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This perfect summer pastime is a cousin of tennis, with a smaller court, a rotation of players, and other ingredients for inclusive, fast-paced fun.

Remember joyful childhood days spent flying around on bikes, roller skates, or surfboards, and pounding the pavement during hours of double Dutch, basketball, or tennis? This summer, get inspired to get up, get out, and have fun with our series Move Your Body, in which women share stories of channeling their inner child by diving into an activity they loved or yearned to learn as a kid.

I first learned about pickleball two summers ago during Covid, when I arrived early at my local public tennis courts to meet a friend. I was shocked to see that two of the three courts had been transformed into what appeared to be eight smaller versions. While the sole remaining tennis court was free, each one of its mini-me's was packed with doubles teams. Perplexed, I watched as the crowd, mostly in their 50s and 60s, played a fast-moving game with what appeared to be a whiffle ball and oversize Ping-Pong paddles. Every so often, they'd shuffled between courts, rotating players in and out of games. They all seemed to know each other, chatting during breaks over refreshments someone had brought in a cooler as a boom box blasted ’80s hits. I felt like I’d wandered into a party.

“What’s going on here?” I asked my super-sporty friend Wendy when she arrived.

“Don’t you know about pickleball?” she asked, as we walked toward our tennis court, which now looked vast and lonely.

I didn’t. But with a name like that, it sounded ridiculous.

“Go ahead and laugh, but it’s a serious sport,” she said, describing it as a cross between badminton, tennis, and yes, Ping-Pong.

I wasn’t convinced at the time. But after a year of driving past the courts, watching people have a great time, I took an intro course of six two-hour lessons with my husband at Wolverine Pickleball, a facility with indoor courts in my hometown of Ann Arbor, Michigan, and instantly fell in love. By the time it ended, I was completely addicted. I loved the rush of playing the game, and the fun of meeting other players.

My newfound sport is not new at all. Pickleball was invented during the summer of 1965 by a group of friends on Bainbridge Island, Washington, who may or may not have named it after one family’s dog, Pickles. There have been pickleball fans here and there ever since. During Covid, as socializing moved outside and families started looking for activities multiple generations could do together, the sport gained even more traction. Now it seems like pickleball is everywhere, with paddle sets on sale everywhere from Anthropologie to Target.

After that initial series of lessons, I found myself playing on the outdoor courts where I first discovered the sport alongside my tennis friend Wendy—in fact, I ended up teaching her how to play pickleball. (Look who’s super-sporty now!) We became part of the round-robin group of strangers I had observed getting to know one another over the sport. By November, I had bought enough paddles that my three young adult children could join us for a chilly, but invigorating, family match over Thanksgiving weekend. For Christmas, I gave our son, who lives in Brooklyn, a portable net and paddles. He now plays with his friends in a nearby park, where they are allowed to set up the net and draw lines.

For me, the sport isn’t just a way to get my steps in. It has become a way to meet new people in my neighborhood, in my city, and even when traveling, as you can almost always find a court and people willing to play. I’ve now played in New York City, Charleston, and Los Angeles. And I’m not the only one who plays pickleball every chance I get. As you’ve undoubtedly heard some talk-show host say by now, pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in America.

The benefits beyond exercise are so numerous and personal, I really believe the only way to truly experience the draw of pickleball is to start playing it. But in case you need more convincing, here’s why I fell for pickleball, and I think you will, too.

Though the court may be a quarter the size of a tennis court, you get a great workout, even when playing doubles. Like other paddle or racket sports, the game involves volleying, lobbing, blocking shots, driving, and serving the ball. But the smaller court size, along with the hard texture of the paddle against a plastic ball with holes, makes every move just that much quicker. Running and jumping to reach the ball uses all your large arm and leg muscles. For me, it never takes long to break into a sweat and feel the rush of adrenaline and dopamine that increases the heart rate and improves oxygen flow to the muscle tissue.

At first, pickleball seems like a relatively easy singles or doubles game, particularly if you have played tennis: The serve is crosscourt and underhanded, points can only be won by the serving team, matches typically go to 11 or 15 points with a win by two, and no one is allowed to volley in “the kitchen,” a zone of the pickleball court that extends seven feet from both sides of the net and from one sideline to the other. But the more you master the game, the more complex it becomes as you learn nuances like “dinking,” a gentle yet strategic way of hitting the ball when it bounces inside your kitchen. If that happens, you’re allowed to move into that non-volley zone (NVZ) to hit the ball back—but you have to be careful to immediately get out of it to be ready to hit the next shot; if you’re still in the kitchen when the ball comes back to you and you hit it, that’s a volley, and volleying in the NVZ will cost you the point. The more I play, the more I learn the many challenges of the game, and, in turn, the more I want to improve my skills.

When I first learned the sport, I didn’t realize that rotating players in and out of games is how pickleball is most often played, not just a technique used during lessons. The mixing and mingling inspires even more interaction. Beyond the traditional round-robin of rotating teams, at the facility where I play, you can also sign up to be “King of the Court,” which means you play with a different partner each game, all of whom have a similar level of play to yours. (Among non-pro players, a beginner plays at a level of 2.0, and advanced players are at 5.0.) The winning doubles team moves up a court and splits, while the losing team moves down a court and splits. The result is that you get to know new people all the time, unlike in any other sport, and create new friendships. A camaraderie quickly forms as you attempt to merge playing styles to beat opponents, who are also new players. Similarly, many public facilities have “drop-in” times when anyone who knows how to play can simply show up and rotate into a game.

Many new players like me come to the sport seeking more than just a workout. It is the perfect antidote to a life transition: moving, becoming an empty nester, losing a spouse, going through a divorce, leaving a job, or retiring. The welcoming inclusivity of the sport means you can show up alone as a relative beginner and leave a couple hours later with new friends and new skills. Given the smaller size of the court and the fact that most people play doubles, this is easier than tennis for those in the older set—you don't have to run quite as far to return a drop shot or get behind a lob. That helps make it a multigenerational game that bonds families in a new way. I now play with my 20-something children, and I know many grandparents play with their grandchildren—the court is the perfect size for little legs, too. A pickleball game is also a great icebreaker for meeting new friends or a bonding experience for old. Last week, new outdoor pickleball courts opened a 10-minute walk away. Neighbors I am friendly with and have always wanted to get to know better have been reaching out asking if I will teach them how to play. I can't wait, knowing we are going to become closer as a community because of these new courts.

Pro Tips for New Players

Ready to pick up a paddle? Start by finding a place to play. Search your local parks-and-recreation website for public pickleball courts and info as to whether they offer drop-in sessions for beginners to learn the sport. More and more pickleball facilities are popping up all over the country, and so are bars and restaurants themed around the sport, offering clinics such as Chicken n’ Pickle, which has six locations nationwide, including its flagship in Kansas City, Missouri. Facilities should have paddles on hand for beginners, but once you know you like the sport, you’ll want to buy your own. Most of the beginner paddles come in sets of two, as you need a partner to play. They also come with a wide price tag, ranging from around $20 for a set of two wooden paddles with balls, to $60 for a set of two graphite paddles. (Professional players can easily spend as much as $200 on a carbon-fiber paddle.)

For clothing, just think tennis. Anything you wear for tennis you can wear on the pickleball court, including shoes. It’s best not to wear running shoes—the quick movements are better supported by a shoe for paddle or racket sports. (I did end up with a special pair of pickleball sneakers given to me by a friend, but they are not necessary.)

Once you’re suited up and on the court, competitive player Leslie White, who co-owns Wolverine Pickleball, my home court, offered these tips for beginners.

Watch the ball all the way to the moment it hits your paddle, and then use compact, simple, fluid strokes when you return it. Unlike in tennis, you won’t utilize your wrist as much as your shoulder during the stroke. The swing should be one fluid, yet compact, motion with the full arm.

Play it safe by allowing a margin of error over the net and at the lines. Let your opponents make the mistakes instead of you.

Try to get near the non-volley zone (otherwise known as “the kitchen”) as quickly as possible. Once you are in the NVZ you can strategically “dink,” to win points, tapping the ball just over the net into a hard-to-reach corner or aiming at your opponents' feet, which is a hard shot to return, and will help you rack up points quickly.

Always remember to have fun. If nothing else, this sport is about being inclusive, welcoming, and building new relationships.

Photo Credits: The Noun Project & Getty Images

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