“This country is aging and this game gives elderly people a decent activity to do that’s also social and not physically taxing. I think it’s here to stay.”
That’s what I figured. It’s apparently for people — not necessarily only the elderly — who aren’t physically up to playing tennis (even doubles?) and actually moving their feet very much.
Even among punkies who think they are athletes (only in their imaginations) the new fad seems to be walking rather than jogging; I know several who brag about how many steps they walk in a day when they aren’t busy couch potato-ing.
If you’re 70, that’s an accomplishment; if you’re 30, that’s an embarrassment.
[Pickleball] is not necessarily [for] only the elderly.
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This is so true, PermaRag. The sport is unique for attracting players of all ages. At 71, I’m a big fan of the sport and play PB a couple days a week here north of Tokyo. I’m slim and still have the quick reaction skills I learned playing racketball which (sadly) I haven’t played in 35 years.
In the near term, PB will probably NOT be an Olympic sport because it doesn’t have a strong international following. It’s an American game by and large. I’ve seen estimates from other sources that say about 6 million Americans play the game regularly.
There are only 3,000 (est.) players in Japan. But once you get hooked, it’s both great competitive play and a great social outlet. Plenty of young people are picking up the sport, too.
Probably 50% of the people I play with are middle aged - 50 to 65. Another 10% are seniors.
One of the advantages of PB is that 95% of the time it’s played as a doubles game. I asked a 50 year old tennis player why she’s now playing pickleball and she said, “Because I don’t want to run anymore”.
But it’s not always an either-or thing. We play with one of the top women tennis players in Japan, and she continues to play both sports every week.
Locally I play at two locations. First, as a group of 20+ players, we rent an indoor gym once a week, put up the nets and use the same boundary lines on the floor that badminton uses. We pay about $2.00 per person.
The second place we play at for free and is a two-court facility built by a wealthy racket-game enthusiast. It’s outdoors with a small clubhouse and restroom. A tarpaulin above blocks the hot sun, rain, and wind. And the court surface is an advanced material that’s firm but much softer than pavement, so it’s much less prone to injuries. Another advantage is the court is located along a highway so there are no complaints about the the noise of the balls being hit.
The popularity of PB in America speak for itself. If you are looking for a fun and healthy activity, give it a try. It’s an easy sport to try out and see if it fits.
But like Free Republic, be careful because you might find Pickleball an addictive habit.