Written by George Coakley
Pickleball was invented in 1965 in the Seattle, WA area by 3 dads looking for an activity that could be enjoyed by family members of all ages and abilities. It is a sport a bit like tennis and played on a similar, yet significantly smaller, court for both singles and doubles play. It is played with a perforated plastic wiffle-like ball and composite or wooden paddles about twice the size of ping-pong paddles. Although it can be played as singles, it is usually played as doubles. It can be played both indoors and outdoors using a slightly modified tennis net.
No special apparel is needed – just something comfortable and appropriate for a court sport. Correct shoes for the court surface are highly recommended.
New players can learn the basic rules quickly in a single session. There are three main rules unique to pickleball that may require some initial concentration. These are: 1) The ball must be served in an underhand motion with ball contact below waist level 2) You cannot hit a ball if you are standing in the No Volley Zone (kitchen) unless it bounces first, and 3) The return of serve must bounce before the serving team can hit it. Other rules, such as a serve must land in the service box, are relatively intuitive.
Scoring can sometimes befuddle the beginning player. Points can only be scored when serving. A player continues to serve until a point is lost, at which time the serve goes to the player’s partner or results in a side-out to the other team. The server is supposed to announce the score prior to each serve. There are 3 components involved: 1) The server’s team score. 2) The opponent’s team score. 3) “One” or “two” depending on whether you are the first or second server for your team.
There are many benefits to playing Pickleball. Although it’s a relatively low impact sport it provides cardio, balance and stretching exercise. Equally beneficial are the social aspects involved in meeting and interacting with the other players. Pickleball is easy for beginners; but can be fast paced and competitive for experienced / athletic players.
Poolesville Seniors Pickleball plays outdoors in Stephen’s Park in the warmer weather starting in April. Play will be moving indoors at the Poolesville Baptist Church Hall in early December.