Hi there!
I’m going to open things up with a broad statement that I feel is actually pretty accurate: anyone who likes pickleball really likes pickleball.
There’s no way I’ve managed to keep track of how many times someone has said “I’m now addicted” but I do know it’s a lot - there’s likely a good number of you who feel his way too. When people ask me about pickleball sometimes I get overwhelmed at how much I could respond with, so I just leave it at: “it’s amazing, it’s great and you have to try it”.
I thought I’d do my best at providing a more composed look, a top 5 if you will, as to why I think pickleball is the bee's knees...
The health benefits of pickleball are real! Pickleball is a great form of cardio and can seriously burn up calories.
There is so much repetitive movement in pickleball like lateral shifting and squatting, that people don’t realize how much effort they’re putting in until after they’ve finished. Pickleball is also a fairly low-impact sport, so playing for multiple hours is doable but also requires endurance and stamina.
I’ll never forget once introducing pickleball to a fitness manager and the next day them complaining about their sore glutes. Pickleball uses more muscles than one realizes because it’s a game that is quick to learn.
I also don’t mind sharing that this past weekend I spent one-hour drilling and two hours playing; in that time I burned over 1,200 calories, additionally, my total step count for the day was well over 12,000.
Pickleball also seems to have this naturally social aspect to it as well. I’ve gained some valuable friendships and memories over the years which really began from the fact that I was playing for hours at a time and travelling outside of my city to do so.
Going out for food with a group may have started off as a way to avoid rush hour yet now the coordination seems to always include carpooling, a restaurant reservation, or crashing at a friend’s house - whatever it takes - and we usually end up making a day or weekend out of it.
The pickleball crowd is loud and fun, on-court banter and sideline conversation is a natural occurrence, as is socializing during a tournament. I know so many people who have found themselves a second family because of pickleball.
There is clearly natural potential for inclusion and socialization through pickleball and maybe it’s obvious to just me (doubt it) but the social part of pickleball provides many mental health benefits to its participants.
Pickleball has so naturally become a part of my travels and I love it. Whenever I have a trip planned, whether it’s near or far, I’ll look up the local ambassador, the drop-in play opportunities and/or connect with a local player whom I already know to set up some games.
If it’s not the reason why I’m travelling, pickleball is now always incorporated into my trips. Pickleball has also taken me to new cities in Canada and the U.S., which has been an incredible experience each time.
I was lucky enough to attend the U.S. nationals during their inaugural year at Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Palm Springs - an unforgettable experience and my first time ever visiting that part of California. Oh and yes - you can take a pickleball paddle in your carry-on bag!
I really love introducing pickleball to people. The sport is gaining so much momentum and there are just so many people entering the game, people who are unaware of the ever-growing pickleball culture.
It took some time, but I had to find a balance between delivering necessary information and allowing players to experience the game for themselves with the end goal of them wanting to play pickleball again.
And again. Having found this groove, I find myself really enjoying the opportunity to provide participants with a positive pickleball experience and look forward to helping grow the game in a way that I can.
Sort of two-fold, I love that pickleball is unique and always evolving. Yes, this is the sport where people have a hard time taking the name seriously, yet, those deep into pickleball have leaned into it (no we don’t need to change the name!).
Rules and terms are quirkily coined in a way that most people can’t take seriously either. The dinkers and bangers. The Erne and Bert shots. The Volley Llama and really cheesy commercials. I’ve probably knocked off the obvious ones, although, there’s a strong chance I’ll never get past the cringe-worthy “kitchen” jokes.
Spin serve, anyone? There are new shots and tactics being brought into the sport and for the most part, people have to evolve with those changes. I know I learned the game to be more black and white but these days, power isn’t “banging”, power is controlled movement at a very fast and strong pace.
It’s a game you can learn right away and then play for years to come.
The basics of pickleball can be provided in a way that has people hitting rallies in just minutes.
This gives an instant feeling of success and a thirst to learn more. The fact that one can learn pickleball in just a matter of hours is how people snowball in pickleball.
Yet, in order to achieve a higher level of understanding and skill the sport takes a lot of time to learn, especially for those who do not come from a racquet sport background. As the saying goes “easy to learn but hard to master”, this is one aspect I definitely love about pickleball.
So, there it is, my short list of 5 reasons why I think pickleball is such a great sport. My reasons are much longer than just five, but really, there are too many to list. One more for good measure, Reason 6: My reasons are probably different from yours and I think that’s awesome.
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