The Pickleball Explosion

Have you been bitten by the pickleball bug? Learn more about this fast-growing sport with the funny name.

BY STEVE CLEM

Pickleball is the fastestgrowing sport in America. Especially popular with the 50-plus age group, the sport is now exploding in all demographics. Pickleball is played at more than 30 Tulsa area recreation centers, so if you are only now hearing about it, keep reading so you can get in on the fun.

What’s in a name? “My friend kept urging me to check out pickleball, but the name just didn’t sound appealing to me,” said Matt Mauldin, vice president of the Greater Tulsa Pickleball Club. “But as soon as I hit the court, I’ve been hooked ever since.” Mauldin, also a USA Pickleball Ambassador for the Tulsa area, describes the game as a mixture of ping pong and tennis. “It’s played on a slightly smaller court than tennis using an enlarged ping pong paddle. The movements and gameplay are similar.”

Invented in the 1960s in the Pacific Northwest as a backyard children’s game, the sport spread to senior centers for its low-impact fun. “Probably three-fourths of the Tulsa pickleball community is 50-plus,” Mauldin said. But its appeal is broadening as is evidenced by avid players like Mauldin, who is 28.

MATT MAULDIN Vice President of the Tulsa Greater Pickleball Club

Pickleball can be played indoors and outdoors on courts that are 20 feet wide and 44 feet long. On either side of the net is a non-volley zone called the “kitchen.” Players are not allowed to volley (hit the ball before it bounces) while standing in the kitchen. The rest of the court is divided into the right and left service areas.

According to the U.S. Pickleball Association, the wife of one of the sport’s inventors was a fan of competitive rowing. A “pickle boat” in rowing is comprised of a thrown-together crew of oarsmen who usually row on other teams. Since pickleball is a combination of several sports, she thought it an appropriate name. Though the family later named one of their dogs Pickles, purists insist the sport was born before the dog.

To play pickleball, you need a paddle, a ball, a net, and the right footwear. The pickleball is a hollow, perforated plastic ball, larger but lighter than a tennis ball. Different ball models are available for indoor and outdoor play. Tennis shoes generally work, but some indoor courts request that players wear squash or badminton shoes. Paddles are similar to those used in ping pong. They’re made from various materials like wood, polymer, or aluminum, and the face is made from carbon fiber, fiberglass, or graphite.

• ACE – As in tennis, a point won by a serve that can’t be returned.

• VOLLEY – Hitting the ball before it’s bounced. • DINK – A shot that lands in your opponent’s kitchen or no-volley zone. • GROUNDSTROKE – A player returning a shot after the ball has bounced.

• PICKLED – A team that has scored no points during an entire game. • SHADOWING – Doubles partners moving in tandem, keeping a 10-foot distance between them. • VOLLEY LAMA – An illegal move involving a player hitting a ball in the kitchen.

Pickleball rules are similar to tennis, with a few exceptions. Play begins with an underhand serve, and the ball must bounce once on both sides of the net before either team can volley. Only the serving team can score points. Play continues until a fault is committed, then a team is awarded one point or the service changes. Faults include not returning the ball, hitting the ball out of bounds, or volleying the ball from the kitchen. The game is won when one side reaches 11 points and is ahead by at least two points.