The weather is warmer, the sun is setting later and the pickleball courts are full! This month, for Trying New Things, we are going to discuss what may be the biggest and fastest growing sport. I started playing pickleball last summer. Although this isn’t exactly as new as the activities I’ve previously written about, hopefully my experience can help you understand the game and decide if you’re ready to join the masses and give it a shot.
What is it?
Although the pickleball craze has been recent, it has actually been around since the 1960s. I actually remember playing pickleball for the first time in high school. I had an eccentric PE teacher who swore it would be the next big thing. He was a little hard to take seriously since he was the same teacher who told us he was a pirate – but, hey, in hindsight, he was right!
What do you do?
Pickleball is typically played one-on-one or in teams of two on a court that’s 44 feet long and 20 feet wide, with a waist-high net in the middle. Using paddles (usually made of wood or plastic), players hit a plastic ball back and forth across the net. A rally continues until someone hits the ball out of bounds or lets it bounce twice. Simple enough, right? Well, here is where it gets a little tricky. There is a seven-foot deep zone on each side of the net known as the “kitchen.” Players can’t hit the ball while standing in the kitchen, otherwise they lose the point. This rule prevents someone from going right up to the net and spiking the ball at opponents. Another component that may cause some initial confusion is the serving and scoring. Serves are hit diagonally across the court and, before each serve, the server calls out the score and who is serving (either server one or two). In a doubles pickleball match, the score could read “3-2-1”: 3 is the score of the serving team, 2 is the score of the opponent and 1 signifies that it is the first server’s turn. You can only score points when your team is serving, and the games are to 11 points, win by two. Although this crash course on pickleball may sound technical, it is an easy game to catch on to. And even if you don’t want to follow the rules exactly, just hitting the ball around can be a lot of fun.
Insights & Impression
One thing I really like about pickleball, and why I think it caught on so quickly for so many people is that it is beginner friendly. The initial skills required to be able to rally is something that will take a day or two. On top of that, pickleball is social, outdoors and for all ages. If you’re interested in getting more competitive with pickleball, there are a lot of people that are really good at the public courts every time I have gone. If you haven’t watched someone who’s really good at pickleball, it’s pretty unbelievable how precise they are compared to a casual player.
Did I feel like I was working out?
Something I really appreciate about playing a game is that I don’t realize that I’m working out. Running after a ball is a better experience than going on a jog for me, even if I exert the same amount of energy. There are limitations with a sport, however. You need at least one other person, equipment, a court and good weather to be able to play. Since pickleball is so popular right now, I’ve had to wait for a court to open up even when I am ready to play. With so many factors, sometimes it can be a chore to get everything together. Even with some necessary preparation, I encourage you to give pickleball a try! I’ll reiterate that it does not require much skill to start with, so it is a great social outdoor activity for the summer.
Pickleball isn’t your thing? No worries. Next month with Trying New Things, we are going to go
for a solo activity – no equipment or other people required!
