Half the people who are adventurous enough to try the new sport of Pickleball come back for more. The sport is contagious! By contrast, roughly 70% of the people who experiment with tennis, badminton, or squash for the first time, do not come back to play it again. Why the contrasting figures? Why is one sport popular and growing, while the other sports are viewed as elitist and find fewer followers? According to professional racquet players, it has to do with the sweet spot on the racquet and the distance that spot is from the center of the palm of the hand holding the racquet. The sweet spot is the center of the hitting surface of any racquet, including a ping-pong paddle. With pickleball, the sweet spot is close to the palm’s center, so the sport is easier to pick up. With squash or badminton, the sweet spot is small and some distance from the hand. In addition to the fact that hand-eye coordination is easier with the short Pickleball racquet, the area to be covered is miniature. The Pickleball court looks like a miniature tennis court. The participant in Pickleball can easily cover the court and get to the net. If you are less mobile than you used to be, Pickleball is made for you. In doubles, to go from the baseline to the no-volley line you need only take three or four steps. Pickleball is a popular and growing sport. It’s easy to pick up and play. Court coverage is not terribly challenging. It is, indeed, contagious! Editor Note: Doug plays all racquet sports well and has a lot of advice to share. He will be writing in Badminton as well as Pickleball in the future. 
|
