If you’ve been looking for a new sport to help you get active or find a new community, pickleball is a great option. This low-impact sport is incredibly social, full of laughter and excitement among a relaxed community of players. As it welcomes young and mature players alike, pickleball has become one of the fastest-growing sports in the country.
To get started with pickleball, you’ll need the following:
Quality Equipment
Pickleball requires three pieces of equipment: a net, a ball, and a paddle.
The net: The hosting club or facility typically provides nets on their courts, but pickleball nets are often portable, so you can always bring a customizable net if necessary.
The ball: The pickleball is often a lightweight plastic with many holes in it, increasing air resistance and slowing it down during the game. Though both a pickleball and Wiffle ball will work, official pickleballs are slightly heavier and have rounded holes instead of oblong ones.
The paddle: Pickleball paddles are the most customizable piece of equipment available to new players. Wooden, graphite, and fiberglass paddles with various grip materials and weights all suit different players and play styles. For beginners still discovering their own strategies, graphite, mediumweight paddles are perfect.
Accessible Courts
A good court is another vital element of what you need to begin playing pickleball, and luckily, finding one is getting easier as the sport’s popularity grows. Tennis clubs, recreational centers, and local parks are great places to look for a local pickleball court.
Pickleball courts vary as much as the game’s equipment. The court material, location, and setup are all a matter of preference for the players. New players might benefit from a hard indoor court with pre-marked pickleball boundaries instead of learning the game on a rough outdoor court originally laid out for tennis.
A Great Community
If you want to start playing pickleball regularly, you’ll need a group of players to meet up with! As pickleball is a low-impact sport well-suited to mature athletes and leisure exercise, it won’t be hard to find yourself among peers on the pickleball court.
Some courts are free in parks or recreational centers, but pickleball and tennis clubs may require a membership fee. The benefit of making that investment is having a well-maintained and dedicated area to enjoy while playing and a group of players passionate about having fun on the court!
Once you’ve gathered what you need to begin playing pickleball and started to pick up the rules, you can look to start improving your game! Pickleball is an ideal sport for anyone, whether you’ve been sedentary for some time or are highly active. With extremely satisfying gameplay and a laid-back audience, the low-cost investments necessary to start are even more worthwhile with the hours you’ll spend enjoying the game with friends.
