Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last year and a half, you’ve probably heard of a loudly emergent sport that has recently exploded in popularity, seemingly captivating everyone and their literal grandmother in the process. The game is as athletic and social as it is unexpected and goofy. It’s simple, it’s fun, and yes, it’s kind of a big dill. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the one, the only: Pickleball.
While initially invented in the mid-1960s, Pickleball has skyrocketed in popularity since the onset of the pandemic. It makes sense, right? Why wouldn’t a 1960’s favorite re-surface during a time when millions of Americans were looking for something to shake up their routine and safely get them out of the house? Enter, Pickleball.
A paddleball sport that combines elements of tennis, racquetball, and Ping-Pong, Pickleball is one of the fastest growing sports in the United States, largely due to its increasing popularity within community centers, P.E. classes, public parks, and retirement communities[1]. And while the game is now mainstream, it actually originated in a very small-scale way during the summer of 1965 at the Washington home of Joel Pritchard. As legend has it, one Saturday afternoon Pritchard and his friends came home after a round of golf to find their families frustrated and bored, longing for something to do during the hot summer months but without knowing where to start. Responding to the moment, Pritchard and crew opted to get creative and elected to try something new –albeit slightly unconventional – that would cure their families’ malaise and get them moving outdoors. Initially they attempted to set up badminton, but no one could find the shuttlecock necessary to play. Willing to improvise, they grabbed a perforated plastic ball as a quick substitute, lowered the badminton net, and casually created paddles made from plywood lifted from a nearby utility shed. A few tools, some quickly revisited rules, a gaggle of eager participants, and voila: An eclectic ad-libbed fan-favorite was suddenly born.
Interestingly, some sources report the name “Pickleball” was inspired by the Pritchard’s family dog, Pickles, while others claim it was named after the crew term “pickle boat.” Regardless of the true source of origin, I think we can all agree more sports should be named after scrumptiously salty morsels – I’m eagerly awaiting the day “Tater Tot” or “French Fry” becomes the next big thing – and “Pickleball” quickly took off as an endearingly casual sport with an endearingly casual name to match.
So, what makes Pickleball so popular? And why has it become a fan favorite seemingly overnight? Well, for a plurality of reasons, but let’s start with the obvious. Perhaps first and foremost, Pickleball is especially well-received because it isn’t particularly demanding, and it is easily accessible for all age and ability levels. Truly anyone with a sense of mobility can partake in the sport; while it requires some running and quick movement like tennis, the court is considerably smaller and the game is most often played in pairs[2], which requires players to cover less square footage, be less nimble, and have considerably less hand-eye coordination than you might initially suspect.
Similarly enticing, Pickleball is largely a social activity, and it provides an easy opportunity to get outside, meet new people, and establish genuine connections while trying something new. But what I personally appreciate most about the game is that it can be downright goofy at times – the popcorn-like sound of the hollow ball hitting the wooden paddle alone is enough to make you giggle with childlike glee – and that, paired with the fact that no one is inherently skilled at playing this newly resurgent sport, provides ample opportunity for good-natured banter, laughter, and all-around levity. What’s not to love?
I recently had a chance to test this for myself and play Pickleball for the very first time[3]. While I didn’t quite know what to expect, I was eager to try my hand at the sport I had been hearing incessantly about for months. Was this game actually fun? What was all the hype about? Was this truly something that should be reserved for Ethel and Gertrude down at the retirement home, or could I, a millennial, also learn to love the sport and become a non-geriatric fangirl? I had to know.
So, Cam, his sister, her boyfriend, and I headed out to the courts to get our Pickleball on. We had looked up the rules ahead of time, and they seemed simple enough – another Pickleball perk – so we packed up our paddles, grabbed a few Wiffle balls, and went off on our merry way to try something new.
We only had two paddles, so the four of us took turns facing off 1:1 to practice volleying the ball back and forth over the net. The consistency of the Wiffle ball – or perhaps lack thereof – immediately caught me off guard. This ball has nowhere near the same bounce or spin as a tennis ball, and I quickly had to right size my expectations and correct my muscle memory to adjust for the stark difference. However, after a few serves and volleys back and forth I easily learned to adjust my technique and quickly grew to appreciate the relative quirkiness and highly unpredictable nature of the ball’s movement. In Pickleball you truly don’t need to apply the same pressure and force as you would in tennis, and any attempts to do so only result in hilariously inaccurate, grossly miscalculated Pickleball disasters[4].
As advertised, we quickly caught on with very little practice. There wasn’t a whole lot to remember, finesse, or master, and we enjoyed learning on the fly and visibly adjusting our technique to compensate for what we were learning in real time. We played a couple games and had an absolute blast. Cam and I have even gone out ourselves a few times since to play doubles, and I have noticed a considerable improvement in both of our “skill” levels[5].
In all, the game surely lives up to its name: Pickleball consists of equal parts sport, levity, and spontaneity to create a winning combination that promises to keep you coming back again and again.
And let me assure you, I’ll be back: In fact, you can find me on the court tomorrow. I’ll be there with my racket and paddle: Pickleball or bust.
[1] Oh, and don’t forget the aforementioned Coronavirus. Nothing kickstarts a new craze like a pandemic, amirite? Here’s looking at you, Tiger King. Here’s looking at you.
[2]Unlike tennis where it is more popular to play singles.
[4] Speaking for a friend.
[5] If you can call it that.
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