Pickleball art is a trend that is growing as fast as the sport itself.
Whether we choose to play for a love of the game or are completely comfortable as a spectator, there is no doubt that sports have a way of capturing our hearts. Often, that joy winds up hung on the wall in the form of art.
From Henri Rousseau’s “The Football Players” to Umberto Boccioni’s “Dynamism of a Cyclist,” the history of art is filled with tributes to our favorite sports. Rousseau’s painting captures the motion and energy of a game, while Boccioni’s futuristic work emphasizes the speed and power of a cyclist in motion.
These are just two examples of how sports can be interpreted through art. And pickleball is no different. Whether it’s a photograph, painting, or sculpture, art can help us appreciate the beauty of pickleball – even if we’ve never played the game before.
Pickleball is more than a recreational sport to me. I aspire to make it part of my profession; how I make money.
And I am a realist.
I am not going to be a professional pickleball player. I’m not going to make money from playing in tournaments. And, as of today, I don’t have the money to open up my dream pickleball hall that serves up draft beers, dim sum, live music, and features state-of-the-art courts.
Hey, a guy can dream.
However, there has to be a way to tap into my entrepreneurial spirit and connect pickleball to my career. The seeds are this very blog that you are reading. Pickleball Rookie is my attempt to take what I know–creating content that people and search engines enjoy–and leverage the site to build relationships and uncover opportunities that help spread love for the sport. Filling my heart with joy would be nice, too.
As I approach the six-month anniversary of playing pickleball for the first time, it is time to set several goals for the remainder of the year. So here they are, laid out in public glory for all to see. That’s my brand of accountability!
Engage Pickleball Camps are the go-to for players looking for an intense crash course on pickleball strategy; I knew I had to take a class when the roadshow hit New York.
I booked the class back in March after I played pickleball for the first time, so to say I was excited is an understatement. Like a good student, I packed my hydration and snacks and took the 25-minute drive to Merrick, blasting some awesome 90s alternative rock along the way.
The most popular question asked on the recreational pickleball court is simple: “What’s the score again?”
Learning how to score in pickleball is one hurdle that players must clear. However, learning how to track and keep score as a match unfolds is an even bigger challenge for some. I understand the plight. I will often tell my partners to trust me to have their back, but do not trust me to know the score.
I know I am not alone because both opponents and partners often ask me the score. There appears to be a segment of players that are obsessive about knowing the score for every point.
First and foremost, Happy National Pickleball Day! On August 8, the annual day honors the funky sport that dates back to 1965 in Bainbridge Islands, Washington. Interestingly enough, the sport saw more Google searches than ever before on this day. But, the top states are pretty surprising:
-Missouri -Maryland -Illinois -New York -California
Pickleball glasses can be the difference between a good time and a trip to the ER.
It seems a day doesn’t go by where I don’t see a Facebook or blog post surrounding eye damage caused by pickleball. While it appears the odds of an eye injury while playing pickleball is relatively low, you still might want to consider wearing ocular protection when playing.
The number of people who suffer eye injuries from recreational sports each year is quite staggering, with more than 600,000 cases, including many who go blind. You never think it will be you, but with racquet/paddle sports the fourth largest offender–and with up to 90% of eye injuries avoided by using protective glasses with polycarbonate lenses–why not put safety on your side?
Pickleball doubles scoring uses three numbers: [Serving Team Score] – [Receiving Team Score] – [Server Number 1 or 2]. You only score points when your team is serving. The game always starts at “0-0-2” because the starting team only gets one server before a side-out.
The very first time I picked up a pickleball paddle and drove down to my local tennis center to take a group lesson, the instructors warned, “you will all leave knowing how to play the game, but learning to keep score will take you months.”
Perhaps a bit of an overstatement, but I did wonder at the time if the scoring system was devised to filter out a segment of people unwilling to learn something new.
I recently chatted with a neighbor looking to add a makeshift pickleball court to his property on a limited budget. With minimal asphalt to work with, he asked me, “can you play pickleball on grass?”
My answer was abrupt, “hell no!”
But after taking a beat, I started to wonder…if the grass is short enough and the pickleball ball was swapped out for something with a bit more bounce, could it work?
If you are wondering how many calories burned playing pickleball, you are not alone! As the paddle-based sport continues to grow rapidly, many folks are left wondering if they are sacrificing a workout for a good time.
With so many factors dictating calorie burn, it’s impossible to answer the query in a specific way. However, there are a few generalizations regarding pickleball and calorie burn.
Welcome to our weekly wrap-up of pickleball happenings around the globe.
Pickleball Gets Preppy
As the sport of pickleball continues its mainstream ascent, more retailers are jumping into the game. This past week J. Crew got in on the action by launching a collab with Recess, a pickleball paddle, and an accessory brand. At the time of this writing, many of the stylish paddles are sold out. Coming soon: Pickleball balls by Vineyard Vines? An indoor pickleball court while you wait at the DMV? (Hmmmm…I actually like the idea of the latter!)
Up Next: Selkirk Labs 003
Labeled as “the Ultimate Paddle for Power, Control, and Spin,” Selkirik is positioning its Labs 003 project as the dream paddle. Has the leading paddle manufacturer created a unicorn paddle? Only time will tell, but with the thickest core available (20mm) and promising more power/control than any previous Selkirk paddle, we’re excited to get our hands on one for a test drive. Expect to pay north of $300 when the paddle is released. But can you put a price on perfection?
Find of the Week
The find of the week goes to these yellow plastic paddles. I’ve seen some pretty cheap pickleball equipment with these might take the cake. While I am pleased to see equipment available at all price points, and recognize that everyone needs to start somewhere, I have no doubt that you would be better off with a $12 wood paddle. But hey, whatever gets the kids playing!
My Pickleball Journey
While only able to play once this week, I had a strong showing, winning most of my games–but more importantly, really enjoying myself. My goal was to play the game the “right” way, relying on deep shots, dinks and speed changes. Many of my shots were praised by other players. I walked away feeling validated that my game is improving, making me feel warm and fuzzy.
