If you think pickleball is just a game for seniors, think again. America’s fastest-growing sport now has over 48 million people playing nationwide! The largest player demographic is 18–34-year-olds. Nineteen percent of Americans have played at least once in the past year!
So, here are six great reasons why you should join the party and not be left behind while all your friends are having such a good time.
#1 – It’s great exercise.
Although pickleball is not as physically demanding as sports like basketball, tennis, or racquetball, it’s also not as high impact and can provide an excellent workout. Pickleball players are constantly moving and often display bursts of quick movements which elevate their heart rates, improves flexibility, balance, and agility. Also, the rapid back-and-forth ball exchanges near the net challenge hand-eye coordination and improve fast reflexes.
#2 – It boosts your mental health.
Smacking a ball across the net is a great stress reliever and can help lower blood pressure. The game’s fast pace and strategizing can also sharpen the brain’s ability to think more quickly. Winning games or just individual shots releases those “feel-good” endorphins, too.
#3 – It’s easy.
Unlike for golf and tennis, you won’t need lessons to play pickleball at a respectable level. In fact, the serve, which is the hardest shot to master in tennis, is the easiest shot to make in pickleball. If you can hit a ball back and forth on your home’s ping-pong table, you can play pickleball. Think of pickleball as a large, outdoor ping-pong table. Anyone can play!
#4 – It’s not expensive.
Just as public parks built in the 1970s typically had tennis courts, more and more parks today have pickleball courts available for free play. Even indoor pickleball facilities charge less than ten dollars for two-to-three hours of play. Beginners can buy a paddle for $50 or less and balls cost little more than tennis balls. Portable nets are around $110. With paddles, balls, a net, and a piece of chalk to draw lines, you can be play “driveway pickleball” in about 10 minutes!
#5 – It’s friendly, accessible competition.
What other sport offers the chance for parents, grandparents, young adults, and children to compete together? Pickleball may be the only sport where an older player can legitimately defeat a younger, more agile player. Also, women can successfully compete against men. Did you know that pickleball is even being played in prisons across America because it offers a competitive outlet without physical contact? Now you do!
#6 – It promotes broad social networking.
Unlike golf or tennis, which typically involve set partners among small groups of friends, pickleball welcomes everyone to walk on. Players randomly rotate onto courts, which provides play with a mix of new partners. In a two-hour session, you can have up to eight different partners and play against up to 16 different opponents. Social networking goes on between games and post-play. Making new friends and business connections is easy and some even find romance! Pickleball dating apps are in full bloom these days.
Bottom line: Play pickleball because it’s flat-out fun! It’s also a sport you can play for the rest of your life. Search online for a pickleball club in your area or call your local YMCA to find a game near you. See you on the court!
For tips and strategies on pickleball, check out my book Winning Pickleball, available wherever you buy books.
David Satka is a USA Pickleball Ambassador and certified Professional Pickleball Registry (PPR) coach. An athlete all his life, David was a four-year starter on the Division I tennis team at Indiana State University. He began his instructing career at the World Class Tennis Camp in Baltimore and continued as a tennis teaching professional. David recently retired from a 25-year career as an educator and coach. He also founded the first outdoor pickleball courts in Altoona, PA. For more information, visit www.winningpickleballnow.com.
