Pickleball: Fun and Great Exercise

PICKLEBALL, a game which was invented 50 years ago, is still around today and providing loads of fun and great exercise to thousands of people young and old.

It all began in 1965 when Joel Prichard returned to his home in Bainbridge Island, Washington after a round of golf with a couple of friends, Bill Bell and Barney McCallum. What these three golfing buddies found were kids sitting around the house doing nothing and saying that they were bored. One of the men suggested that they play badminton, but no shuttlecock could be found.

It was then that the three adult golfers decided to take action. They started searching for some play equipment and located an old Whiffle ball. Then, they set-up the badminton net - but lowered it to the ground.  Next, they started creating some solid wooden paddles out of small pieces of plywood discovered in the family's shed. The paddles were made slightly larger than those used for ping pong. Finally, they marked off some boundary-lines in the back yard and made-up some simple rules. Before long the kids were having a blast, and the adults were enjoying the action as well.  By the end of the day "Pickleball" was born!

Yes, they called it Pickleball!  Some have believed the funny name came from the Prichard's dog who was named "Pickles."  But Joel's wife Joan said the game reminded her of a pickle boat's crew, where oarsmen were chosen from the leftovers from other boats.

Actually, Pickleball is a cross between badminton, tennis, and table tennis. Below are some specifics about the game.

-- The court for singles and doubles is the size of a doubles badminton court, 20'x44'.
-- The net's height is 36" on ends; 34" in middle.
-- The back court is divided in half - not the front court.
-- The front court ("Kitchen") is 7' from the net on both sides and is a No Volley Zone.
-- The ball is served with an underhand strike below the waist (and from behind baseline) diagonally to the opponents service zone.
-- Points are scored by the serving side only when opponent faults: that is, fails to return ball; hits out-of-bounds; or, steps into the No Volley Zone.
-- Players may play a ball that bounces in No Volley Zone, but must exit NV Zone before playing a volley.
-- A serve may be played only after the ball has bounced in the correct service zone. Also, on a return of service, the ball must be played only after a bounce; it cannot be volleyed.
-- In singles, each side gets only 1 fault before a side out and the opponent then serves. In doubles, after the first serve to start the game, each side gets 2 faults (one for each team member) before a side is out and the opponents serve.
-- Games are won by scoring 11 points (by at least 2 points) over opponent. In tournament play or championships, games are 15 or 20 points (by at least 2).

What started as a childhood game in one family's backyard, has developed into a game that is played indoors and outdoors across the U.S. and in other countries as well.  It's a game for 2 to 4 players; men, women, boys, and girls can participate; and, it covers all age-spans.

Pickleball has been offered in physical education, recreation, or activity programs in schools, municipal parks and recreation departments, community centers, retirement centers, churches, camps, YMCAs, and various other organizations and enterprises. For personal use and for playing at home, equipment for Pickleball is available through some sporting goods stores, such as Sports Authority and Dick's, and from Amazon plus other online sources.

This game with the funny name may be the new rage! A retirement center in Florida has over 100 outdoor courts, and it's reported that they are busy all the time. Further, a community center, also in Florida, schedules Pickleball in their gym on a regular basis. One woman was heard to say, "Oh yes, I play every day. I have a ball, and it's my workout!"

Is it time for you to try your hand at Pickleball?  It might be the remedy for a boring day!