Do Men Wear Shorts or Pants for Pickleball?

Quick Answer: Most men wear athletic shorts for pickleball, typically 7 to 9 inch inseam with at least one pocket deep enough to hold a spare ball. Pair them with a moisture wicking shirt and court shoes. Pants appear mainly in cold weather and on indoor courts in winter.

Pickleball has no dress code at the recreational level, and what works comes down to movement, sweat management and somewhere to keep a ball. Everything else is preference.

Shorts or pants?

Shorts, in almost all conditions, for almost all players.

The sport involves constant lateral movement and lunging, and anything that binds at the knee or thigh gets noticed fast. A 7 to 9 inch inseam is the common range. Shorter than that and you lose pocket depth, longer and the hem starts catching on a low split step.

Pants earn their place in two situations. Cold outdoor play, where our guide to winter pickleball clothing covers the layering. And indoor gyms in winter that are heated badly, where joggers over the first two games are common before they come off.

Look for a four way stretch woven fabric rather than heavy cotton. Cotton holds sweat, gets heavy and chafes.

What about pockets?

This is the detail that separates pickleball shorts from generic running shorts, and it matters more than it sounds.

You need to carry a spare ball. Servers hold the second ball while playing out a point in most recreational settings, and a shallow running short pocket will not keep one. Deep side pockets are the practical requirement.

Zip pockets are useful for a key or a phone, though a phone in a pocket during play is an annoyance and a risk to the phone.

What shirt works best?

A moisture wicking synthetic or a technical blend. Performance polos and crew tees both work, and the choice is aesthetic more than functional.

• Polos. More common at clubs and in tournament play. Collar offers a little neck sun coverage.
• Crew or v neck tees. Cooler and less restrictive, dominant in casual open play.
• Long sleeve sun shirts. Increasingly common outdoors, for UV coverage rather than warmth, as our piece on why players wear long sleeves explains.
• Sleeveless. Allowed most places, though some clubs and tournaments have rules about it. Check before a sanctioned event.
• Cotton anything. The one to skip. It soaks, sags and stays wet.

Do shoes really matter?

More than everything above combined. This is the one piece of clothing where the wrong choice creates an injury risk rather than a comfort problem.

Court shoes are built with lateral support and a flat, grippy outsole. Running shoes are built to move forward, with soft cushioning and a narrow base that rolls under a hard side step. Our comparison of pickleball shoes and tennis shoes covers the differences, and what shoes to wear covers the choice.

What else is worth having?

A hat or visor for outdoor sun. Socks that are actually athletic socks, since blisters come from cotton crew socks more often than from shoes. A second shirt in the bag for a long session.

Compression gear is optional and the evidence for performance benefit is modest. Plenty of players wear it because it feels supportive, which is a legitimate reason.

Is there a dress code anywhere?

Private clubs sometimes require collared shirts and prohibit tank tops. Sanctioned tournaments generally require appropriate athletic attire and may have rules about visible logos or offensive graphics.

Public courts and open play have effectively no rules. Whatever you would wear to a gym is fine.

What does a starting kit cost?

Shorts in the 25 to 45 dollar range, a technical shirt in the 20 to 40 range, and court shoes from about 70 to 150. Shoes are the item worth spending on and the item that wears out first.

Most men already own workable shorts and shirts from other sports. Buying court shoes and nothing else is a perfectly reasonable starting point.

Frequently asked questions

Can you wear basketball shorts for pickleball? Yes, though longer inseams can catch during low movement and the pockets are often too shallow for a ball.

Do men wear compression shorts underneath? Many do, for chafing prevention on long sessions. It is common and entirely optional.

Are jeans or cargo shorts acceptable? They will not get you removed from a public court, but neither moves well and both hold heat badly.

What should I wear for a tournament? Athletic attire, a spare shirt, and shoes appropriate to the surface. Check the event rules for collar requirements.

Do I need different clothes for indoor and outdoor? The clothing is the same. The shoes may differ, since indoor courts favour non marking gum outsoles and outdoor favours harder, more durable ones.

How many pockets do I actually need? One deep enough for a ball is the minimum. Two is better.

Is there pickleball specific clothing for men? Yes, several brands make it, mostly differentiated by pocket design. Tennis clothing works nearly as well.

What about cold weather? Layers you can shed after the first game, and gloves are worth considering.

The short version is shorts with real pockets, a shirt that is not cotton, and court shoes. Retailers carrying men’s court apparel and footwear are listed in our pickleball apparel and footwear directory.

Written by the Pickler Junction Team.