What sport is fast like Ping-Pong, strategic like tennis, and accessible to players of all ages? Pickleball!
The game is played on a court 1/3 the size of a tennis court with solid paddles, like those used in Ping-Pong. The balls are hollow with holes like Wiffle balls, so they move slower than tennis balls. These tweaks make pickleball a racquet sport anyone can get into. This is on purpose: The game was invented in 1965 by Joel Pritchard and Bill Bell to entertain bored family members on vacation. It’s actually named for Pritchard’s dog Pickle, who loved to chase the balls!
What sport is fast like Ping-Pong, strategic like tennis, and easier to learn than both of them? Pickleball! This silly-sounding sport has been around for more than 50 years. But it has recently exploded in popularity.
Pickleball takes place on a court about the size of a tennis court. Instead of racquets, players use solid paddles, like those used in Ping-Pong. The balls are hollow and have holes in them, like Wiffle balls. That means they move slower than tennis balls.
These tweaks make pickleball simple to pick up for players of all ages. Joel Pritchard and Bill Bell, the game’s inventors, designed it that way. Their goal was to entertain bored family members on vacation. The game is named for Pritchard’s dog Pickle, who loved to chase the balls!