Top Tips for Pickleball and Tennis
Posted on April 24, 2025
With April being National Pickleball Month and May being National Tennis Month, we’re expecting the courts at Kingston Resorts to be busier than usual with players of all levels.
Are you trying to break into these sports? Looking to improve your skills? Read on for our top tips in pickleball and tennis.
A bit about Pickleball and Tennis
While tennis and pickleball are racket sports, the similarities stop there. The rules, courts, rackets, and balls are all different from one another.
Pickleball is a relatively new sport, invented in 1965 off the coast of Seattle, Washington. Because of its fun gameplay and easy learning curve, this sport has skyrocketed in popularity over the past few years. Pickleball is played one-on-one or in teams of two. It differs from tennis in that it’s played on a smaller court, with small, solid paddles and a plastic ball perforated with holes.
Tennis, on the other hand, has been around much, much longer. In fact, mentions of the sport in literature date back to the Middle Ages. It’s played on concrete, grass, or clay courts with two-to-four players, and larger, wired rackets. Tennis balls are covered in green felt rather than perforated pickleballs, and weigh more than pickleballs, even though pickleballs are larger in diameter.
Here at Kingston Resorts, we have four tennis courts and four pickleball courts available for guests who are looking to get in a rally. Courts are available from 6am – 8pm for resort guests. You can even book your court in advance to make sure you’re ready to rally when the time is right.
Our advice
Our first tip for a good game of pickleball or tennis is to come prepared. Wear comfortable court shoes and athletic clothes. It can get hot out in the sun, especially here in South Carolina, so make sure you’re hydrated and wearing plenty of sunscreen.
Once you’re on the correct court, with the correct racket and balls, start out by doing some stretches to get warmed up and prevent injury. Our coaches at 78Fitness are more than happy to show you some easy tennis and pickleball warm-ups to get your blood pumping!
Once you’ve done all that, it’s time to focus on the game
Both sports come with their own lexicons of vocabulary. You may not know what it means to dink the ball (a gentle, controlled shot) or how to do a groundstroke or overhead. Same with a deuce, a dropshot, or love. But, after a few sessions on the court, these terms will become second nature.
Make sure you study up on the rules of the games to make sure you know what you’re getting into. If it doesn’t make sense at first, don’t worry! The coaches at 78Fitness are more than happy to help you and your team navigate all the new rules and terminologies of these games.
Bring your skills to the next level
If you’re here in the summer, you can take advantage of our daily tennis clinics, where you can learn with a group, or one-on-one with our dedicated and qualified coaches. Coach Jesse VanWagner, a USPTA Certified Tennis Teaching Professional, is available to help all guests at Kingston Resorts.
Looking to perfect your pickleball moves? Hop onto the court with Coach Joni as she outlines some top tips to take your game to the next level.
There are opportunities for everyone to improve their game here at Kingston Resorts — from tennis and pickleball enthusiasts to folks who are just picking up a racket for the first time.
View this post on Instagram
The best part? Rackets and balls for both sports are available for all guests here at Kingston Resorts, meaning you don’t need to worry about packing any extra equipment on your vacation—just your a-game!
What do you say, are you ready to hit the courts? Learn more about tennis, pickleball, and other sports at 78Fitness ahead of your next trip to Kingston Resorts!
