If you are one of those who like indulging in sports, you must be aware of pickleball. This game has gained so much popularity across the United States in the last two years. People find this game more interesting because it combines the elements of other games, such as tennis, badminton, and ping pong.
This game with a unique name is played on a court having specific dimensions and markers. There are multiple options for surface materials for building a pickleball court. Are you interested to know what the best court surface for pickleball is? This article will help you choose the best court surface material for your pickleball court.
Factors to Consider While Choosing the Best Court Surface Material
Although there are some standard options of materials to build pickleball courts, you have to consider the following factors before you make your choice–
When you build a pickleball court, you must consider the demographics and needs of the players. Since people of different ages and fitness levels will play on that court, they may have some specific needs.
As we can see, the number of seniors playing pickleball is relatively high, and their knees are sensitive to the court surface. Thus it is essential to consider players’ health while choosing court surface material.
You must consider the comfort and safety of the players when it comes to choosing a surface material. They can enjoy playing pickleball at your facility only when it is safe and comfortable for them.
Another essential factor is the bounce required for pickleball. When the game continues, the court surface must provide the necessary bounce for pickleball. Some surface materials are unsuitable for pickleball, and you must avoid them.
Let’s move on to the most common surfaces used –
Concrete
Concrete surfaces are a cheaper option for court surfaces and deliver the most predictable ball movement. Though concrete is a hard material, you can cover it with a special surface that is designed for tennis, Pickleball, and badminton courts.
Benefits of Using Concrete
- Professional contractors can lay perfectly leveled concrete surfaces without undulations or other defects.
- You may overlay concrete with a specialized surface to further increase the grip for the player.
- You can also lay a specialized rubber mat over a concrete surface, to increase the cushioning for safeguarding the player’s joints.
- Concrete is extremely hardy and durable. A correctly laid concrete surface will withstand years of abuse while continuing to provide a solid surface.
Drawbacks of Concrete
- Concrete is often rigid and inflexible when it is in its natural state. Unless you place a second material on top, the players’ joints might feel pain the next day.
- Concrete alone cannot provide the necessary traction; it requires an additional layer on top.
Asphalt
Although concrete is one of the most used materials for building pickleball courts, asphalt is also a member of the list of preferred court surface materials. Similar to concrete, asphalt is also an affordable option for outdoor pickleball courts. If you are building a pickleball court where the land quality is good, all you need to do is put down a concrete slab and spray asphalt on top.
When you compare asphalt with concrete, it requires more upkeep. Some people prefer using plastic tiles for their court surface; however, this can be more expensive compared to asphalt or concrete.
Pickleball on Tennis Court
If you have a tennis court at your home, school, club, or recreation center, you can paint some markings and temporary lines and set up a Pickleball net. If you have permission from the respective authority to use the tennis court in this way, it is perfect because the court surface is already in place, and it’s already constructed for a racquetball game.
The surface offers sufficient traction for this fast-moving game of Pickleball. The only drawback of using a tennis court is that you cannot draw permanent lines on it. The pickleball lines you mark have to be temporary, and you must remove them when the tennis court is about to be used for its primary designated purpose.
Pickleball on Grass Surface
The grass surface is not typically preferred as a court surface. Using a grass surface to play pickleball will require specific preparation beforehand. These preparations include –
- You will need to level the ground surface perfectly; saying this is way too easier than actually doing it.
- Once you level the surface perfectly, the grass has to be compacted to have a sufficiently hard surface for the game.
- You must carefully look after the grass and mow it on a regular basis.
- To protect the features that make it a suitable surface for Pickleball, you need to frequently play on it.
- You have to reinstate the lines that define the pickleball court regularly. These lines will disappear with regular mowing.
- The grass surface is unable to provide the same level of traction when compared to solid surfaces.
- While playing pickleball on a grass surface, you can experience the erratic bounce of the ball.
Pickleball on Clay Surface
Even if it is possible to play pickleball on a clay surface, similar to a grass surface, it is not typically used as a pickleball court surface. The way, grass surface needs some preparation; the clay surface must also be firm and compacted. Remember, since it is a clay surface if it rains, the court will absorb the water while losing the consistent level of the surface.
PickleGrip™ from Pickleball Courts of New England
While other court surfaces have several issues, our revolutionary formulation fixes these issues and serves as an industry game-changer. With a superior level of grip, this proprietary PickleGrip™ material allows the ball to bounce correctly and consistently. This Pickleball material also provides higher shoe traction in both wet and dry conditions. It has a percentage of Rubber in it that provides awesome traction while eliminating plastic on plastic ball sliding.
If you want the best court surface material, contact us at Pickleball Courts of New England.
