Pickleball vs Wiffle ball. What’s the difference?
If we talk about Pickleball vs Wiffle ball, these are different sports in terms of playing style, courts used to play, and the rules that are used in both games. The only similarity that might some people think of is the structure/shape of the ball in both games.
Let’s find out about balls and other things that make both of them different in all possible terms.
Pickleball ball vs Wiffle ball.
As already mentioned these both are totally different in all terms but only thing that have some similarities is the balls. Balls made of plastic are mostly used in both games but there are further different types of wiffle balls and pickleball balls.
Let’s compare them in all possible terms like their size, shape, materials they are made of, and their usage.
Pickleball ball vs wiffle ball(types).
If we talk about pickleball balls there are 2 types available in terms of their appearance. Both could be differentiated in terms of indoor and outdoor balls. Different manufacturers use different materials for production of ball like for pickleball they mostly use plastic, resin, or polymer.
Where a wiffle ball ball is made of polyethylene. It is also a type of plastic that is easy to shape and make desired shapes. Wiffle ball balls are available in around 8 types. Let’s expand this topic “pickleball ball vs wiffle ball” and explore it in depth.
Different wiffle balls.
The wiffle ball balls generally come in the same shape that is conical from a little area. But is often different in use and material for juniors a soft ball is used and adult players use speedball wiffle ball. A table can help to learn more easy.
| Ball types | Ball classifications. |
|---|---|
| Original wiffle ball. | The original ball has a shape like an elongated teardrop. This makes its path unpredictable. |
| Curveball wiffle ball. | To increase the curveball pitch, the curveball has a more pronounced conical shape just like a pear. |
| Speedball wiffle ball. | The speed ball has a shorter conical shape. This gives it almost a spherical shape that reduces air resistance and increase speed. |
| Soft wiffle ball. | This ball comes in almost round shape that makes it slower in terms of movement. |
| Training wiffle ball. | This is similar to curveball in terms of shape but have holes on both sides that makes it hard to hit and best for batting practice. |
| Mini wiffle ball. | This is similar to original wiffle ball in appearance but has a small size as compare to that. |
| Weighted wiffle ball. | This is used to increase stamina in practice matches. The ball comes in original shape but with extra weight. |
| Glow-in-the-dark wiffle ball. | The difference in this one is only it glows in the dark and is used for fun games only. |
Pickleball balls indoor vs outdoor.
The only difference in pickleball balls is the number of holes in it. For both indoor and outdoor different balls are used. the other difference is might be the size or weight that is due to manufacturer. The USAP has mentioned official size and weight for balls to be qualified for professional game.
| Specification | Indoor ball | Outdoor ball |
|---|---|---|
| Size(mm) | 73-75 | Same |
| Holes | 26 | 40 |
| Weight(g) | 24.99 | 26.50 |
| Hole Size | Bigger as compared to outdoor ball(.43 Inch) | Small as compare to indoor(.282 inch) |
| Durability | Heigh due to softness | Cracks appear due to toughness |
| Hardness | Low | Heigh |
The above graph can help to understand the difference between pickleball outdoor vs indoor balls in an easy and fast way. One that needs to be explained is the weight of a pickleball ball. The outdoor pickleball balls tend to be a little higher in weight as they are used in an open atmosphere where air can move lighter objects in its direction.
So, the balls that are used in outdoor plays are a little heavy to minimize the effect of air. The weight mentioned in the graph is average weight and the ball you could find may be a little different in weight like 1 gram and that is acceptable.
According to the guidelines of the USA Pickleball Federation if a ball weighs between 22.1g to 26.5 you can use that in official games like in tournaments. The pickleball ball size mentioned in the graph is same for both indoor and outdoor games.
Pickleball vs wiffle ball (courts).
When it comes to the playing area these both are different. In pickleball, the court has a rectangular shape that is divided into further parts like NVZ and serve court etc. On the other hand, a wiffle ball field looks like a 1/4th part of a circle.
A pickleball court layout allows a maximum of 4 players to play at a time in doubles where any player of any team can hit the ball when it comes to their court. whereas in wiffle ball up to 10 players in each team can play. But only one player from both teams interacts at a time one from the fielding team will throw the ball and one from on strike team will hit it.
Dimensions of a wiffle ball field.
There are no official guidelines for building a wiffle ball field and it depends on your use and available area to build one. For example, if you are planning to make it in your backyard and play as 2 vs 2 a small field will be ok for that.
But for your ease, we have a general layout of a wiffle ball field for players above 14 years.
Pickleball court.
A pickleball court comes in a rectangular shape that is divided into two equal sides with the help of a net. Both teams stand on each side and complete their game without changing sides.
A pickleball court is 44′ long and 20′ wide and you don’t need to run a lot when playing on it like wiffle ball.
Wiffle ball vs pickleball(which one is easy to play?).
It’s hard to go with one when we are talking about pickleball vs wiffle ball. In pickleball players have ease in terms of running. They don’t have to run much which makes it look easy but players have to move/act fast to reach the ball which makes it harder.
In a wiffle ball, the player hitting the ball is at a distance and opponents get time to react to it but the ball does not move in a straight line which is a hard part of this game.
Conclusion.
Both games are derived from other sports like pickleball from tennis so have similarities. The wiffle ball is inspired by baseball and it is a kind of easy version of baseball. In the article, we hope that we have defined everything related to our topic (pickleball vs wiffle ball).
FAQ.
