HOW DO I BEGIN

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IN 1965 affter playing golf one Saturday during the summer, Joel Pritchard, congressman from Washington State and Bill Bell, successful businessman, returned to Pritchard’s home on Bainbridge Island, WA (near Seattle) to find their families sitting around with nothing to do. The property had an old badminton court so Pritchard and Bell looked for some badminton equipment and could not find a full set of rackets. The following weekend, Barney McCallum was introduced to the game at Pritchard’s home. Soon, the three men created rules, relying heavily on badminton. They kept in mind the original purpose, which was to provide a game that the whole family could play together. Get the full Pickleball Time Line Here

New players will need a Paddle: Pickleball paddles are smaller than a tennis racquet but larger than a table-tennis paddle. Today's paddles are made from several materials including wood, graphite and aluminum. Begginers do not need to spend alot of money on a new paddle but should avoid a wooden paddle as they are seldom used for many reasons. An adequate begginer paddle can be purchased at your local Dicks Sporting Goods or on Amazon. An Onix Z5 graphite paddle is a great starting paddle which starts around $75.00

Players should always arrive at a pickleball court with their own supply of pickleballs. Balls tend to break due to over use and weather. There are several suppliers of pickleballs and in assortment of colors. They also come in both an indoor (larger holes) and an outdoor (smaller holes as above). Either ball can be used both indoors or outdoors. The most commom ball used in both recreational play and tournament play is the outdoor Franklin X40 Optic Yellow. Pickleballs cost approximatly $2.00 each.

Proper footwear is crucial to the safety of the pickleball player. Players should always wear a proper fitting court shoe to ensure proper support due to the many sudden starts and stops that take place in the sport.

As in any sport knowing the rules prevents conflict and confusion. Pickleball has many unique rules that often become  confusing to new players. Here is a great link to the basic rules. Every player should have a complete set of rules available for free from this link.

One of the many great advantages of the sport is that anywhere there is an available tennis court, pickleball can be played and often at no cost. One tennis court allows for two pickleball courts. Due to its popularity many townships have installed dedicated pickleball courts. Many indoor facilities also provide times for pickleball to be played, there is always a fee involved in an indoor facility in the range of approximately $15-$20 per player for 1.5-2 hours of play. As a player advances in their skills there are many opportunities to participate in tournaments at the players level.

All pickleball players fall into a certain level of player ratings. Beginners who have no prior racquet sport experience are normally considered a Level 1.0 player and generally play other 1.0 players. In recreational play it is often difficult to find 3 other players at your level, therefore all higher level players should always respect the lower skilled level player and provide positive feedback to the lower level players. Here you will find a great explanation of the player level breakdown.