Never a Dill Moment

Pickleball on the Northshore

by Poki Hampton

“HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN PLAYING?”

If you’re not currently obsessed with pickleball, you probably know someone who is! According to Wade Partridge, the pro at Money Hill in Abita Springs, “Pickleball is easy to learn, but difficult to get good at. It’s great exercise (more so than tennis), a lot of fun and laughs and it’s a game both genders can play together.”

Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in the world, building a reputation as an incredibly entertaining crossbreed of tennis, badminton and ping pong. It’s played on a badminton-size court, usually in pairs, using a perforated plastic ball and paddles originally made of wood. It’s a sport that can be played by virtually all ages, doesn’t require much money and will entertain friends and family for hours.

Improvised by three dads in Washington State using a waffle ball, some ping pong paddles, and an old badminton net to entertain their kids on a family vacation, pickleball has been around since the mid1960s. The origin of the game’s name is interesting, especially since no pickles are used. There are two accounts of how the name originated. One, the wife of one of the founders said she started calling it pickleball because “the combination of different sports reminded her of the pickle boat in crew where oarsmen were chosen from the leftovers of other boats.” The more popular story, however, is that the game was officially named after a founder’s dog, Pickles, who would chase the ball and run away with it.

For its first 50 years, pickleball was mostly an obscure game found in the Pacific Northwest. When it did eventually make its way to the Sunbelt, it became very popular with retirees, yet remained mostly under everyone else’s radar. About 5 years ago, it took off! Pickleball is growing at an unprecedented rate all around the world. There were 4.2 million players in the United States last year (according to the Sports & Fitness Association), a 21 percent increase from 2019, with nearly 30 percent of core players under the age of 35. There is even talk of pickleball becoming an Olympic sport by 2028. The game has developed a passionate following because of its friendly, social nature and its wide appeal.

Popular pickleball players at Pelican Park.

Pickleball is easy to learn and can be less physically demanding than tennis. If you are reasonably coordinated, you can be playing a competitive game fairly quickly. The smaller court size means you can set up a net and play on just about any hard surface, from driveways to schoolyards. This was instrumental in helping the sport’s popularity boom during the pandemic, when people were looking for safe ways to get outside with friends. Towns and recreation centers all across the country are trying to keep up with the surge in players by adding pickleball court lines to existing facilities >>

Wade Partridge playing the fastest growing sport in America.

such as basketball and tennis courts. St. Tammany is among one of the more progressive areas in that Pelican Park in Mandeville has already constructed 8 dedicated outdoor lighted pickleball courts, which are available to all players whenever the park is open.

Pickleball is a multigenerational sport. It checks a lot of boxes, and most people become addicted after their first game. Terry Lamperez puts it best when she says, “If you are looking for something that is great for your mind and your body, you can find it in pickleball. Pickleball helps with your balance, agility, reflexes and your handeye coordination. Want to burn some calories while laughing and having a great time, and meet some of the most wonderful people around? I can just simply say—Play Pickleball!”

A pickleball court is 20’ x 44’ for both singles and doubles. The net is hung at 36” at the ends and hangs 34” in the middle. A non-volley zone extends 7’ back from the net on each side of the net; this is “the kitchen.” Instead of racquets, you use paddles, and the balls are made of hard plastic with holes, similar to a whiffle ball. You only score when serving, and all serves are underhanded. Both the serve and the return have to bounce before you can start volleying. The most important rule is that you can’t hit the ball in the air from the kitchen! The ball has to bounce in the kitchen before you can enter the kitchen. That’s why you see so many people “dinking,” a short shot hit on a bounce from your kitchen area into your opponents’ kitchen area. Scoring starts 0-0-2, like tennis; the server says their score first, then their opponents’ score. The third number designates whether you are the first or second server on your team. Scoring can be confusing at first, but is quickly mastered during your first few games.