99 Pickleball facts that prove it's the greatest sport ever.

99 Pickleball facts that prove it's the greatest sport ever.

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Over the past few years, pickleball has been rapidly increasing in popularity at a national and international level. There are a myriad of ongoing projects regarding this young sport including the construction of new courts, the development of better and improved equipment, and more. Let's learn more about this fun and safe sport that's turning heads all over the world.

20 Fun Facts About Pickleball

  1. Pickleball players are better known as "picklers" among those who know the sport. (Sportsver)
  2. Pickleball is a game for people of all ages, but only 32% of picklers are under the age of 60. (Sundial Resort)
  3. By 2021, there are over 1900, registered pickleball ambassadors who teach and promote the sport all across the country. (USA Pickleball)
  4. Pickleball's rules apply equally to men and women but they don't play against each other. (Sportsver)
  5. 67% of pickleball players are male and the remaining 33% are women. (https://cdn.ymaws.com/)
  6. A lot of people start playing pickleball to meet people and make new friends.
  7. This game can be played indoors as well as outdoors. (Merchant of Tennis)
  8. The city of Naples, Fl. is the Pickle capital of the world. It hosts every year the US Pickleball Open Championships. (USA Pickleball)
  9. Pickleball balls are made out of plastic. (Merchant of Tennis)
  10. Pickleball is the racquet sport that has the lowest impact. (Amazin Aces)
  11. Unlike tennis, in pickleball, you can only serve using an underhand stroke. (Amazin Aces)
  12. The 7ft area of the court is better known as "the kitchen". It's the closest area to the net. (Dick's Pro Tips)
  13. Picklers aren't allowed to hit the ball in the air while standing in the kitchen. (Dick's Pro Tips)
  14. The most popular pickleball balls are: Penn 40, Onix Fuse, and Durafast 40. (Merchant of Tennis)
  15. There's a pickleball channel where people can get updates about the sport. (pickleballchannel.com)
  16. There are different types of pickleball paddles. They vary in shape, weight, core, surface, and grip size. (Merchant of Tennis)
  17. The USAPA (USA Pickleball Association) runs different programs to create a pickleball community. (USA Pickleball)
  18. There are singles and doubles tournaments. (Sportsver)
  19. The court's dimension is 20x44 ft. (https://cdn.ymaws.com/)
  20. The net's height is only 34 inches. (https://cdn.ymaws.com/)

 

20 Facts About the Origin of Pickleball

  1. In 1965, pickleball was invented by three fathers in Washington to entertain their children. (USA Pickleball)
  2. Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum invented the sport because they couldn't find any shuttlecocks to play badminton. (USA Pickleball)
  3. The equipment used to play pickleball comes from different items that were lying around the homes of the creators. The equipment evolves year after year. (Merchant of Tennis)
  4. The rules of tennis, ping pong, and badminton were used and adapted to define pickleball's rules. (Soleil Laurel Canyon)
  5. In 1967, the first official pickleball court was built in the USA and inspired the construction of other pickleball courts worldwide. (USA Pickleball)
  6. In 1976, the first pickleball competition took place in South Center Athletic Club in Washington. (USA Pickleball)
  7. Some say that the term "pickle boat" served as inspiration for the game's name. (Merchant of Tennis)
  8. Others say that Pickles, Joel Pritchard's cocker spaniel, was the one who inspired the game's name. But the dog appeared in the family picture two years after pickleball was invented. (Merchant of Tennis)
  9. It was the wife of Joel Pritchard who suggested the name after she was reminded of the Pickle Boat. (Merchant of Tennis)
  10. The first game was played with a whiffle ball. (Merchant of Tennis)
  11. To play, the fathers designed some sort of oversized tennis paddles. (Merchant of Tennis)
  12. In 2005, the USAPA (USA Pickleball Association) was established to promote the sport. (USA Pickleball)
  13. In 2015, the International Federation of Pickleball (IFP) was established. (Merchant of Tennis)
  14. The first US Open Pickleball Championship took place in 2015. (USA Pickleball)
  15. In 1978, the book "Other Racquet Sports" talked about pickleball for the first time. (USA Pickleball)
  16. In 2018. the first historical book about pickleball was published. It was written by former USAPA members: Jennifer Lucore and Beverly Youngren. (USA Pickleball)
  17. Barney McCallum passed away in 2019 at the age of 93. (USA Pickleball)
  18. In 2018, the PPR Professional Pickleball Registry was created. (https://cdn.ymaws.com/)
  19. In 2020. USAPA changed its name to USA Pickleball. (USA Pickleball)
  20. Nowadays there are numerous sports parks and clubs that let picklers play free of charge. (Sixty + Me)

20 Facts About Professional Pickleball

  1. To this day, the IFP is looking to get recognition from the Olympic Committee and make pickleball an Olympic sport. (Merchant of Tennis)
  2. The international pickleball tournaments receive countries like the USA, Canada, Great Britain, Spain, France, and India. The current member countries of the IFP. (Merchant of Tennis)
  3. California, Washington, and Oregon, are the states with more professional pickleball players. (Electrum Pickleball)
  4. There's a teaching association known as the IPTPA (International Pickleball Teaching Professional Association) for those looking to practice at an elite level. (USA Pickleball)
  5. Most professional picklers previously played golf, tennis, or another racquet sport. (https://cdn.ymaws.com/)
  6. A lot of retired or injured tennis players choose to switch sports and go professional on pickleball because it's a less demanding activity and because it's easier to play. (https://cdn.ymaws.com/)
  7. In pickleball, you can only attempt to score a point if you are on serve. (Merchant of Tennis)
  8. People who don't exercise a lot or have never practiced a sport professionally have the potential of becoming professional picklers. (https://cdn.ymaws.com/)
  9. This sport doesn't demand as much physical condition as others. (Sixty + Me)
  10. The USAPA provides and regulates official pickleball balls. (Merchant of Tennis)
  11. Official pickleball balls must have a minimum of 26 holes and a maximum of 40. (Merchant of Tennis)
  12. It allows professional players to be high-level athletes without risking their bodies. (Amazin Aces)
  13. The largest pickleball meet took place in 2018 in California. The national championships gathered over 2200 players. (USA Pickleball)
  14. The Margaritaville USA Pickleball National Championships live-streamed over 17 hours of pickleball matches. (USA Pickleball)
  15. Professional picklers usually wear t-shirts, polos, sweatpants, or shorts for their matches. (Dick's Pro Tips)
  16. Outdoor balls have the most amount of holes, but they're smaller. (Merchant of Tennis)
  17. Indoor balls, have fewer but larger holes. (Merchant of Tennis)
  18. Colored balls are allowed in different competitions. (Merchant of Tennis)
  19. There are venues that convert a badminton court into a pickleball court to host pickleball tournaments. (Merchant of Tennis)
  20. In 2017, the Pickleball Hall of Fame was established to recognize professional pickleball players. (USA Pickleball)

20 Weird Facts About Pickleball

  1. Despite the name, pickleball has nothing to do with pickles. (Sundial Resort)
  2. There is no official uniform or dress code to play or compete in this sport. (Sportsver)
  3. The USAPA created a feature known as "Places 2Play" where people can find a location to practice the sport. (places2play.org)
  4. The US Open Pickleball Championship receives over 10,000 spectators every year. (USA Pickleball)
  5. Playing pickleball has a myriad of health benefits for middle-aged and older people. It can help reduce the risk of a stroke or a heart attack. (Amazin Aces)
  6. Doctors recommend pickleball to those battling with Parkinson's disease. (Sixty + Me)
  7. Pickleball is also a great sport to exercise the mind. (Amazin Aces)
  8. When someone wins a pickleball game, picklers say they "pickled" the match. (News Beezer)
  9. Losers are better known as "pickled." (News Beezer)
  10. Pickleball is great to improve cognitive function. (Amazin Aces)
  11. Players say they feel a "pickleball high" (like a rush of dopamine) when they're competing. (Amazin Aces)
  12. Pickleball helps people develop hand/eye coordination. (Amazin Aces)
  13. The balls are different for indoor and outdoor games. (USA Pickleball)
  14. In 2017, the USAPA designed and published a manual for the construction and maintenance of pickleball courts. (https://cdn.ymaws.com/)
  15. It's a very popular sport among retirement communities. (Sixty + Me)
  16. The most popular word used to describe this sport is: FUN. (Amazin Aces)
  17. Pickleballs travel at 1/3 the speed of tennis balls due to the holes. (Sportsver)
  18. There are people that claim they're addicted to pickleball. (News Beezer)
  19. There are portable and temporary pickleball courts. (USA Pickleball)
  20. One of the most common doubts among those unrelated to the sport is if there are pickles involved in the game. (Sundial Resort)

19 Surprising Facts About Pickleball

  1. In 2019, there were 3.3 pickleball players registered in the USA. (https://cdn.ymaws.com/)
  2. Statistics show that pickleball is one of the fastest-growing sports in the USA. Some even considered this sport the fastest-growing one. (Sportsver)
  3. Different elementary, middle, and high schools all over the world teach pickleball to the students during their gym classes. (Sportsver)
  4. In 2019, there were almost 30,000 pickleball courts, including both indoor and outdoor facilities, in the USA. (https://cdn.ymaws.com/)
  5. The oldest registered pickleball player is 94 years old. While the youngest one is only 4 years old. (https://cdn.ymaws.com/)
  6. A 30-minute game can help a 150-pound person lose up to 250 calories. (Sixty + Me)
  7. Pickleball's rules were adapted to make it an inclusive sport. (Sportsver)
  8. Pickleball's rules allow standing players to play against wheelchaired picklers. (Soleil Laurel Canyon)
  9. There's been a 1000% increase in the number of USAPA members since 2013. (https://cdn.ymaws.com/)
  10. Pickleball is known to have helped people battling depression and low self-esteem. (Amazin Aces)
  11. Pickleball is one of the cheapest racquet sports. (Sportsver)
  12. You can find pickleball paddles for $50 bucks. (Sixty + Me)
  13. When playing pickleball you can burn almost 50 percent more calories than you do when walking. (Sixty + Me)
  14. The "kitchen rule" is known to be the hardest rule to follow. (Merchant of Tennis)
  15. A year-long membership to the USAPA costs as little as 20 bucks. (https://cdn.ymaws.com/)
  16. In 2016, St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital became a national charitable partner for the USAPA. (USA Pickleball)
  17. When people play pickleball, they release endorphins in a social environment. (Sixty + Me)
  18. Pickleball allows people to have a higher level of muscle activity. (Sixty + Me)
  19. There are over 8,000 locations (both public and private) where people can play pickleball. (USA Pickleball)

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