Keeping active is something that is strongly advised as we grow older. Many of us choose to walk, swim of ride bicycles, while others take up sports. One sport that is growing in popularity surprisingly quickly is Pickleball. What is it, and why is it fast becoming all the rage?
The appeal lies in many factors including it being easy to play, suitable for all ages, and also requiring very little in the way of specialist equipment.
It’s great for older people who might not want the physical exertion required by, for example, a game of squash. Here’s a bit more about Pickleball, and how it is played.
What is Pickleball?
Pickleball has its origins in the mid-1960’s when it was devised as a family game to be played in the yard. It is now one of the fastest-growing sports in the USA. It combines elements of badminton – the court, for example, is very similar in size and layout – and also tennis and table tennis.
The net is similar to that in tennis, and many of the rules are taken from tennis and other racquet sports. The game is played with wooden paddle bats – as per table tennis but larger – and a lightweight perforated ball.
The game was, in fact, invented by a family who were trying to start a badminton game but could not find a shuttlecock! Courts can be found in parks and at schools, in recreation centres and more places, and if you want to know more you can see more at PickleballAce.com which has a lot of information on the sport and how it is played. So, how do you play Pickleball? Let’s have a look!
How to Play Pickleball
The title asks if Pickleball is easy to learn: one of the enduring appeals of the game is that once you know the rules you can get on with it. To read on paper they may look confusing, but in fact it is one of the simplest of all racquet games, and one that is excellent fun.
The first rule to remember is that, as with Badminton, only the serving player or team – it can be played as singles or doubles – can score a point.
If you want to go into more detail than we have space for you can find the rules of pickleball explained at that link, and it’s worth reading.
As with tennis, the server serves from the baseline to the area diagonally across the net. The serve is underhand – from below the navel – which adds to the ease of play.
The play comes to an end – and a point is scored if it is the serving side that benefits – for one of many faults, including:
- The serve not going to the area within the rules
- The ball failing to cross the net
- The ball bouncing more than once
- The ball is hit out of court
- Various faults involving how the ball is played at certain points in the game
- Touching the net
There are more comprehensive rules to be found at the resources we’ve directed you to, but the above should give you an idea of the similarity between Pickleball, tennis and badminton.
As we said above Pickleball is a game for all ages that is fun, engaging and easy to play, with cheap and easy to obtain equipment and courts available in many public places.
You can even set up a court in your yard, as the game was originally intended, so why not get into Pickleball now, and ask your friends to join in!