Pickleball is for everyone

By Ian Brizdle | Oct. 17, 2022

As a tennis player, my attitude when I would hear about pickleball was “pickleball is stupid” and “lazy tennis” since it requires less athleticism and physical exertion. That is, until I recently tried it a few times and discovered pickleball is kind of like ping pong and really fun. As I tried it again and again, I realized pickleball is much more accessible than tennis and has a social element that everyone can enjoy.

As I transitioned to the current hybrid schedule like many office workers, I was looking for ways to stay active and relieve stress. Also, I recently retired from my coed softball league and was searching for another fun activity besides golf that my wife and I could do together on the weekends. I find exercise is a great way to relieve stress and anxiety, but I like to keep things interesting.

I had been trying to teach my wife Vanessa (or “V” as everyone calls her) to play tennis but it wasn’t very fun for her because of our skill level difference. I get it. I have a friend who is an expert-level tennis player and getting completely dominated by someone isn’t a good time. Since one of our condo’s tennis courts also has pickleball lines drawn, we can hear the “konk” “konk” “konk” noise of people playing pickleball all the time and soon V began nagging me to buy some pickleball paddles.

Though I initially protested (see “pickleball is stupid”), I eventually caved in and went on amazon to purchase a pickleball starter kit. For around $50, it comes with two paddles and a few outdoor balls which are heavier so they can’t blow around in the wind as much.

The next step was to watch a few YouTube videos to learn the rules and strategy. The rules can be intimidating at first, but there are many short tutorial videos that can get you up to speed. I found watching the videos much more helpful than just reading articles.

Once we started playing against each other, we had loads of fun. The whiffle-like ball and small court leveled the playing field so that an experienced player couldn’t overpower a novice or less athletic player. Then we invited another couple to play doubles and had a blast!

Recently, we hosted a pickleball party for my wife’s birthday with about 20 people. We even set up a scoreboard with teams and brackets drawn up, and it became a super fun pickleball tournament! Side note, my team won.

Today, around local parks where pickleball courts are set up, you’ll see couples playing pickleball while bystanders watch and laugh on the sidelines. Or maybe they’re just relaxing and waiting their turn to play. I find pickleball easily accessible because a tennis net is a good substitute for an official pickleball net, and everyone can compete at a similar level. It’s also great for relieving stress in a fun social setting.

So don’t disparage pickleball before you give it a try. You just might find yourself having more fun than you thought, and your face and abs may get the Best. Workout. Ever … from laughing so much!

Ian Brizdle is a manager of web and digital communications at Hawaiian Electric Company.