Pickleball

[JoeWras]

My fair city has just installed the first pickleball courts. I was baffled when I read the news release, but I'm now intrigued after reading up a bit on the sport. I've never played, but I might consider it.

I loved tennis and running back in the day, but both are probably behind me due to joint issues. Pickleball seems like a possibility, and it can also provide a chance for socialization.

So, anybody into this game yet? Is it fun? Is it a passing fad? Any thoughts?

 

[Jack_Pine]

We love it. Learned while on a lifestyle visit to the Villages. Our subdivision in FL is installing courts now. Even our Wi town is installing courts and forming leagues.

You do get exercise but it is definitely less than tennis. The courts we have seen get plenty of use.

 

[haha]

My fair city has just installed the first pickleball courts. I was baffled when I read the news release, but I'm now intrigued after reading up a bit on the sport. I've never played, but I might consider it.

I loved tennis and running back in the day, but both are probably behind me due to joint issues. Pickleball seems like a possibility, and it can also provide a chance for socialization.

So, anybody into this game yet? Is it fun? Is it a passing fad? Any thoughts?

Doubt it is a passing fad. It is at least 2 generations old and likely more, around Seattle. I am not sure but I think it may have started on Bainbridge Island, or somewhere on the Kitsap peninsula. It took hold because unlike tennis, it can be played on wet courts. I never played because I had a club membership where we had both squash and racquetball courts.

Ha

 

[heeyy_joe]

There are a few decent youtube videos worth watching.

 

[FUEGO]

I think we are in the same metro area, Joe. They tried to install those pickleball courts on our neighborhood park's tennis court a year or two ago. Until the pickleball enthusiasts realized there were some rough looking people who wouldn't quite fit in at the country club that show up regularly to play pick up b-ball and pick up soccer there. Then they decided they didn't like the location...

I looked at the game and it didn't seem more appealing than tennis, so I spoke out against the pickleball court and asked them to keep the 2 tennis courts. The parks and rec guy said "don't worry, we don't have any money for at least a few more years anyway so you're good. And you're the only person that called about the pickleball issue in the last month, so we didn't think people even used the tennis courts."

 

[Lisa99]

Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in the country and is highly addictive.

I started playing in August in our active adult community and now I'm regularly playing 2x per day. I even got talked into being the secretary of our club which has more than 250 members.

There are tournaments played all over the country and its a great way to get in some fun cardio without living on a treadmill.

The game was invented in the late 1960s in Washington state and is affectionately called 'old peoples tennis'. The current men's singles world champ is 26 years old so there are young folks playing too.

Some of the best pickleball can be found at Pickleball Channel — A brand new online media channel providing quality content about the people and the sport of Pickleball. Pickleball Channel: Community - Information - Fun Community Information Fun.

 

[Kamei]

It's a great game - played across the US - endorsed by the physical education community as a great lifelong physical activity! Known about the game for about 30 years.

 

[JoeWras]

I think we are in the same metro area, Joe. They tried to install those pickleball courts on our neighborhood park's tennis court a year or two ago. Until the pickleball enthusiasts realized there were some rough looking people who wouldn't quite fit in at the country club that show up regularly to play pick up b-ball and pick up soccer there. Then they decided they didn't like the location...

I looked at the game and it didn't seem more appealing than tennis, so I spoke out against the pickleball court and asked them to keep the 2 tennis courts. The parks and rec guy said "don't worry, we don't have any money for at least a few more years anyway so you're good. And you're the only person that called about the pickleball issue in the last month, so we didn't think people even used the tennis courts."

Right, FUEGO. They opened them up near Merideth/NC State. Not convenient for me, but I might consider a trip to check it out sometime.

City of Raleigh Opens its First Outdoor Pickleball Courts | raleighnc.gov

 

[FUEGO]

Right, FUEGO. They opened them up near Merideth/NC State. Not convenient for me, but I might consider a trip to check it out sometime.

City of Raleigh Opens its First Outdoor Pickleball Courts | raleighnc.gov

Neat! That sounds like what they were going to do to our neighborhood's 2 tennis courts. Convert them to six pickeball courts.

 

[HFWR]

 

[ziggy29]

I've barely even heard of it but it sounds intriguing. Now when they build a field for Calvinball...

 

[aaronc879]

Had to YouTube it. Looks like tennis-lite. May be a good form of exercise for those who can't do tennis because of the size of the court. I quit tennis years ago out of fear of tearing my knee from all the running and cutting. Pickleball, especially if played in partners, could be a much better option.

 

[Lisa99]

Had to YouTube it. Looks like tennis-lite. May be a good form of exercise for those who can't do tennis because of the size of the court. I quit tennis years ago out of fear of tearing my knee from all the running and cutting. Pickleball, especially if played in partners, could be a much better option.

too funny that you say it that way. It's called Old Persons Tennis

It's still some really good cardio. I sometimes wear a heart rate monitor when I play and I avg about 400 calories per hour with a max heart rate of about 157.

You can make it more intense by playing singles but I play doubles and can play for 3 hours non stop... it's a blast!

 

[Kamei]

Just read this off the Boglehead's Forum > The poster is a doc who describes an 80 Plus -year-old who still plays Pickleball. Re: Retire earlier/Die earlier?

by Utahdogowner » Tue Feb 03, 2015 10:12 am

likegarden wrote:This guy does not know what he is talking about. I am 75 and life is still very interesting. You have to stay busy and keep a healthy diet! I also worked part time until 69, so the brain is still there. My body is older obviously, but with a little exercise the hangups get ironed out. In the last days several times I scraped, shoveled and used the blower from 25 inches of very cold snow. No pain after that. My wife and I help our grandson with all his home work. Plus I am an avid gardener and do all the work there. Most of my parents and grandparents lived to 84-87, I hopefully into the 90s. So why give up?
​

We have to be a little careful here, because there is going to be a survey bias at work, I believe. I am very happy that likegarden can still enjoy gardening (and investing and life) but there are plenty of 75 year olds who do not do any of these things, and hence they are not commenting on a website like this. I see them as a physician regularly. Again, though, a perspective bias (the healthier 75 year old aren't coming in too often).

All that being said, I didn't read the article either. I think he's nuts to draw a line in the sand from afar and set a goal of a specific time to die. Viewed from a macro perspective, life after 80 or 85 doesn't look too great. However, individually, there are so many exceptions. I just saw an 80+ year old woman with a hamstring strain. From playing pickleball for 4 hours. She is loving life, and loving it well. I hope there are many, many exceptions to the macro perspective.

 

[RockyMtn]

I play PBall twice a week here in Arizona. We have a group of 6-10 guys who play for a couple of hours. Ages from 55-75. Fun game and easy to learn although it helps if you have some experience with tennis, racquetball or even ping pong. We have lines drawn on our tennis courts at the club. Basically you can get two PBall courts on one tennis court.

At this point the PBall courts are getting more use than the tennis courts.

 

[tomz]

Our HOA recently added pball lines to our rarely used tennis court. A group of us now play pball every Monday. Our ages range from 63 to 82. It is a good workout without much running like tennis. What I like is that you can play hard or easy without impacting the competitive level that much. The 82 year old doesn't chase too many, but as a former tennis champ, he can really place his shots. It is addictive.

 

[Sea Kayaker]

Checked out some PB videos. I think I will stick to tennis while I can. Once I can no longer run, pickleball looks like a logical transition.

 

[eytonxav]

I've heard pickleball mentioned on here before, but had no idea what it is. It does look like fun.

 

[kcowan]

We took it up last summer. Great exercise. Less stress than singles tennis. I would suggest that it requires a bit more finesse than tennis to play it well. That wiffle ball does not take spin like tennis.

 

[outabout]

Our home has a sport court that is the size of a pickle ball court. DH and I are both tennis players, so we just use regular tennis balls but pickle ball paddles to play. Our 2 golden retrievers also join in on the court and try to retrieve the balls and tackle each other. This usually ends with us putting them back in the house after 30 minutes or so then we continue without dogs

 

[Lisa99]

Outabout, there's another sport you might want to look into called Paddle Tennis.

The court is slightly longer than pickleball but the same width. The paddles are bigger and have holes in them and you use a tennis ball.

It plays much more like tennis than pickleball so you might really like it since you're tennis players.

 

[outabout]

Outabout, there's another sport you might want to look into called Paddle Tennis.

The court is slightly longer than pickleball but the same width. The paddles are bigger and have holes in them and you use a tennis ball.

It plays much more like tennis than pickleball so you might really like it since you're tennis players.

Thank you Lisa, it looks very interesting, may just have to try it out

 

[Amethyst]

When I was a kid, older people played something called shuffleboard. Is pickleball its successor?

Amethyst

 

[kevink]

I played quite a bit of tennis growing up and friends here persuaded my wife and I to try pickleball. To me it's like a cross between tennis and pingpong. It is great fun, highly addictive, and wildly popular here in small-city Colorado.

I tore a calf muscle though playing it and it's taken months of rest and PT to heal, and in talking to others on the courts there are lots and lots of stories of bum knees and more than one of a popped achilles. It may be "geezer tennis" but it's still a ballistic, centrifugal motion sport so make sure you're good and warmed up before playing, have adequate flexibility and (probably most important) don't go for every shot. It's a really fun sport but thought I should share some hard-won cautions.

 

[RockyMtn]

I played quite a bit of tennis growing up and friends here persuaded my wife and I to try pickleball. To me it's like a cross between tennis and pingpong. It is great fun, highly addictive, and wildly popular here in small-city Colorado.

I tore a calf muscle though playing it and it's taken months of rest and PT to heal, and in talking to others on the courts there are lots and lots of stories of bum knees and more than one of a popped achilles. It may be "geezer tennis" but it's still a ballistic, centrifugal motion sport so make sure you're good and warmed up before playing, have adequate flexibility and (probably most important) don't go for every shot. It's a really fun sport but thought I should share some hard-won cautions.

My number one rule once I reached 55....don't fall down!