What you need to know about pickleball – one of the UK's fastest-growing sports

Do the phrases nasty Nelson, dink shot and flat face mean anything to you?

While they might sound like the latest playground insults, they’re actually all bits of lingo relating to pickleball – one of the fastest growing sports in the UK.

The Clooneys, Brené Brown, Leonardo DiCaprio and The Kardashians are all fans, but the sport was originally invented in the mid-1960s as a back garden family game.

Combining various elements of badminton, table tennis and tennis, it can be played in singles or doubles, indoors or outdoors.

Although the sport has its idiosyncrasies, the aim of the game is essentially a familiar one – to hit a perforated ball over a net with a paddle, and to prevent the opposing side from returning it.

There are now 37 countries in the International Pickleball Federation, and while pickleball is already huge in the US, it’s really picking up traction over here.

David Lloyd are rolling it out to 16 clubs this year, while Pickleball England plan to have 25,000 members by 2025 and are working with schools to introduce the game to kids.

So just what exactly is the appeal? Karen Mitchell, who first picked up a pickleball in her village hall back in 2015 and is now a National Director for Pickleball England, thinks the secret lies in its accessibility – and in the fact that the emphasis of the sport is firmly on enjoyment.

‘It was easy to learn and fun to play,’ she says. ‘As an overweight 60-something year old, I am fit enough to play pickleball all day long. It doesn’t feel like exercise, but it is.’

Fans adore pickleball because it isn’t overly demanding, yet it nevertheless works your heart, improves your flexibility (all that reaching for the ball) and helps build overall muscle tone.

Mitchell loves pickleball so much that she and her husband built a court in their garden over lockdown. She believes that the game is also fantastic mental stimulation, with important social benefits too.

‘I have to keep track of the score, remember who just served and much more,’ she explains.

‘Being social with other players is also so good for my mental wellbeing.’

What’s more, when played outdoors, it’s easy to play pickleball at a safe social distance on a makeshift court – which may well have contributed to the game’s rising popularity during the last few tumultuous years.

‘It’s relatively easy to improvise the game on an asphalt or concrete surface,’ says Mitchell, ‘but unfortunately, not on grass.’

While 75% of Pickleball England’s members are currently in the over 50 age bracket, the game is gentle enough to appeal to everyone, right through from kids to octogenarians.

Mitchell envisages that the game will become more and more popular with younger generations as it starts to pick up in schools, clubs and universities.

‘There is currently a big demand for leagues, festivals and tournaments,’ she says. ‘Last year, even though the lockdowns meant we couldn’t do anything until the end of June, we still processed over 1600 registrations for events across the country.’

If you’re still unsure if pickleball is for you, there’s only one way to find out – pick up a paddle and have a go!

The Pickleball England website and Pickleball Portal are a couple of good resources for finding a game. After all, if it’s good enough for Amal and George…

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