Pickleball, the fastest growing sport in America (as per a report in 2022 by The Sports & Fitness Association), has peaked my interest in it. As an avid tennis player, one challenge I often face is finding someone to play with. Tennis is a sport where it is more enjoyable when 2 people of the same skill level play together. Because of that, I don't play tennis as often now. So, pickleball captured my attention and I immediately ordered my first pair of rackets from Shopee.
Over the weekend, I pulled my boyfriend along to play with me. As there are no pickleball courts around our neighborhood, we played at a random badminton court. Well, the size of both courts are similar and we just wanted to play for fun and try out this new sport. It turns out great! We enjoyed ourselves. It is chill, yet we perspired a lot after a 30 minutes session of hitting.
So, after trying Pickleball, why do I like it?
Low barrier to entry
Unlike other sport like tennis, pickleball is easy to learn. The plastic wiffle-like ball is less bouncy and does not fly very far through the air. For the racket, it is smaller and lighter. Therefore, it is much easier to control it. On top of that, the smaller court area means you don't have to run as much. It is less taxing on the body, as compared to tennis.
It's a good workout
Even though the court size is small and you don't have to cover much ground, it is still a good workout for everyone. Research shows that as compared to walking for half an hour, those who played pickleball for an hour had 14% higher heart rates and burnt 36% more calories. I would consider this sport as a moderate-intensity activity. Therefore, I think this sport is very suitable for individuals of all ages.
Leads to better hand-eye coordination
Similar to tennis, playing pickleball is great for your hand-eye coordination and neuromuscular coordination. In physical activities like walking and cycling, you are only moving forward. But, in pickleball, you are required to move through different planes of motion, thereby working on your agility and cognitive health.
All in all, I recommend everyone to give this sport a try! A beginner pickleball racket is not expensive as well. You can easily get it for a cheap price from Shopee. If you got no access to badminton or pickleball courts, you can easily make your own court in an open area using chalk to demarcate the playing area.
Trust me, you'll love it!