Have you heard of Pickleball? If not, you may want to start investigating. For the past 3 years Pickleball has been the fastest growing sport in the United States according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association. Many schools and recreation centers are adding indoor and outdoor courts. It’s developed to the point where Draper has now added Pickleball equipment to our gym offerings!
But more on that in a moment. Let’s talk about Pickleball.
Imagine playing ping-pong on a badminton court, but with a short net, short-handled paddles, and a plastic ball. Oh, and the ball has holes in it. That is, more or less, a basic description of Pickleball.
The story of its invention dates back to 1965, some whining kids complaining they had nothing to do, and a challenge to create a new game on the spot. What resulted made use of a leftover badminton net, table tennis paddles with holes drilled in them, and a wiffle ball. It’s a fun and intriguing story, and if you want to learn more, try this article.
Over the years, the sport grew and adapted, the court size (44 feet long and 20 feet wide – the same as badminton) remained, but the rules and other equipment were modified.
The website paddletek.com lists 8 basics for Pickleball beginners to learn:
- You can play singles or doubles.
- Only the server can score a point.
- The opening server is chosen at random, usually by coin toss.
- The ball must bounce once on each side of the net to count.
- Only underhanded serving is allowed.
- Serve from behind the baseline.
- The ball must stay in bounds.
- Each game is played to 11 points, but you must win by 2.
That’s just enough information to get you started. Pickleball is a fun and social sport, especially when playing doubles, as is evidenced by the explosive growth in the game.
Draper makes it easier than ever for schools and community recreation centers to add Pickleball courts. Our Pickleball sleeve-type standards are high strength steel mechanical tubing finished with a durable gloss black powder coat. The net is made of #36 nylon 1-3/4” mesh. It has a double reinforced white vinyl coated nylon headband with an enclosed top cable. The bottom and sides include nylon reinforced bindings. We also provide floor sleeves, so the Pickleball standards can be removed to allow other sports.
If your local school or recreation center hasn’t added Pickleball yet, tell them about it! And tell them Draper has high-quality equipment made right here in our Spiceland, Indiana, manufacturing facility!
To learn more about Draper Pickleball equipment, click here. To reach out to a gym equipment dealer in your area, click here.
