I Am A Tennis Player! Will Playing Pickleball Ruin My Tennis Technique?
Tennis And Pickleball Together Or Apart?
With the rapid rise of pickleball around the world, more tennis players seem to be taking an interest in the sport. Our coaches at Play! Pickle teach students from tennis backgrounds, some of which raise the concern on whether or not pickleball would have a negative impact on their tennis technique. Does one have to choose between tennis or pickleball or can both be enjoyed in a beneficial way? In this article we will be discussing some key points on how pickleball and tennis can be a powerful synergy as well as things to look out for in terms of our techniques for both sports.
Tennis-Pickle Crossover: There are many similarities between pickleball and tennis. Groundstroke techniques and footwork from tennis can be effectively deployed in Pickleball. There is no surprise that many of the top pickleball players come from tennis backgrounds, for example Jack Sock, from the US transition strongly from being a tennis pro to a world ranked pickleball competitor. Therefore, pickleball offers flexibility in terms of what technique you choose to play with, whether it be more traditional pickleball techniques with more compact strokes or a more exaggerated tennis styled strokes.
The Grips Used: One thing to watch out for is the difference in grips, how the pickleball paddle is held vs how tennis players usually hold their tennis rackets. For most pickleball shots players will tend to use a continental to eastern grip for serve, groundstrokes and volleys. Tennis players that use these grips won't have much of a problem transitioning and maintaining their technique when playing both pickleball and tennis. However, tennis players that use a more western grip on their groundstrokes, will need to make some small adjustments on their pickleball groundstrokes in terms of their grip. They will most likely need to change to an eastern grip for their pickleball groundstrokes.
The Grips Concern: This is where concern comes in for some tennis players. If they are using a different grip for their groundstrokes in pickleball, will it have a negative impact on their tennis groundstrokes? For some it might as it may cause confusion and mess with the muscle memory and habits they have built over many years of playing tennis. However, players who can differentiate between the two sports and adapt accordingly can benefit from playing both sports. Saying that playing pickleball is bad for your tennis technique, could be like saying, that walking is bad for your running technique.
How Our Coaches Adapt: Some of our coaches at Play! Tennis and Play! Pickle are cross-trained so both know how to play tennis and pickleball at a high level. Many of them have had no issues adapting and tailoring their games in both sports. Several of them have said that playing both pickleball and tennis has benefited multiple aspects of their skills in both sports. For example, I have found that from playing pickleball, my reflexes and volleying skills improved for tennis. This is due to the fast and aggressive playing styles that are encouraged in Pickleball.
To conclude, our team at Play! Pickle genuinely believes that pickleball and tennis can coexist peacefully and in a beneficial way for players who want to have double fun! It is important to take note of the differences between the two sports and appreciate the benefits of both sports in order to get the most out of our training and the tennis-pickle synergy!
