If you’re considering painting pickleball lines on a tennis court, here is a quick and useful guide to ensure the process goes as smoothly as possible.
Resource: Pickleball Court Vs. Tennis Court Dimensions
If you’re looking to convert a tennis court into a pickleball court, I have some good news. It’s not that hard.
But you want to ensure that you take all the right steps to make it as exact as possible, otherwise, you run the risk of ruining the tennis court AND the pickleball court.
Line calls can be hard enough as it is. The last thing you want to do is not have straight lines on your pickleball courts and cause even more debate.
5 Things to Consider When Painting the Tennis Court
- Does the weather forecast look solid for the coming days?
- Take your time and make sure the lines are as solid and straight as possible. Double and triple-check everything.
- Don’t skimp on the equipment. Using the proper tools can save you a lot of stress in the long run (plus you can always return it…SHHHH…)
- A regulation tennis court can fit two pickleball courts. If you’re only painting pickleball lines for one tennis court, it might be beneficial to see the patterns of the sun and wind in your area. EX: if you play in the evening, you want to try to face away from the sun.
- Although you can play pickleball on clay courts, it is going to be a lot harder to convert. Clay courts usually have boards nailed in that act as lines.
Equipment For Painting Pickleball Lines On a Tennis Court
Before just going at it with the paint, you want to map the court first and get a layout to make the lines as crisp and precise as possible.
What You’ll Need
- Something to trace the lines (Laser, chalk line, pencil)
- Masking tape (2 In. wide)
- Line Taping machine
- Stipe Rite Line Primer
- 100% acrylic emulsion paint
- Paintbrush or paint roller
- Portable Pickleball Net
3 Steps For Painting Pickleball lines on a Tennis Court
Step 1. Measure and Temporarily sketch the lines of the pickleball court on the tennis court surface.
Here is a rough image of what the pickleball court should look like on the tennis court.
Step 2. Lay down tape with a two-inch-wide gap (the lines are 2 inches wide) in the middle using tape. I HIGHLY recommend getting this tape machine to make sure your line is straight.
Step 3. Apply line primer to your paintbrush or roller and apply the first layer to cover any cracks or imperfections.
Step 4. Once the line primer has dried clear, use your acrylic paint to paint pickleball lines.
Bonus Tip: Use a different color (like blue) so that the pickleball lines don’t blend with the tennis court lines.
What Are The Dimensions of A Pickleball Court?
A pickleball court is 20 feet wide at the baseline, 44 feet long at the sideline, and the non-volley zone (kitchen) is 7 feet from the net. The lines are all about 2 inches wide.
First off, you want to make sure you get the dimensions correct.
We have a super in-depth article about the dimensions of a pickleball court, but as a refresher, here is a diagram showing the measurements of a pickleball court.
How Many Pickleball Courts Fit on a Tennis Court?
You can fit up to 4 standard pickleball courts on a tennis court, but two courts is what I typically see. 4 may be too confusing with all the lines.
Can I use the Tennis Net for Pickleball?
A regulation tennis net is 3.5 feet (42 inches) at the posts, and 3 feet (36 inches) in the middle whereas a regulation pickleball net is 3 feet (36 inches) tall at the posts and 34 inches in the center.
If you’re playing casually or just messing around with drills. Sure… I don’t see why not. I’ve used a chair for practicing pickleball drills at home.
BUT if you want to get some competitive doubles games. I would highly suggest getting a portable pickleball net.
You can take it down and store it so the court can be used for tennis, and set it up easily when you want to get some pickleball going on the court.
Alternatives To Painting Pickleball Lines on a Tennis Court
If you mess up painting the lines on the court, it could be a permanent issue. Pickleball players and tennis players won’t be too pleased with a disaster of a court.
So if you’re not confident in your painting skills, or don’t want to buy the equipment, here are some temporary alternatives.
Use the Franklin temporary corner markers to outline your court boundaries.
Next, take some floor marking tape and tape off your temporary pickleball court.
It’s really that simple. No need for line paint or the risk of ruining a tennis court.
Also, the line tape can be used for hardwood floors so it’s perfect for indoor courts.
Final Thoughts
If you have experience with painting pickleball lines on a tennis court and want the project, then by all means go for it.
With pickleball’s growth rising every year, I know how frustrating it can be to see a bunch of unused tennis courts with so much potential to be used for pickleball.
That being said, there can just be too many hoops to jump through to get permission to paint the court. Maybe at first just try the temporary lines on the tennis court and see how the community takes it.
Once you see that it’s drawing in a big crowd, that’s when you should consider something more permanent on the tennis court.
