racquet (/w 65 sq in head) as a collectible, sometimes play around with it, and it's a freaking 375g static weight , so requires full body swing often like with groundstrokes. so knowing what a wooden racquet that pros used in the 70's, feels and swings like. and for volleys and such, the head of a wooden racquet is much farther from the hand than a paddle.

a10best said:
No.
Pickelball is more like ping pong.
- You're hitting a plastic wiffle ball and
- there's this stupid restrictive kitchen area (which takes away the fun of drop volleys or running to get the drop volley)
- .PB scoring is very unique.
It's not tennis at all.
Click to expand...

this, about pickleball, imo.
 
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I grew up playing with the 65 square inch wooden rackets -- on clay courts. Finesse was a big part of the game of tennis.

Fast-forward to the 1980s and tennis lost a ton of its finesse. Who could out-slug the opponent became the name of the game. THAT was boring to me.

Then poly strings ruined the rest of the game of tennis. (It's the one thing I would ban, were I the King of Tennis.)

Pickleball is a game of finesse AND (some) power. But the placement, touch and strategy is a bunch of fun.
 
I've had more fun playing mini tennis with a giant Gamma sponge ball, with my tennis racquet....than pickleball. Weird ass scoring and serving system, basically an enlarged ping pong paddle with no feel, back breaker of a sport. Maybe if the paddles were longer and the scoring and serving system weren't so gayed out. Anyway, yall can have it.
 
kabrac said:
Maybe if the paddles were longer and the scoring and serving system weren't so.... Anyway, yall can have it.
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You post as if you're trying to have pickleball be a smaller version of tennis. Respectfully, I think you're looking at our sport through the wrong lenses.

Pickleball is its own sport, but tennis, table tennis and racketball players -- because of their racket/paddle skills -- have a shortened learning curve.

- Dink
 
I Dink Too Much said:
You post as if you're trying to have pickleball be a smaller version of tennis. Respectfully, I think you're looking at our sport through the wrong lenses.

Pickleball is its own sport, but tennis, table tennis and racketball players -- because of their racket/paddle skills -- have a shortened learning curve.

- Dink
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Correct it is its own sport. People like it. I don't. It's terrible for a person's tennis game I would say, except for volleys or some kind of drills you can carry over to tennis. Tennis is hard enough on the back. I'm not putting mine through that.

Some parts are fun, but it isn't for me. I'm glad you like it. Hope you stay healthy and enjoy it. Nothing wrong with that.
 
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