Pickleball is an indoor or outdoor paddle ball game with two or four players. The ball used is a perforated hollow polymer ball using a solid-faced paddle. Players hit the ball back and forth over the net until one side commits a rule infraction. The rules are simple and the game is easy for beginners to learn but can develop into a quick, fast-paced, competitive game for experienced players.
Pickleball was invented in 1965 on Bainbridge Island. Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum whose kids were bored with their usual summertime activities are credited for creating games. Pickleball has evolved from original handmade equipment and simple rules into a popular sport throughout the US and Canada. The game has grown internationally with many European and Asian countries adding courts.
A pickleball court is the same size as a doubles badminton court and measures 20×44 feet. In pickleball, the same court is used for both singles and doubles play. The net height is 36 inches at the sidelines and 34 inches in the middle. The court is striped similar to a tennis court with right and left service courts and a 7-foot non-volley zone in front of the net (referred to as the “kitchen”). Courts can be constructed specifically for pickleball or they can be converted using existing tennis or badminton courts.
Many racket sports have a steep learning curve, even at the beginner level. “In tennis, the balls are all over the place. “In pickleball, you’re hitting a plastic wiffle-like ball, so it’s less bouncy and doesn’t fly as fast through the air in the pickleball court. And the paddle is much easier to handle because it’s shorter and lighter than a tennis racket.” You also serve underhand in pickleball, and underhand serves are easier to hit and return. “Besides being easier to learn than tennis, pickleball is also slower paced and there’s less ground to cover; you could almost fit four pickleball courts onto one tennis court, and most picklers play doubles”. Check out my Amazon Beginner set.
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- Listen and accept suggestions that you’ve violated a rule. It’s to your benefit.
- Don’t try to serve hard or near the sidelines.
- Loft service returns so they go deep, giving you time to get to the non-volley line.
- Remember that both the serve and the serve return must bounce before you can hit the ball, so remain at or behind the baseline after serving to receive the third shot.
- Always get to the non-volley line as soon as you can. It’s the strongest position.
- Face the player who will hit the ball, not the net. You will be better placed to hit the ball.
- Keep your paddle high, near your chest; your reaction time will be quicker.
- Keep the ball in play, let your opponent make the mistakes. Seventy five percent of all rallies are won or lost because of unforced errors, many of them at the baseline.
- Return your baseline shots to the center line as often as you can.
- Use your forehand for power, especially on the serve return, but also developing a good backhand will give you a more complete game.
- Placement is much more important than power; emphasize control over pace.
- Don’t try to make a lot of sideline shots; they are low percentage.
- Make note whether an opponent is right or left handed. Avoid hitting to the opponent’s strong side.
- Don’t take your partner’s shots away by crowding his/her position. Do move to the centerline when your partner is pulled to the sideline to return a shot.
