Tyson McGuffin played tennis at Scottsdale Community College before he turned pro in pickleball. Asked what changed, he told Cronkite News in 2023 that the biggest adjustment was shortening his strokes and simplifying the game. The Dink and PlayPickleball both say it in their own words. This guide shows the court to scale, the rules that break tennis instincts, and what comes with you for the tennis players who switch to pickleball.
Why do tennis players switch to pickleball?
For the body, the company and the speed. Writing for PlayPickleball, Jaclyn Brandt lists five reasons: tennis singles asks for a lot of running, recurring injuries can make tennis hard to sustain, the close court makes conversation possible, the faster pace is a fresh challenge, and the skills transfer.
The numbers say a lot of people have made the same move. The Sports and Fitness Industry Association counts about 24.3 million Americans who played pickleball in 2025, and Cronkite News reported in 2023, citing the same association, that nearly one in three pickleball players have played tennis.
How much smaller is a pickleball court?
About a third of the size. A pickleball court is 31 percent of a doubles tennis court by area, and that one fact changes every shot you hit.
- of a doubles tennis court, by area
- 31%
- kitchen line from the net, against the tennis service line at 21 ft
- 7 ft
- net height at the center, against 36 in for tennis
- 34 in
Tennis dimensions are from the ITF Rules of Tennis in the USTA's Friend at Court, pickleball's from USA Pickleball. The 31 percent is our arithmetic: 44 by 20 is 880 square feet, 78 by 36 is 2,808, and 880 divided by 2,808 is 0.313.
A tennis doubles court is 78 feet long and 36 feet wide, according to the ITF Rules of Tennis in the USTA's Friend at Court. A pickleball court is 20 feet wide by 44 feet long, the same for singles and doubles, with a 7-foot non-volley zone on each side of the net. The tennis service line sits 21 feet from the net. The pickleball kitchen line sits 7.
What a smaller court does to a big swing
Brandt says pickleball paddles are shorter than tennis racquets, so you meet the ball closer to your body, and a big backswing sends it long or out. She recommends a short, compact swing. The Dink, a pickleball media site, puts the same advice in two words: shorten everything.
Which rules break tennis instincts?
Three of them: the serve, the bounce and the kitchen. Here they are against tennis, side by side.
| Compared | Tennis | Pickleball |
|---|---|---|
| Court | 78 by 36 feet for doubles | 44 by 20 feet for singles and doubles |
| Net at the center | 3 feet | 34 inches |
| The serve | Hit high to low | Underhand, with the paddle below the waist |
| After the serve | The server can follow it to the net and volley | The ball bounces once on each side before anyone volleys |
| Volleys | Allowed anywhere on the court | Not while touching the 7-foot kitchen or its line |
| Scoring | Points, games and sets | Only the serving side scores, games to 11, win by 2 |
Michigan State's pickleball rules summary says the double-bounce rule eliminates the serve-and-volley advantage and extends rallies. That is why Brandt's advice for the serve is to stay back, hit your third shot, then move to the net. Tennis instinct sends you forward the moment you have hit the serve. The rule sends you back to wait.
Which of the five tennis habits are yours?
Coaches who work with tennis converts keep naming the same few. The Dink's list of seven tennis habits starts with grinding out baseline rallies and ends with treating pickleball like mini tennis. Five of them are below. Tick the ones that are yours, and open a card to see what pickleball does about it.
Which tennis instincts are yours?
Tick the ones you would do without thinking. Open any card to see what pickleball does about it.
What pickleball does about it
Not in pickleball. The serve is hit underhand, with the paddle meeting the ball below the waist, and it travels diagonally across the net. A tennis serve, however good, is not a legal pickleball serve.
Source: USA Pickleball
What pickleball does about it
The two-bounce rule stops it. The return has to bounce, then the serving side lets it bounce too, before anyone can volley. Writing for PlayPickleball, Jaclyn Brandt puts the plan in one line: stay back, hit your third shot, then move to the net.
Source: PlayPickleball, Jaclyn Brandt
What pickleball does about it
Not from the kitchen. The non-volley zone is the area within 7 feet of the net on both sides, and volleying while you touch it or its line is a fault. Stepping in to hit a ball that has already bounced is fine.
Source: Michigan State rules summary
What pickleball does about it
The court is about 31 percent of a doubles tennis court by area. Brandt says a big backswing sends the ball long or out and recommends a short, compact one. Tyson McGuffin, a pro who came to pickleball from tennis, told Cronkite News that shortening his strokes was the biggest adjustment.
Source: Cronkite News
What pickleball does about it
At the kitchen line it is the whole game. USA Pickleball says the non-volley zone is what promotes longer, more strategic rallies, and The Dink argues that a dink is pressure, not passivity, because it forces your opponent to hit up.
Source: The Dink
Tick at least one card and your tally appears here.
Two more from the list
The cards leave out two of The Dink's seven. One is sprinting through the transition zone, the stretch of court between the baseline and the kitchen line. It advises moving through it deliberately and using controlled resets, which are soft shots aimed at your opponents' feet. The other is turning your shoulders to dink the way you would for a groundstroke. It says to keep your chest square to the net and shuffle sideways instead.
Want a coach to spot the habits?
Private pickleball lessons here work on the third shot, the dink and the kitchen-line rules, with paddles to borrow.
What carries over from tennis?
More than the habit list makes it sound. Brandt notes that both games use forehands, backhands, lobs and overheads, that the two sports share a language, and that tennis muscle memory makes the switch easier. Cronkite News reported that tennis players often find the move natural.
Volleys carry over with one adjustment. The Dink says the tennis slice punch volley, with its step in, leads to foot faults at the kitchen. It suggests a roll volley instead: reach in rather than step in, and keep your chest square to the net. Your touch is already there. Your feet need a new rule.
Why play doubles first?
Because it is how most people play. Michigan State's summary says doubles is the most common format, and USA Pickleball uses one court for both. Unlike tennis, there are no separate singles lines to learn. A tennis singles player is used to covering the court alone. In pickleball doubles you share it.
How can a tennis player try pickleball at Match Point KC?
Book an hour on a pickleball court or take a lesson. We have four indoor tennis courts and four indoor pickleball courts, all heated and cooled hard courts, so a tennis player can try the other sport without joining anything new.
Courts
The pickleball page has the details, and you do not need a membership to book a court. Paddles are available to borrow, and everyone signs a liability waiver before their first time on court.
Lessons
Private pickleball lessons work on the third shot, the dink and the kitchen-line rules, and a coach will have you playing points in your first session. Our guide to what to expect at your first pickleball lesson walks through it.
Staying a tennis player too
Nothing says you have to choose. Our tennis page and leagues page cover the tennis side of the club. If you are weighing where to play outdoors or in, read indoor versus outdoor pickleball.
Key takeaways
The court is about 31 percent of a doubles tennis court. That is why the big swing, the long backswing and the baseline rally all overshoot.
Three rules break most tennis instincts. An underhand serve below the waist, one bounce on each side, and no volleys from the kitchen.
A lot comes with you. Both games use forehands, backhands, lobs and overheads, and your touch at the net carries over with a new foot rule.
Start with doubles and one good habit. Shorten the swing, then add the third shot. You do not need a lesson to start, but one helps.
Questions people ask
Is it easier for tennis players to play pickleball?
Easier to start, harder to unlearn. Cronkite News reported that tennis players often find the switch natural, and Jaclyn Brandt of PlayPickleball says tennis muscle memory helps. The overhand serve, the rush to the net and the big swing are the habits that cost points.
Do tennis skills transfer to pickleball?
Yes. Both games use forehands, backhands, lobs and overheads, according to Brandt. Volleys carry over too, with one change: The Dink advises a roll volley at the kitchen instead of a tennis slice punch volley, to avoid foot faults.
Why do tennis players switch to pickleball?
Brandt lists five reasons: tennis singles asks for a lot of running, injuries can make tennis hard to sustain, the close court makes conversation possible, the faster gameplay is a new challenge, and the skills transfer.
Do tennis players make good pickleball players?
Often, once the habits are unlearned. Pro Tyson McGuffin came to pickleball from tennis, and he told Cronkite News that shortening his strokes and simplifying the game was the biggest adjustment.
Can I use my tennis racquet to play pickleball?
Not really. USA Pickleball describes a paddle made of rigid, non-compressible material and a plastic ball with 26 to 40 holes, and Brandt notes that pickleball paddles have no strings. At Match Point KC you can borrow a paddle.
Can I play tennis and pickleball at the same club?
At Match Point KC, yes. We have four indoor tennis courts and four indoor pickleball courts in Blue Springs, all heated and cooled, with lessons and weekly adult activities for both sports.
