The world of racket sports is diverse and varied, and while many people may only be familiar with a particular few racket (or paddle) based games, there are actually a lot of them out there.
Most commonly, sports fans might think of tennis, badminton and perhaps squash or racquetball when they are asked to name one of these types of games, but not many are familiar with paddleball.
Is paddle ball similar to badminton in any way? In this article, we are going to be looking at whether there are any significant similarities and how apparent the differences are.
A Little Bit About Paddleball
Paddleball is played on a small court - in fact, the court is only half as big as a tennis court. It can be played with either two or four players, when played with two it is called a singles match, and when played with four, it is a doubles match.
Rather than a racket, players in a game of paddleball will use a paddle which is filled with small holes. These holes allow the air to flow through giving the players more speed as they play.
The game is played using a ball which is around the same size as those used in softball, and this also features a single hole that helps with air friction. Balls for the game come in one of two colours - either light green or yellow.
In terms of play, paddleball could be easily compared to racketball since both sports feature a front wall at which the ball is hit. The ball rebounds of this wall and back out into the court where the players continue hitting it to score points.
What Are The Similarities Between Badminton And Paddleball?
One of the most interesting things about the two games is that both badminton and paddle ball matches start with a coin toss.
Flipping a coin is one of the oldest traditions in a game of badminton, and this allows the winner of the coin toss to choose two options:
They can choose which side of the court they would like to play on first.
They can choose whether they want to serve the first shuttle or whether they want their opponent to serve.
Similarly, in a game of paddleball, a coin toss will determine which player starts the game.
There are several other ways in which paddleball is like badminton, although it is evident that the differences are also quite vast.
Both games are played on a similar-sized court. Tennis is usually played on a far larger court than either of these two games, so court size is typically compared to this. A badminton court measures 13 metres at its broadest point, and the paddleball court is around 12 metres. In contrast, a tennis court measures a whopping 23 metres.
Of course, one of the most evident similarities is that both games can be played as either singles or doubles matches.
What Are The Differences Between Badminton And Paddleball?
While the two games are similar in various ways, the differences far outweigh these similarities.
Both games do use similar equipment, but these pieces of equipment are vastly different. To begin with, a badminton racket features strings that are tightly pulled across a metal frame. In contrast, while the shape of the paddleball paddle is slightly like a badminton racket, this equipment is made from plastic and does not have strings. Instead, it has several holes punched into the plastic for improved airflow and decreased friction.
In badminton, a shuttlecock is used during play whereas, in paddleball, the players hit a small plastic ball.
Unlike badminton where players hit the shuttle across a net, paddleball players will hit their ball against a wall.
In days gone by, badminton rules stated that only the player who served could score a point in that round; however, this was changed in recent years to give both players the opportunity to score regardless of whose serve it was. However, in paddleball, this rule still remains, and only the player or team who served can score a point during that portion of the gameplay.
Is Paddle Ball Harder Than Badminton?
In terms of the rules, paddle ball is slightly more simple and straightforward than badminton, making it far easier to learn. Badminton may take a while to perfect, whereas something like paddleball can quickly be learned in an afternoon - the rules, at least. Developing your skill will take some practice.
Many people would also question whether paddle ball is as physically demanding as badminton. It is well known that badminton takes a lot of energy and is extremely physically demanding. But is this the case with paddleball
In short, yes paddleball is just as physically demanding as badminton but perhaps in different ways. An average game of paddleball might last around 30 minutes whereas badminton lasts, on average for around 45 minutes but it can go on for up to two hours. Players in badminton are required to move around a little more.
Paddleball players, on the other hand, are required to exert a little more effort when swinging their racket and hitting the ball, this is largely due to the slightly heavier nature of the equipment.
There is little doubt, however, that both games demand good fitness levels and offer an effective workout that will burn calories.
Conclusion
Badminton has long been compared to other sports, and it isn’t surprising when there are so many that look the same at first glance. But while there may be many similarities between badminton and a whole host of other racket sports, the differences certainly do stand out.
Paddleball is mostly different from badminton due to the court layout, the equipment and the rules of the game, although there are some things that could lead you to believe that one was inspired by the other - unfortunately, this is not the case.
