OT: Pickleball Fever: anyone here catch it?

[dustyrider]

Probably for all the reasons it’s trendy now meant that growing up in New England our school district pretty much used pickle ball year round as physical fitness. I played a little this summer with high school athletes that I coach for xc. It was fun to work on my serve and drop balls, but they quickly picked up my tricks and used them against me! We played doubles and were able to keep over 15 teenagers fully engage in games, score keeping, and officiating in the size of 1 and a half tennis courts I think. All the retirees thought it was just the greatest playing along side the next generation.

[54ny77]

Adult-sized ping pong.

[Spaghetti Legs]

I played once and enjoyed it. You can definitely get your heart rate up if everyone is playing the same game. Seems like everyone has to be on the same page about how hard they want to play, but a lot of sports are like that. My SIL lives in Scottsdale and is way into it, the playing as well as the social, hanging out and watching others play.

I will admit I have a bias against the sport though as for the longest time, in my former hometown, the pickle ballers would take over the only basketball court at my local Y for several hours most every day and were annoyingly possessive of the court.

[Likes2ridefar]

IMO it’s a sport for those incapable of playing tennis

[avalonracing]

I'm sure it is fun and some friends asked me to play but there is no way I'm going to take a chance of blowing out a knee for that nonsense.

[Louis]

Originally Posted by Likes2ridefar

IMO it’s a sport for those incapable of playing tennis

I was going to ask about this - I assume it's popular because you really don't have to move nearly as much as for tennis.

[Likes2ridefar]

Originally Posted by Louis

I was going to ask about this - I assume it's popular because you really don't have to move nearly as much as for tennis.

You don’t have to put in the work to have a good time at a competitive sport and it’s social. Big win for 70% of the country

[XXtwindad]

Originally Posted by Likes2ridefar

You don’t have to put in the work to have a good time at a competitive sport and it’s social. Big win for 70% of the country

100 percent this.

I think a lot of us have a skewed perspective on fitness on this site. (A lot of us. Not all of us) Many of us see cycling up a big mountain as a fun challenge or as a zen-like activity (which it definitely is for me). The vast majority of people in this country would never contemplate something like that. We’re the outliers.

But there’s another facet to the Pickleball “Revolution:” numerous studies have proven how interconnected sociability and longevity are. Pickleball seems to tick off those boxes.

When my knees got blown out from years of hooping, I switched to softball. Great memories. Played on the same team for years. I really, really miss the camaraderie. I miss saying “whaddya say now” or “wait for yours” or “you see what he’s throwing up there” to a buddy who’s at the plate.

Really kind of hard to have that camaraderie cycling. At least for me.

[merckxman]

I've heard you don't want to live anywhere near pickleball courts....noise.

[Gggross]

Originally Posted by XXtwindad

100 percent this.

I think a lot of us have a skewed perspective on fitness on this site. (A lot of us. Not all of us) Many of us see cycling up a big mountain as a fun challenge or as a zen-like activity (which it definitely is for me). The vast majority of people in this country would never contemplate something like that. We’re the outliers.

But there’s another facet to the Pickleball “Revolution:” numerous studies have proven how interconnected sociability and longevity are. Pickleball seems to tick off those boxes.

When my knees got blown out from years of hooping, I switched to softball. Great memories. Played on the same team for years. I really, really miss the camaraderie. I miss saying “whaddya say now” or “wait for yours” or “you see what he’s throwing up there” to a buddy who’s at the plate.

Really kind of hard to have that camaraderie cycling. At least for me.

This. It can be as social or competitive as one wants. Go watch competitive pickle ball on YouTube. It’s not just for old people.

[RobbieTunes]

Originally Posted by C40_guy

My wife never played tennis growing up and loves it.

I played tennis growing up, fairly seriously. Have not gone there, would not do it, except on the request of my wife. Feel like it's a watered down version of a serious sport, hard pass.

Not for the ego-driven. I played tennis, and well. It’s not tennis. There’s not enough room. It’s pickleball, and fun. And funny. I play with a former MLB player. We can always pick out the former “serious” tennis players. And the table tennis folks.

Part of the fun is rotating through with different players and making adjustments for same, as they do for you. Players who don’t quickly find a lack of partners.

Plus, lunch after, Or a beer. It happens.

[pdonk]

The last time I was at the track in milton(before pandemic) there were leagues playing on the infield.

They looked at us like we were weirdos, and we looked at ghem similarly. Different folks, different interests. As long as you're having fun and being active that is what matters.

[mcteague]

Originally Posted by peanutgallery

I heard that if you want to move to The Villages, you have to play at least twice a week...it's in the HOA

Along with regular tests for STDs...from what I have read.

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-sta...tal-of-america

Tim

[peanutgallery]

I guess that accounts for the social aspect of the sport

Originally Posted by mcteague

Along with regular tests for STDs...from what I have read.

Tim

[metalheart]

My wife took some classes and started playing with some lady friends, some of whom could not always make the morning games for a foursome. She asked if I would come along and be the fourth when necessary. I started and now on the days when the group doesn't play we play singles. It's very popular in this community with courts full every day the weather is decent and there are indoor courts at the local dome that are very busy too. When winter comes there is fierce competition for courts, so much so the local "Y" is building a new facility that will help meet the demand.