A cult sport that dates back to 1965 in the US, pickleball has only recently seen a rise in popularity here across the pond.
Named one of the fastest growing sports worldwide, its loyal fan base is set to grow from 10,000 to 25,000 by 2025 in the UK, according to British Pickleball’s governing body.
Picklecore has taken over and trying your hand at the sport is easier than you might think. If you have a down rule, there isn’t much kit needed other than the comfortable, breathable activewear you already have in your wardrobe. It is except for the space to play with the bottom net, paddleball itself and a paddle. But before we share the expert recommendations for the latter, we decode everything you need to know about pickleball.
Alex Minogue-Stone, Director of Lemon Pickleball, explains “Pickleball combines elements of table tennis, tennis and badminton into a fun and exciting new sport. It is played on a badminton-sized court, with paddles that resemble large table tennis rackets, and plastic balls the size of a tennis ball with a hole in it”.
He continued, “What distinguishes pickleball from other racquet sports is that it is more accessible and easier to learn than sports like tennis. Therefore, it is a sport for all ages and abilities. But at a high level, it is also incredibly powerful – if you are looking for. It is also more social, because of the small court and the fact that it is usually double”.
How do you play pickleball?
First and foremost is important to learn vocab. Minogue-Stone breaks it down.
- Kitchen: 7ft area on either side of the net
- Dinking: a soft shot that lands in and around the kitchen area
Now that you’re down, he points out, “Pickleball is a game of volleyball and pickleball’s special shot, dinking. Because it’s a slow-moving ball, pickleball is usually played on the kitchen line, so all four players are fairly close together.
“A high-level pickleball rally will involve a lot of dinking, eventually causing people to speed up the rally, causing players to bounce back and forth from close range, which looks like a very fast version of the bat and ball. on the beach.
“Scoring and rules can be a bit complicated, to quote Jeremy Clarkson ‘the rules make American football look like a 100m sprint’ but once you’ve chosen it, you can play a proper match after 20 minutes”.
Why is it called pickleball?
The unusual term is a sign of the sport – and it starts with the name. “Pickleball was invented by two people called Joel Pritchard and Bill Bell, who wanted a game to play using the equipment they had lying around”, said Minogue-Stone. “It was a field of badminton, table tennis, and whiffle ball. And because the sport was made from leftover equipment from other sports, it was named pickleball, after the pickle boat made from leftover rowers.
“There is also another story that explains that pickleball is named after the dog ‘Pickle’ but extensive research into the matter has revealed that this is, in fact, a myth”.
Is pickleball the same as paddle tennis?
Often confused because of its up-and-coming nature, this variation of tennis is very different. Daniel Weir in Pickleball Social pickleballsocial.co.uk, said, “While they are two racket sports, padel is played in a special indoor sport, using paddles and balls and having different rules.
Minogue-Stone added, “Padel is almost a mixture of tennis and squash”.
What equipment do you need for pickleball?
After the court (“You can play on the badminton or tennis court but lower the net and mark it with a marker or tape”, explains Weir), you need:
- A special pickleball net: Minogue-Stone says, it’s “a bit shorter and lower than a tennis court”
- The pickleball: He added, “Balls and nets don’t make a big difference, make sure you get an indoor ball or an outdoor ball depending on where you play”
- Paddle pickleball: For the paddle, he explained, “This is a minefield”
Should you be looking for a pickleball paddle?
“Buying a pickleball paddle can be quite daunting”, says Minogue-Stone. “There are more and more emerging brands that want to throw in some tech jargon to bamboozle you. So, I’m going to do a simple rundown of what to look for in a pickleball paddle.
There are three main things that affect paddle performance:
- The grittiness of the paddle: In general, you should look for paddles with a gritty surface. This should allow you to play more, which is only a good thing. More spin (specifically topspin) means you can get the ball up and down faster, which means you can hit it harder.
- Paddle thickness: This affects power and control. A thick paddle bearing the ball (so more control) and a thin paddle bounce off with more force (so more power). I would look for thicker paddles (16mm +) as power is not too much of a problem and soft shots are an important part of the game.
- Handle length: This is all up to you. I prefer the backhand, because I come from a tennis background and like to use both hands for the backhand.
“You have to remember that all paddles will have a different feel, so it’s very important not to change paddles, otherwise you’ll be constantly trying to adapt to the differences, so once you’ve chosen, make sure you stick with it!”
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