The Pickleball Craze – America’s No. 1 Growing Sport

Pickleball is America’s fastest-growing sport, which I’m sure you’ve heard someone talking about recently.  Pickleball has been growing at an average of eleven percent yearly for the past five years.  It’s played on a smaller court than tennis, with a net across the middle like Ping-Pong. It is a mixture of tennis, badminton, and Ping-Pong.  It can be played indoors or outdoors, although the wiffle-type ball used for playing indoors has larger holes.  The ball is hollow, plastic, much lighter than a tennis ball, and not nearly as bouncy.

The great thing about pickleball is that it’s easy to learn, and players of all ages and abilities can catch on quickly. Those playing the sport are called “Picklers.” There are mainly five rules.  Extremely popular among retirees, the rules are simple, with the game’s mechanics challenging but workable.  Usually played with doubles, much chatting and trash talk is expelled.

When vacationing in Puerta Vallarta, Mexico, last November, my husband and I, along with our guests, were playing pickleball at the resort when a group of players came to play on the court next to us.  When we witnessed the game's intensity and the players’ skills, we started watching them instead of playing.  As soon as play stopped, we talked with the group and discovered they were from Canada and avid players.  We thought they should be ranked. They were that good.

One of the downfalls of the new craze is the injuries experienced – sprained ankles, pulled hamstrings, rotary cuff pain, and scraped knees.  While playing there, I obtained an injury.  Don and I were playing as partners; I was playing closer to the net, and Don went and swung at a long ball.  The ball hit me in the back of the leg, and how that stung.  I then needed a break to ice the welt.

On a recent visit to Lake Tahoe, our resort located on top of a ridge, we encountered a totally new experience in pickleball.  The wind was our arch enemy, especially during the serve.  I’m not sure of the magnitude of the wind gusts, but let’s just say that as players, we were getting most of our exercise from chasing the ball, not hitting the ball.

In a 2022 Sports & Fitness Industry Association report, there are over 4.8 million pickleball players in the United States.  Why is this sport so addictive?  One reason is that the ball doesn’t fly as fast in the air, and the paddle is shorter and lighter than a tennis racket making it easier to handle.  Another contributing factor is that you serve underhand making it easier to hit and return.

It is also a good workout.  In another study on pickleball, researchers compared walking at your own pace for thirty minutes with people who played doubles pickleball for thirty minutes.  Pickleball players had 14% higher heart rates and burned 36% more calories.

Because of the small paddle, hand-eye coordination and neuromuscular coordination are better.  You can ramp up the intensity and make it more competitive.  You can also try a singles match, making you cover more of the court and burn more calories.

If you are interested in trying this sport, there are many articles, rules, and locations of pickleball sports online.  I’ve listed a few for your convenience.

• https://www.pickleball.com/rules-how-to-play-pickleball-s/106.htm
• https://usapickleball.org/what-is-pickleball/official-rules/rules-summary/
• https://howtheyplay.com/individual-sports/pickleball-rules-of-the-game-a-beginners-guide
• https://www.pickleballuniversity.com/home/what-are-the-5-rules-of-pickleball

You can also view pickleball being played on YouTube.  Pickleball equipment can be purchased at any sports store or on Amazon.

Grab a paddle, and see you on the court.

All my best,

Julie