Pickleball is Here to Stay By Mike Puc and Scott Harper

By Mike Puc and Scott Harper

“Pickleball is here to stay, so don’t ignore it!” These were words of advice given to me four years ago from a fellow Tennis Director in South Florida whose club I visited looking for pickleball court design and programming ideas for the four courts we planned to build at Gleneagles Country Club. He was so right in his advice.

As the fastest growing sport in the United States, pickleball has become a staple of activity at our club and the entire area. Our staff programs pickleball, as we do tennis, with social and competitive leagues, lessons, referee certification classes, lectures, tournaments, round robins, complimentary ball machine and clinics with a concierge who organizes daily social play and a dedicated Pickleball Pro Operational Manager. Participation has sky rocketed!

Not only have tennis players accepted pickleball, they have migrated to play pickleball which has improved their tennis game as much as tennis has helped their pickleball game. Here are some thoughts from tennis player’s perspective of how pickleball has translated into their tennis game: l Since a winning pickleball game demands moving to the net to volley, this diminishing shot on the tennis court has been resurrected and players are moving to the net more just as they do in pickleball. l The dink shot is crucial in pickleball as it keeps the ball low in close exchanges waiting for the high ball put-a-way. The dink is again resurrected in tennis requiring a soft feather touch to change pace in close quarters adding more tools to one’s arsenal. l Tennis players are able to visualize tennis strategies and tactics on the smaller Pickleball court and translate them to tennis. The open court, the middle shot, partners moving together and offensive and defensive tactics are visually easier to comprehend on the pickleball court, simply a smaller version of a tennis court. l From a tennis player’s perspective, pickleball is a natural transition since many skills easily transfer. The court dimensions are different, but the basic geometry is the same, which makes tactical decisions natural. l Deep crosscourt on the return of serve is a good basic tactic in tennis, and also in pickleball. Driving the ball through the middle to create uncertainty in your opponents is also a tennis tactic that works well in pickleball. l When it comes to technique, players who learned “old school” tennis strokes have an instant introduction to proper pickleball groundstroke motions. The body turn, stepping into the shot, the continental grip, the level forward swing with extension through the ball and out toward the intended target are hallmarks of the tennis strokes of old. These traits are found now in the proper groundstroke motion in pickleball as well. The proper volley motion in tennis is also a solid foundation for the volley in pickleball. The hands stay in front, the grip remains continental, the paddle face remains open, there is no backswing, and the volley finishes with a short follow through and with the paddle face pointing at the intended target. l There are differences, such as the lack of forward footwork when volleying at

the non-volley zone, but the similarities are enough that tennis players can walk on a pickleball court and be immediately competitive. l Using basic tennis doubles tactics can transition over to pickleball such as a team moving to proper position in relation to their shot to cover the opponent’s possible angles, the player diagonal to a ball travelling through the middle takes that ball, and partners switching places to cover lobs are all applicable to both tennis and pickleball.

Pickleball is here to stay! So, get a paddle, find a pickleball pro and join the legions who are enjoying the hottest sport in America.

Mike Puc, USPTA, has been the Director of Tennis at Gleneagles Country Club in Delray Beach Florida since 1998. A winner of 15 National titles and an ATP world ranking, Mike directs 25 teams with 350 players in 9 leagues while offering the most extensive Calendar of Events in South Florida that includes tournaments, lectures and social round robins. Scott Harper, USPTA. PPR, is the Head Tennis and Pickleball Professional at Gleneagles Country Club, since 2019. A college tennis player, Scott instructs players of all ages and abilities in tennis and Pickleball.