If you’ve played badminton for years, your first pickleball session will feel familiar. The court is almost the same size, it’s usually doubles, and fast exchanges at the net come naturally. Most of what you know helps.

A few habits will cost you points, though. The ball behaves differently from a shuttle, the net is much lower, and there’s a zone near the net where you can’t volley. This post covers what carries over, what to unlearn, and how the two sports compare on cost and where to play.

Badminton and pickleball side by side

Badminton Pickleball
Court 13.40m × 6.10m (doubles) 13.41m × 6.10m, the same footprint
Net height at centre 1.524m 0.86m (34 in)
Equipment Light stringed racket, feather or nylon shuttle Solid paddle up to 43.18cm long, hollow plastic ball with holes
Ball or shuttle Slows down sharply in the air Keeps its speed, and bounces
Serve Underhand, whole shuttle below 1.15m when hit Underhand from behind the baseline, must land past the kitchen
Scoring Rally scoring to 21 (games of 15 from 4 January 2027) Games to 11, win by 2; usually only the serving side scores
Special rules None near the net beyond not touching it No volleying in the kitchen; the first two shots must bounce
Court hire, Malaysia About RM15–40 per court per hour About RM20–120 per court per hour
Court hire, Singapore (ActiveSG, citizen/PR) S$3.50 off-peak / S$7.40 peak Indoor S$3.50 / S$7.40; outdoor S$4.50 / S$9.50
Learning curve Years to play well Most of us can rally in the first session; the soft game takes longer
Physical demand High: jumping, lunging, full-court sprints Moderate: short moves, lots of crouching at the net

Prices were checked in October 2026; sources are in the cost section below. Court sizes come from the 2026 USA Pickleball rulebook and the Laws of Badminton.

The court will feel like home

A pickleball court is 20 ft × 44 ft, or 6.10m × 13.41m. A badminton doubles court is 6.10m × 13.40m. That’s why pickleball lines are easy to add to a badminton hall. In Singapore, some community club halls have both sets of lines, and many free HDB courts are shared with badminton players.

The big difference is the net. A pickleball net is 34 in (0.86m) at the centre, about half the height of a badminton net, and you’ll need a pickleball net on a badminton court. On free HDB courts in Singapore you bring your own. Our post on pickleball court size has the full measurements.

The other new lines are the kitchen: a 7 ft (2.13m) strip on each side of the net. You can’t volley while standing in it. It sits close to where the short service line is on a badminton court (1.98m from the net, against the kitchen’s 2.13m), so the floor will look busy at first.

What carries over from badminton

Reflexes at the net. Badminton doubles trains you to react to drives and flat exchanges at close range. In pickleball, fast volley exchanges at the kitchen line happen in almost every game, and quick hands are a real advantage.

Footwork. The split step, small adjusting steps and staying on the balls of your feet all transfer. The court is the same size, so your sense of where the lines are is already there.

Net touch. Badminton net shots train soft hands. Pickleball’s dink, a soft shot that drops into the opponents’ kitchen, uses the same idea of taking pace off the ball. Many badminton players pick up dinking faster than they expect.

Doubles sense. You already know how to cover for a partner, when to take the middle, and how to set up a point instead of winning it in one shot.

You don’t have to take our word for it. Rio 2016 mixed doubles silver medallists Chan Peng Soon and Goh Liu Ying both played the AmBank Malaysia Pickleball Championship in 2026, alongside former tennis players (The Star, July 2026).

Where your wrist can work against you

In badminton, a lot of power comes from the wrist and forearm, with a light racket and a shuttle that slows down quickly. A flick of the wrist sends the shuttle deep, and the air brakes it before the back line.

A pickleball ball doesn’t brake like that. The same flick with a heavier paddle sends the ball long, and it keeps going past the baseline. Two shots cause most of the trouble:

  • Flicky shots. A wristy flick makes it hard to control height and depth. Pickleball rewards a firm wrist and a short, compact swing led from the shoulder, especially for dinks and volleys.
  • Overhit drives. A flat badminton drive that would land in becomes a ball that sails out. Aim lower and with less pace than feels natural, and let the ball’s speed do the work.

There’s also your arm to think about. Tennis elbow, the pain on the outside of the elbow, comes from repeatedly gripping and twisting the wrist and forearm, according to the NHS. A wristy swing with a heavier paddle can add to that strain if you play a lot. If the outside of your elbow aches after sessions, rest it, and see a GP or physiotherapist if it hasn’t improved after two weeks of rest.

What to unlearn

Smashing everything

In badminton, a high ball is a chance to smash. In pickleball, most balls stay low because the net is low, and opponents at the kitchen line can block a smash straight back at your feet. Save the overhead for balls that are genuinely high. For everything else, place the ball low, at your opponents’ feet or into the kitchen.

Standing at the back

In badminton doubles, one of you often attacks from the back. In pickleball, the team that gets both players to the kitchen line usually wins the point. The two-bounce rule slows this down: the serve must bounce, then the return must bounce, before anyone can volley (rule 10.A). So the serving team starts at the back, but both players should move forward as soon as they can. Most of us stayed too far back at first.

Never letting the ball drop

In badminton, the shuttle must never touch the floor. In pickleball, letting the ball bounce is often the right choice. The return of serve and the shot after it must bounce, and a ball heading out is best left alone. Letting a ball go takes practice when your instinct is to reach for everything.

Serving the badminton way

The pickleball serve is underhand like a badminton serve, but that’s where the similarity ends. You serve from behind the baseline, not near the front service line. The ball must go diagonally across and land past the kitchen. You can hit it out of the air with an upward swing below your waist, or drop it and hit it after it bounces. In doubles, a fault usually passes the serve to your partner or the other side, rather than giving away a point. Our serve rules guide covers the details.

Volleying in the kitchen

Badminton players love to rush the net and kill the ball. In pickleball, if you’re standing in the kitchen, or if your momentum carries you into it after a volley, it’s a fault. You can step into the kitchen to play a ball that has bounced. See the kitchen rule, explained.

Your gear: what you can keep

Your badminton shoes are designed for indoor courts, with gum soles for grip. They work well on indoor pickleball courts. Outdoor hard courts wear soles down faster, so some players keep a separate pair for outdoor play. Our post on pickleball shoes covers it.

The paddle is shorter than your badminton racket. The rulebook caps it at 17 in (43.18cm), so balls you’d reach with a racket may be a step further away. Rent a paddle for your first few sessions before buying; Malaysian venues charged about RM4–5 a session in RinggitPlus’s August 2025 survey.

What it costs compared with badminton

Prices were checked in October 2026.

Singapore. At ActiveSG, an indoor pickleball court costs exactly the same as a badminton court: S$3.50 off-peak and S$7.40 peak for citizens and PRs, or S$4.60 / S$9.70 at the standard rate. Outdoor pickleball courts cost S$4.50 / S$9.50 (standard S$5.90 / S$12.50). Peak is 6–10pm on weekdays and 7am–10pm on weekends and public holidays (ActiveSG rates, last updated 25 August 2026).

Malaysia. Pickleball courts usually cost more than badminton courts. Malaysia4U’s 2026 guides put badminton at about RM15–40 an hour. Pickleball runs RM20–40 off-peak and RM40–60 peak in the suburbs, and RM40–60 / RM60–80 in mid-tier KL and PJ (badminton guide, updated 9 August 2026; pickleball guide, updated 3 May 2026).

One hall publishes both prices on a single page. Champion Badminton, whose hall is on Jalan Riam in Miri, Sarawak (Pickleheads listing), charges RM12 (weekdays 8am–6pm), RM18 (weekdays 6–11pm) and RM15 (weekends) per hour for badminton. Its indoor pickleball court is RM24 (weekdays 8am–5pm) and RM36 (weekdays 5–11pm and weekends).

Four players usually share a pickleball court, though, against two to four on a badminton court. Pickleball also has open play, drop-in sessions where you rotate through games, usually RM25–40 a person for two to three hours in Malaysia. Our cost guide has more.

Where to play

Malaysia. Malaysia4U’s venue finder tracks 493 pickleball and padel venues nationwide, from purpose-built centres to halls shared with other sports. Booking is mostly through apps like Courtsite and the AFA SuperApp, or the venue’s own app.

Singapore. You can book indoor pickleball at ActiveSG halls through MyActiveSG+, use community club halls with pickleball lines, or play for free at HDB courts, bringing your own net. See how to book a pickleball court in Singapore.

What to practise first

For your first few sessions, work on three things: letting the ball bounce, keeping your wrist firm, and getting to the kitchen line with your partner. The rest of your badminton game will follow. Our drills for beginners give you a plan for one court hour.

Sources

Find a courtVenue guides with prices, booking and the catch at each
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