Kate Traynor
For several years, Europe and North America have been gripped by the frenzy of pickleball, also called lightweight tennis. More than 200 clubs are officially registered with Pickleball Canada and nearly a million Canadians play it every month. There is a professional league in the United States (former NFL player Tom Brady is co-owner of a Major League Pickleball team). The International Federation of Pickleball has more than 60 member countries and is trying to have this racket sport recognized as an Olympic discipline. If you haven’t played it yet, you’ve probably at least heard of it – even if you don’t understand all the nuances.
“Pickleball borrows from tennis, badminton and ping pong,” says Hope Tolley, executive director of recreational programs with USA Pickleball. The matches take place on a badminton court separated by a net lower than the tennis court. We use square rackets and a small perforated ball similar to a tennis ball, but much lighter – it therefore bounces less, which encourages long rallies.
Kate Traynor
Unlike tennis, points can only be scored by the serving player or team. It’s about keeping the ball in the air for as long as possible and if the opponent is unable to return it over the net, either on serve or during a rally, we win the point. The ball must be hit with enough force to avoid what in English is called “fallafel” – when it does not cross the net. 11-point matches are played as doubles or singles; the gap must be two points to win. If we lose with a score of 11–0, we are “pickled”!
A social game
Whether you are an avid player – a true “pickler” – or casual, pickleball is a very social game and an excellent way to meet people, emphasizes Hope Tolley. “It’s a unifying sport.”
Another advantage is that light tennis is easy to learn and is accessible to everyone. While older adults have quickly adopted it, 18-34 year olds form the age group where the number of followers is growing the most.
It all started in the 1960s on the property of Washington State Congressman Joel Pritchard. To occupy his children and those of his two invited friends, he improvised a badminton game with them using what he had on hand: an old badminton court, ping-pong rackets, a volleyball net and a plastic ball (it was perforated and about the size of a tennis ball).
Six decades later, pickleball is one of the hottest trends in sports and popular culture. Playing it is great for hand-eye coordination and helps improve reaction time. How you choose the intensity – hard from the start or at a slower pace relax –, pickleball is suitable for both the serious athlete and the Sunday player. It’s a great aerobic workout and is a low-impact, joint-friendly sport.
No need to register for a championship or have a pickleball court to get started. “Just about anywhere is suitable for it, from the parking lot to the gym,” says Hope Tolley. Provided you have a flat surface, a net, a ball and a racket (the price is around $30 Canadian).
For fans, there is no shortage of tournaments at different levels. The first international event, the World Pickleball Games, will be held next summer at the Austin Pickle Ranch in Austin, Texas. It is expected to attract teams from dozens of countries. By 2030, pickleball will have some 40 million fans worldwide. Its popularity has revived interest in other racquet sports: padel, for example, invented in Mexico at the end of the 1960s, a sort of synthesis of tennis and squash, which is gaining popularity in Europe and South America. South.
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2023-09-23 15:18:29
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