Trend sport from the USA: Why more and more people are playing pickleball

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In the USA is Pickleball the fastest growing sport. Also in Deutschland More and more people are turning to the racket and the holey plastic ball: when Pickleball plays old against young, the entry barrier is low. We explain how the new one Trend sport works, what it needs and also with what problems Pickleball is already struggling.

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Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi have already discovered it for themselves, They even have a highly prized show match against John McEnroe and Maria Sharapova. Also Eugenie Bouchard likes to pick up the racket: we’re not talking about tennis, but about pickeball.

The trend sport from the USA is becoming more and more popular here too. Pickleball is for children and adults alike Sport and fun – and is being offered in more and more places and in more and more clubs. In the USA it is actually the fastest growing sport. We explain how Pickleball works and where it comes from.

The Rules: How does pickleball work?

Pickleball combines tennis, badminton and Table tennis: Games can be played one against one (singles) or two against two (doubles). The playing field is 13.41 meters long and 6.1 meters wide, smaller than a tennis court. The net in the middle is stretched at a height of 90 centimeters.

The rules are simple: The goal is that the opposing player cannot successfully return the ball. Then the other player gets a point. A game ends as soon as one of the two players has reached eleven points – with a difference of two points.

The ball must touch the ground once during the serve and the second shot before it is played to the opposing side – for all subsequent shots it may be played back directly, i.e. volley. In doubles, the serve is from the right side of the court behind the baseline.

What equipment do I need?

The racket, called a paddle, is now also in style Deutschland Available in many sporting goods stores. It has rounded corners and is often made of glass and carbon fibers or wood plastic. Ideally it weighs 200 to 220 grams.

The special thing about the ball is that it has many holes in the surface: The ball is made of plastichas a diameter of 74 millimeters, is hollow on the inside and therefore very light.

Tennis shoes and all other sports shoes with non-slip soles are suitable for pickleball training. Pickleball Can be played on grass, asphalt or indoors on a synthetic floor.

The Origin: Where does pickleball come from?

Pickleball is in 1965 USA in the state Washington came about when three fathers were looking for something to do for their children on vacation. The umbrella organization, the USA Pickleball Association (USAPA) was founded about 20 years later. Since then he has experienced Sport steady growth, just a few years later it had Sport distributed throughout the country.

Today is Pickleball according to the organization “USA Pickleball” the fastest growing sport in the United States. According to the “Sports and Fitness Industry Association”, there will be 8.9 million people in 2022 and 13.6 million people in 2023. There are several different championships, events are held at, among others ESPN and broadcast to the Tennis Channel.

How is pickleball developing in Germany?

The first club was founded in 2013 Deutschlandthe Pickleball organized. There are now German championships Pickleball and a national team. Today, the German Pickleball Association has 73 clubs across Germany sport (as of July 2024), around 3,500 members are organized through it. The association has existed since 2023.

In addition, there are some independent groups that are not organized in an association. According to the German Pickleball Association Sport usually carried out in the hall – this requires a lot of space, which is often not available. In the USA is the problem due to the boom of the sport More serious: In some places, tennis and pickleball players compete for the courts. In Deutschland stuck Pickleball but still in its early stages.

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