Two inches doesn’t sound like much. But, would you like your waist to be 2 inches smaller? If your hair grew 2 inches, would you need a haircut?
The pickleball net is 34 inches high in the center and 36 inches high at the ends. That two-inch difference could save your shot.
We already know that hitting passing shots down the middle can confuse opponents who don’t communicate well. The fact that the net is lower in the middle is just one more reason to hit down the center line.
The two-inch advantage is even more important when you are dinking the ball from below the net, or while making a valiant effort to reach a short, wide shot your talented opponents delivered. Don’t go for the higher hurdle at the sidelines, just aim across the center of the net.
Bev writes a weekly email blast for our pickleball club. She delivers the rules with clarity and a sense of humor. If you have a rules question post it in the comments below.
CJ Johnson
Hey there — I’m a professional three-sport athlete and coach who has spent my entire adult life earning a living from playing and coaching sports. Since I started coaching more than three decades ago, one thing has remained the same: My commitment to see students not as they are but as what they can become and to move heaven and earth to help them realize their untapped potential. You should know that when it comes to helping pickleball players over 50 live their best lives on and off the courts, I'm an expert. Good pickleball is not just technique; it's the mind and body working holistically. That's why I'm also a personal trainer and weight management specialist. When I’m chillin', you'll find me watching Star Trek with my husband John and our two fur babies, Shirley and Ralph. (Yes, Happy Days)
Hi CJ, the article on the height of net is relative except when playing portable nets, which are predominantly used in my area, inside & outside, as they have a centre post. Generrally, the centre is higher than the middle sides.
Hi Bill, Not sure which type of portable net you are using but the net in the picture, one of the more commonly used portable net, can be adjusted to 34 in the middle and 36 on the sides. A few players I know toss a measuring tape in their bag and adjust the net after it’s been set up.