The Rise of Pickleball

The Rise of Pickleball

Many people have not heard of the game of pickleball. It is rising in popularity in many states in the southern part of the country. It is even being promoted at Gates Tennis Center and local recreation centers right here in Colorado!

Here are the rules.  It is like ping pong on a tennis court. The ball is a heavy wiffle ball. Instead of racquets you play with paddles. To start off you serve to the opposite service box, but unlike tennis, the service boxes are in the back of the court. In the front is what pickleballers call “the kitchen.” The player cannot step in the kitchen unless the ball bounces in the kitchen. If you go in the kitchen you have to get out before hitting the ball again.  On the return you have to let it bounce before hitting it again. Then you can hit it out of the air or off the bounce.  You can only win a point if you are serving.  If you lose the point, then your partner serves. If both players have served and lost the point then the other team serves.

The game’s name came from a man who created the game and did not have a fence around the court.  When the ball got away, his dog retrieved it.  His dog’s name was Pickle so when he wanted the ball, the man said, “Pickle ball,” and it stuck.

People will find that this game is extremely popular with the older generation, and it is becoming more popular with the younger generations, too.

With pickleball on the rise we could start to see it all over as the word spreads about how fun it is. When you get the chance, go try it and you can see why the game of pickleball is on the rise!