Pickleball

[MuggsyB]

Apparently this is the fastest growing "sport" in our country.  I love badminton, racketball, and especially ping pong/ table tennis.  Am I missing the nuances of Pickleball? 

[tower912]

It is a sport.  It is growing fast.  The top  players are entertaining to watch.   What nuance are you looking for?

[MuggsyB]

It is a sport.  It is growing fast.  The top  players are entertaining to watch.   What nuance are you looking for?

I'm just curious what distinguishes a great pickleballer from those In other racket sports?  I have watched pro table tennis and Badminton pros up close, they're incredible. 

[Uncle Rico]

I'm just curious what distinguishes a great pickleballer from those In other racket sports?  I have watched pro table tennis and Badminton pros up close, they're incredible.

Being good

[tower912]

I'm just curious what distinguishes a great pickleballer from those In other racket sports?  I have watched pro table tennis and Badminton pros up close, they're incredible.

Same things, really.  Reflexes, eye-hand coordination, technique, love of competition, footwork.

[MuggsyB]

Being good

This isn't an answer.   My guess is you have not watched prime-time ping pong or badminton.  These people are remarkable.  On the flipside I don't see anything special about those "ranked" in pickleball.  Just my personal take.

[tower912]

So go challenge them.

[Uncle Rico]

This isn't an answer.   My guess is you have not watched prime-time ping pong or badminton.  These people are remarkable.  On the flipside I don't see anything special about those "ranked" in pickleball.  Just my personal take.

You should have a grape soda

[MuggsyB]

So go challenge them.

Maybe I should?

[tower912]

Many co workers have taken up the game recreationally.   They are hooked.

[MuggsyB]

Many co workers have taken up the game recreationally.   They are hooked.

What I'm asking is if Djokovic or Nadal played pickleball would they lose to the so called top players?  Because I'm certain they would get thumped by the best in ping-pong and badminton.

[tower912]

The best pickle players move like old time serve and volley tennis players.   Then they sit at the net and dink at each other until somebody makes a mistake.    So I assume all time great tennis players would probably do well at pickle ball.

[MuggsyB]

The best pickle players move like old time serve and volley tennis players.   Then they sit at the net and dink at each other until somebody makes a mistake.    So I assume all time great tennis players would probably do well at pickle ball.

Exactly!  Thank you for amplifying my point.

[tower912]

That doesn't make it less of a sport.

[MuggsyB]

That doesn't make it less of a sport.

I'm not so sure about that but maybe I will play in a tournament.

[NCMUFan]

Looks like a sport that would be very kid friendly.
Not having to deal with a large tennis racquet, overhead serve, large court.

[PGsHeroes32]

Yikes this thread just made me dumber.

Might need another random animal to get whacked so Muggsy can get back to posting in his wheelhouse.

[MuggsyB]

Yikes this thread just made me dumber.

Might need another random animal to get whacked so Muggsy can get back to posting in his wheelhouse.

This seems like a non-sequitir and a unprovoked attack on innocent animals.

[shoothoops]

Paddleball

Padel

Platform Tennis

[mu_hilltopper]

There's a Pickleball group who has 100% taken over the local tennis courts .. and they are, uh, enthusiastic in the extreme.  30+ people will show up every day for the courts, waiting in line to play.

A year ago .. on the 4th of July, there's a festival and the courts are being used for kid games, just like every 4th. -- PB players show up, and are devastated they can't play, accosting the volunteer running the games with an f-bomb.   Another gal mutters "god damn 4th of July" as she sulks away.

They are .. intense.

[Goose]

100% hooked on pickleball. Great game.

[Hards Alumni]

100% hooked on pickleball. Great game.

I have an older employee that enjoys it as well.

Be careful about knee and shoulder injuries.

[MuggsyB]

100% hooked on pickleball. Great game.

I've never played.  Is it legal to tattoo the ball with no regard for the safety of your opponent?  I know they're like wiffle balls Goose but I'm pretty sure I could inflict significant damage. 

[Goose]

Muggs

I hit hard as often as possible. I play quite aggressively and like win points with some style on the shot.

[MU82]

I have an older employee that enjoys it as well.

Be careful about knee and shoulder injuries.

Yessir ...

America Got Obsessed With Pickleball, Then Everyone Got Injured

Is the game actually as "low-impact" as we were all led to believe?

https://www.insidehook.com/daily_brief/health-and-fitness/america-pickleball-player-injuries

Having said that, I'd like to try playing it in the not-too-distant future. I mean, what's a few Achilles tears, wrist fractures and sprained knees among friends?

[tower912]

I love golf too much when the weather is adequate to play pickleball in the summer.  I don't feel like joining a tennis/racket club to play it the other 4 months.   If invited, I will probably go and play a little.   But the bug certainly has not bitten me yet.

[rocket surgeon]

100% hooked on pickleball. Great game.

  goose guy-careful as it could turn your golf swing into a pickle ball swing

[MuggsyB]

Muggs

I hit hard as often as possible. I play quite aggressively and like win points with some style on the shot.

Goose,

My ping-pong and tennis styles are completely different.  In ping-pong I'm in constant attack mode.  We're talking supreme power shots on both wings with the ability to end points quickly.  On the tennis court I'm more like a no-see-um.  Annoying as fk with my lateral quicks, whipping (deep) top spin/cross-court shots from the baseline, occasionally unloading down the line, and making few unforced errors.   And if I feel personally disrespected I will unleash my drop shots which cause utter frustration leading to tantrums and complete humiliation. 

[Spotcheck Billy]

Goose,

My ping-pong and tennis styles are completely different.  In ping-pong I'm in constant attack mode.  We're talking supreme power shots on both wings with the ability to end points quickly.  On the tennis court I'm more like a no-see-um.  Annoying as fk with my lateral quicks, whipping (deep) top spin/cross-court shots from the baseline, occasionally unloading down the line, and making few unforced errors.   And if I feel personally disrespected I will unleash my drop shots which cause utter frustration leading to tantrums and complete humiliation. 

Is there any difference between your ping-pong and tennis styles when you jump over the net after a match?

[MuggsyB]

Is there any difference between your ping-pong and tennis styles when you jump over the net after a match?

Touche S-Billy.

[StillAWarrior]

I can't be the only one who wants video proof of Mugsy's ping-pong and tennis prowess, right?

[lawdog77]

I can't be the only one who wants video proof of Mugsy's ping-pong and tennis prowess, right?

[MuggsyB]

I never claimed to be a professional.  That picture is totally uncalled for. 

[StillAWarrior]

I realize that I'm resurrecting an old thread, but my family just started playing pickleball. My wife expressed interest, so my kids bought her a set (four paddles and balls) for her birthday early last month. Everyone seemed to enjoy it so they (with some help from me) bought her a nice portable net for mother's day. Our garage is behind our house and the concrete pad is large enough for a full-sized court. Right now, we've just drawn the lines with sidewalk chalk, but if we continue to play I'll consider something a little more permanent -- at least permanently marking all the line intersections so that it will be easier to draw the lines. It's really nice to be able to just go outside and play without needing to drive to a court.  Here's hoping we can all avoid injury.

[Jockey]

What I'm asking is if Djokovic or Nadal played pickleball would they lose to the so called top players?  Because I'm certain they would get thumped by the best in ping-pong and badminton.

I think you are wrong. If they grew up playing ping pong or badminton and trained just as hard, they would be the best. Other than pure athleticism, hand-eye coordination rules the roost in any racket sport.

[MuggsyB]

I think you are wrong. If they grew up playing ping pong or badminton and trained just as hard, they would be the best. Other than pure athleticism, hand-eye coordination rules the roost in any racket sport.

I'm not talking about if they played as youngsters as their primary sport.  I'm asking if they could pick up a pickleball racket today and thump the best players?  As for ping-pong I think it's a bit different.  Have you seen the best PPP (Ping Pong People) up close Jockey?  I have and they do some crazy stuff with the ball and have insane relexes as well.  It's not just eye-hand coordination.  Badminton I'm not sure but both sports use way more wrist speed than tennis, they're generally not two handed backhands.  The flick power backhand is a completely different shot in ping pong and badminton and obviously you can't dominate with the serve in the same way.

[MU82]

In today's NYT DealBook:

$377 million

— The medical costs associated with pickleball injuries in the United States this year, according to a new research report by UBS analysts.

[lawdog77]

In today's NYT DealBook:

$377 million

— The medical costs associated with pickleball injuries in the United States this year, according to a new research report by UBS analysts.

So, about the cost of an MRI, or
377 million in billed charges, Medicare will pay about 50 million, after write offs the AFlac duck will pay about 10 million, after charging its customers about 4 billion a year

[StillAWarrior]

In today's NYT DealBook:

$377 million

— The medical costs associated with pickleball injuries in the United States this year, according to a new research report by UBS analysts.

I get your point, but now do running. And calculate the value of the health benefits of increased activity.

[MU82]

I get your point, but now do running. And calculate the value of the health benefits of increased activity.

It's not a comment on how good or bad pickleball is, or the worthiness of it as an activity. It was just a stat I saw that I thought others might find interesting.

I've never played, but several friends do, and my wife and I are likely to join the fun at some point.

[StillAWarrior]

It's not a comment on how good or bad pickleball is, or the worthiness of it as an activity. It was just a stat I saw that I thought others might find interesting.

I've never played, but several friends do, and my wife and I are likely to join the fun at some point.

Didn't mean to be coming at you, MU82 -- it was more directed at whoever is publishing the research. And I did find it interesting.

But I've noticed a lot of commentary on all the injuries (not from you...in the press and elsewhere) and honestly wonder why all the fuss. Any time there is a significant increase in participation in any physical activity, there will be a significant increase on injuries attributed to that activity.  A lot of people who are playing -- myself included -- have had an uptick in their physical activity (and using different muscles than I've used in a while). IMO, it's a good thing, even if it comes with a risk. I find it frustrating because I've actually spoken with people who are reluctant to play because they've heard it was "too dangerous." Truth be told, it gave me pause very briefly because I haven't been as active as I should the last few years. I quickly came to my senses and decided that was stupid.

[jficke13]

The pickleball resurgence or rise to recent prominance is very funny. We played it in a HS gym class and I remember thinking it was goofy at the time. There were a handful of what felt like pale facsimile sports that we did and this one of them, Pickleball:Tennis, Korfball:Basketball. Who woulda thunk that it was pickleball that emerged?

[MU82]

Didn't mean to be coming at you, MU82 -- it was more directed at whoever is publishing the research. And I did find it interesting.

But I've noticed a lot of commentary on all the injuries (not from you...in the press and elsewhere) and honestly wonder why all the fuss. Any time there is a significant increase in participation in any physical activity, there will be a significant increase on injuries attributed to that activity.  A lot of people who are playing -- myself included -- have had an uptick in their physical activity (and using different muscles than I've used in a while). IMO, it's a good thing, even if it comes with a risk. I find it frustrating because I've actually spoken with people who are reluctant to play because they've heard it was "too dangerous." Truth be told, it gave me pause very briefly because I haven't been as active as I should the last few years. I quickly came to my senses and decided that was stupid.

Not a problem, and obviously you're right about there of course being more injuries because so many more are playing.

Plus, lotsa relative oldsters play pickleball. If we take it up, we'll be known as the "kids" on the court!

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

The pickleball resurgence or rise to recent prominance is very funny. We played it in a HS gym class and I remember thinking it was goofy at the time. There were a handful of what felt like pale facsimile sports that we did and this one of them, Pickleball:Tennis, Korfball:Basketball. Who woulda thunk that it was pickleball that emerged?

I think it makes sense considering you don't have to be very skilled to start up playing the game.  At least compared to a sport like tennis, which would rapidly get frustrating if you hadn't played it much before.

[lawdog77]

Padel is much more fun for us "youngsters"

[Jay Bee]

I just bought paddles. Yet to use them. I feel once I learn to play, I may quickly become elite.

[StillAWarrior]

I think it makes sense considering you don't have to be very skilled to start up playing the game.  At least compared to a sport like tennis, which would rapidly get frustrating if you hadn't played it much before.

This is exactly right. There are a number of built-in features of the game that make it pretty attractive for people who aren't very skilled to pick it up. The small court and whiffle ball slow things down quite a bit. It's hard to hit too hard and keep the ball in play. And the rule against hitting a volley right at the net also slows things down a bit. I think it all combines to allow less skilled players to have a pretty decent, competitive experience. It's hard for four people who suck at tennis to have a decent or enjoyable. Trust me...I suck at tennis and I've tried. My family purchased a pickleball set with four paddles and were able to immediately play well enough that it was a fun, competitive game (and none of us are tennis players).

[Jockey]

Yikes this thread just made me dumber.

Might need another random animal to get whacked so Muggsy can get back to posting in his wheelhouse.

Amen.

[Jockey]

I've never played.  Is it legal to tattoo the ball with no regard for the safety of your opponent?  I know they're like wiffle balls Goose but I'm pretty sure I could inflict significant damage. 

What?!! You’ve never played, but maybe you’ll sign up for a ‘tournament’?

I guess pickleball is like every sport. No difference between someone who never played the sport and those who play in tournaments.

I don’t play tennis anymore, but maybe I’ll sign up for the US Open.

[Jockey]

Is there any difference between your ping-pong and tennis styles when you jump over the net after a match?

His face plant meets the ground at a different angle.

[Plaque Lives Matter!]

My CFO invited me to play (Have not played before) with some other people from our office. I am a long time competitive tennis player. About an hour in he leans over to me and says "You are sandbagging aren't you". The hand eye coordination and anticipation of spin/movement absolutely transfers but it definitely is not as large of a learning curve as tennis.

I had a great time but remain incredibly annoyed as pickleball players continue to straight up just walk through points in my tennis matches. People need to learn etiquette.

[MuggsyB]

My CFO invited me to play (Have not played before) with some other people from our office. I am a long time competitive tennis player. About an hour in he leans over to me and says "You are sandbagging aren't you". The hand eye coordination and anticipation of spin/movement absolutely transfers but it definitely is not as large of a learning curve as tennis.

I had a great time but remain incredibly annoyed as pickleball players continue to straight up just walk through points in my tennis matches. People need to learn etiquette.

Is there strategy in pickleball or do you just fire shots with zero mercy if you're a tennis player?  The best ping-pong players do have tremendous spin and reflexes.  Great tennis players couldn't beat them unless they had a lot of training.   But with pickleball I'm pretty sure the top tennis players could basically walk on the court and thoroughly dominate.  I have more interest in bludgeoning shots on a racketball court so I don't hurt anyone. 

[MU82]

Is the ball actually a gherkin?

[MuggsyB]

Is the ball actually a gherkin?

Gherkins are underrated. 

[Plaque Lives Matter!]

Is there strategy in pickleball or do you just fire shots with zero mercy if you're a tennis player?  The best ping-pong players do have tremendous spin and reflexes.  Great tennis players couldn't beat them unless they had a lot of training.   But with pickleball I'm pretty sure the top tennis players could basically walk on the court and thoroughly dominate.  I have more interest in bludgeoning shots on a racketball court so I don't hurt anyone. 

It’s a reflex thing mostly that’s the benefit

[WellsstreetWanderer]

There is definitely a lot of strategy in pickleball
You can begin to play well immediately with some coordination but to improve and play experienced opponents you and your partner must have a game plan

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

https://www.nhregister.com/business/article/pickleball-america-opens-stamford-town-center-mall-18180851.php?

A Connecticut mall is opening the nation's largest indoor pickleball center as stores fade away
Paul Schott
Staff Writer
July 9, 2023

STAMFORD — After going quiet for a year and a half, the cavernous space that anchors the west side of Stamford Town Center is booming again.

But it's not retail activity generating this noise. The banging and popping that reverberate around the building are produced by those who carry rackets rather than shopping bags.

After the closing at the end of 2021 of a Saks Off 5th department store, Stamford Town Center is serving up a different type of successor: Pickleball America, a 27-court complex that will be the largest indoor pickleball venue in the U.S. Officially opening Monday, the approximately 80,000-square-foot center reflects the explosive growth of pickleball in recent years. Its launch also highlights how Stamford Town Center and other malls are countering the wave of store closings in recent years by offering customers an array of new options for entertainment and play.

“We want to bring life to this space,” Mia Schipani, a real estate broker and public relations professional, who is one of Pickleball America’s four founding partners, said in an interview this week at the venue. “There’s so much potential here.”     

New mall attractions

Arguably no mall in Connecticut has sought to diversify its tenant roster more in recent years than Stamford Town Center.

In addition to Pickleball America, a Kiddo Land play center opened last month on the mall's fifth floor. Next door to Kiddo Land is A Dance Space, which has served for nearly two years as the home of The Ballet School of Stamford. On the same floor is another play center, The Fun Palace, while another section of the floor is planned for The Living Room, a hub that will have a lounge, cafe, theater and gaming.

In the mall’s restaurant plaza on Tresser Boulevard, New York Comedy Club opened in February. In the past year, Stamford Town Center has also welcomed Soccer Fun Zone and Sunstar Arcade. 

Among openings at other malls, a Funbox bounce park debuted last month at Connecticut Post Mall in Milford. At Danbury Fair, a Round1 Bowling & Amusement center will take the space formerly occupied by a Forever 21 store. 

“As retailers have chosen to reduce their store count, and as shoppers have voiced their preference for online shopping, we have made a concerted effort to replace many of those retailers with entertainment and dining establishments,” Stamford Town Center General Manager Dan Stolzenbach said in an email. “That’s not to say that we don’t have any retail; it just accounts for a smaller percentage than in years past. This strategy has worked well for us, and the new tenants are enjoying great success.”

For the Pickleball America founders, all of whom are Stamford residents, Stamford Town Center’s downtown location — particularly its proximity to many apartment buildings, corporate offices and the UConn’s Stamford campus — made it an ideal place for their independently financed and operated venture. Among other locations in Stamford that they considered were the properties that formerly housed a Lord + Taylor department store and a Bed Bath & Beyond store.   

By taking one of the mall’s anchor pads, at 140 Atlantic St., next to Veterans Memorial Park, Pickleball America secured enough room not only for the pickleball courts, but also for other amenities including locker rooms, showers and bathrooms; lounge space; a café/bar; a club store; and a child care area. 

“The mall is right in the middle of everything,” Jay Ross, another of the founding partners, who is owner of Greenwich Realty Development, said in an interview. “Everything is here.”

'Starving for courts'
Across the country, thousands of new players have picked up pickleball rackets in the past few years. Last year, participation in the sport increased by about 86 percent year over year and 159 percent during the past three years, according to a report from the Sports & Fitness Industry Association. Its popularity has been boosted by its appeal across age groups, from children to senior citizens.

But the infrastructure in many communities has not yet caught up to the demand, to the frustration of many pickleballers.

“The community of pickleball players are starving for courts,” Joe Schipani, another of Pickleball America’s founding partners and the brother of Mia Schipani, said in an interview. “What they typically get outside are asphalt courts that are victims of weather — the cold and the heat — and courts are cracking. What we have here is the ideal (Acrytec) surface for pickleball.”

In Stamford, city officials said that they are working to expand the playing opportunities at public parks.

“We have dedicated courts at Scofieldtown Park and Cummings Park (hybrid with tennis), and also Scalzi Park/hockey rink, which has been painted to include both sports,'' Kevin Murray, Stamford's parks and recreation director, said in an email. The department is looking at expanding pickleball courts in both existing and open space across the city, he said.

Murray added that Pickleball America's opening was a “great idea” to accommodate the growing number of players.

The Pickleball America team sees the venue growing into a hub for competitive and casual players, across a range of ages. For those seeking instruction, the complex will offer group and individual lessons and clinics. 

Among the early gauges of interest, the Pickleball America team said that about 3,000 people have signed up for their newsletter, while the complex has accumulated more than 200 members.

Standard membership rates start at $199 annually, plus fees for renting courts by the hour. Members will pay lower court rates and receive a number of other benefits, but nonmembers will also have access to the center. Nonmembers may rent courts at the 7-day-a-week club for $75 per hour.

“This is amazing. Stamford has kind of been behind surrounding communities with pickleball (facilities), but this is going to catch us up,” Doug Edwards, president of the Stamford Pickleball Club, which has about 120 members, said in an interview during an open house held Wednesday at Pickleball America. “A lot of players go outside of Stamford because there are better players and better courts. Now they can stay in Stamford, as opposed to having to go to Darien or New Canaan.”

In contrast with the quiet enforced during the action at tennis events such as Wimbledon, pickleball is a much more laid-back racket sport. People chatted freely on the sidelines at the open house.

“It’s great to have a facility where you’re not playing on a tennis court that’s been sectioned off. These are real pickleball courts. It feels great to know there’s a place to go to when the weather is bad,” Darien resident Helen Johnson, who plays pickleball at venues across Fairfield County, said in an interview at the open house. “And they’re making it social. They’ve got bleachers, they’ve got couches. If I want to just come for a social night with my girlfriends, I have some place to hang out, other than a bar.”

Pickleball America’s founders embrace the socializing that the sport facilitates. They see their “sportstainment” venue as not only a pickleball hub, but also as a place to host competitions in other sports, as well as events such as live concerts, flea markets, and exhibitions for antiques and cars.

“The socialization and community aspect are everything the world is pushing,” said Joe Schipani, who has taught tennis for nearly 40 years and will serve as Pickleball America's chief pickleball officer. “It allows people from all walks of life to learn the game, socialize and make new friends.”

To start, Pickleball America will only use one level, on the mall’s fourth floor. Its second level, which will have an additional 14 courts, is scheduled to open about three to six months from now. There are also plans to open within the next couple of months, in adjoining sections of the mall, a co-working center and a green room with podcasting rooms. At the same time, the center will have outdoor space around its entrance next to Veterans Memorial Park and on a terrace that adjoins the mall and the Landmark Square complex.   

“We’ll have so much space, so there’s a lot of activity that we can create,” Jay Waldner, Pickleball America's other founding partner and the principal of Waldner’s, a family-owned furniture dealer, said in an interview. “And we’re never short on ideas.”

[Jay Bee]

I took an intro class on Monday. It went pretty well. There’s a ladder league at a new, nearby indoor facility Sunday night that I’m going to. I’ve played one game in my life, but this is for “beginners” rated 2.0 to 2.75 and I’m hoping to demolish opponents.

PS - yesterday (day 2 after the class) I could barely move due to soreness. #athlete

[MuggsyB]

Jack Sock is retiring from men's tennis to play Pickleball professionally.  I don't know if he's played much P-Ball but it will be interesting to see how he does on that circuit. 

[Jay Bee]

TSmith is a fan of the Jack Sock

My league starts in 75 minutes. Go time!!!

[Dr. Blackheart]

TSmith is a fan of the Jack Sock

My league starts in 75 minutes. Go time!!!

Wearing your sweater vest?

[Jay Bee]

Wearing your sweater vest?

I was Quetted up. Seemed like I was the only one sweating profusely. Played 17 games over the course of 2.5 hours. May not be able to move by the time tomorrow arrives.

[Jay Bee]

Let’s get some games going on Oahu aina??

[TSmith34, Inc.]

TSmith is a fan of the Jack Sock

My league starts in 75 minutes. Go time!!!

Good luck on your wiffle ball game!

[Jay Bee]

Good luck on your wiffle ball game!

Amazing how much I’d beat you down in most sports.

[TSmith34, Inc.]

After wiffleball, did you partake in some equally manly shuffleboard?

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

After wiffleball, did you partake in some equally manly shuffleboard?

The Wiffle Ball factory is literally 5 minutes from my house. 
Now back to pickelball......