You likely have heard of pickleball and if you haven’t tried it, you are probably wondering what the hype is. Pickleball, invented in 1965, is a racket or paddle sport in which two players (singles) or four players (doubles) hit a perforated, hollow plastic ball with paddles over a 34-inch-high net until one side is unable to return the ball or commits a rule infraction. Pickleball is played indoors and outdoors. It resembles tennis and table tennis with different rules, different paddles, and a smaller sized court that tennis.
People of ALL ages have fallen in love with this sport. It can be played as rough and aggressive as you wish. Those suffering from joint pain and mobility issues can play too! When we were interested in trying the sport out, we decided to go to the Major League Pickleball tournament coincidentally enough was in town at the Legacy Sports Complex here in AZ. World class champions were here playing at this tournament. We got tickets and went to check it out. We were absolutely amazed at the level of play that was demonstrated there. Prior to that, we had only really seen elderly playing on local courts and had no idea how competitively and aggressively the sport could be played. We were on the edges of our seats anxiously awaiting each point awarded. These athletes were so impressive.
All four of us instantly wanted to start learning. We watched many youtube videos on how to play. We ordered some beginner/intermediate paddles. I found some lessons for us all to take through the city of Mesa and they were fantastic. We really dug in and got into it. Pretty soon we were playing all the time. We bought special pickleball court shoes, extra outdoor balls, a ball caddy for easy ball pickup (highly recommend), a portable pickleball net and court markers so we could play in the street or on a vacant basketball court if the pickleball courts were all taken.
I encourage everyone to give the sport a try no matter what fitness level you are at. There is something in this sport for everyone to enjoy! Best of luck!