In one of my previous posts, I list some tips and considerations for those who are looking to build a Permanent Pickleball Court in their backyard. However, building a court is not only a financial and time commitment it’s a luxury that the majority of us folks do not have, especially in regards to the amount of land required to build.  But, if you have an empty space, like a driveway or backyard patio, then making your own temporary court can be quite easy - and let’s face it - it’s a great way to stay active and engaged during this time of social distancing and self-isolation.

Here is a quick review of a standard size court and the dimensions. 

A paved space will allow you the option of drawing lines with sidewalk chalk or using temporary line markers like these:

If the area is smaller than 44’ x 20’ then keep in mind the basic priorities which are the width of half of a court (10'); and the length of the entire non-volley zone (14'). I consider these to be the basic priorities of a court because with half of the width and both regulation non-volley zones marked off there is still so much that you can work on. You can practice head-on dinks, volleys, and blocks on both your forehand and backhand sides. If you have a space allowing more than 14' then you also have the ability to practice transitioning from the mid-court to the non-volley zone, drives, lobs and resetting a lob shot.

Don’t have a driveway? Spacious living rooms or large basements are useful as well. See what furniture you can move around and build what I call a “creative court”. This make-shift solution is also a temporary solution and can be made even easier by applying the court line markers to map out the parameters. A creative court can be as innovative as it needs to be in order to make it happen. As I scroll through Facebook I’m seeing so many variations of home courts so that they can keep a feel for the game, which is so uplifting. Alternatively, a past article topic that I’ve discussed is how to keep in tune with your pickleball game, so if you are like me and don’t have an indoor or outdoor space, be sure to check that out, here.

One area I have yet to address is that in order to use your temporary court you do need to have someone to practice or drill with. If you’re in the position where you have the space to build a court in some capacity but live alone and/or you’re not socially distancing with others, then look for an area around your home where you can position the temporary or creative court against a hard wall where you can hit alone, or feel free to browse our website for ball machines.

While we do our diligence to responsibly wait out the Coronavirus pandemic, take a look at your living space and see how you can create your own variation of a pickleball court. If you find a way, be sure to share with us how you are creating your own temporary pickleball court.