[ninjatalli]

Any pickleball fans out here? Putting out a thread to discuss on this highly interesting sport that is easy to grasp and fast picking up across the world. For those who aren't aware of what I'm talking about; here's a Wiki extract

Pickleball is a racket or paddle sport in which two players (singles) or four players (doubles) use a smooth-faced paddle to hit a perforated, hollow plastic ball over a 34-inch-high (0.86 m) net until one side is unable to return the ball or commits a rule infraction. Pickleball is played indoors and outdoors.

Image source: link


For a game that's a cross between tennis and badminton; it's extremely easy to learn, very easy to play (unless you bring in the competitiveness); requires (relatively) lesser effort than most team sports. And it's picking up extremely fast, sometimes at the risk of tennis; given that the infrastructure available for tennis can be easily repurposed for pickleball. So much is the risk, that here's what Djokovic had to say in a recent interview


"Djokovic told reporters that “tennis is endangered” after his Centre Court win at Wimbledon 2024. "If we don't do something about it, globally or collectively, paddle — pickleball in the States — they're gonna convert all the tennis clubs into paddle and pickleball,” the athlete told reporters after his match, according to X account @TheTennisLetter."


------------------------


My questions to those already aware and playing this sport
- what paddles do you use?
- Where do you play? On your local tennis courts or specific pickleball based courts?

Look forward to a healthy discussion from bhpians on this game.

[digitalnirvana]

Hi ninja really well timed thread! I'm very interested in pickleball primarily because its less exhausting than tennis.

Leaving you with this. "Prime your face. Let's go." is now a favorite catchphrase!

https://youtube.com/watch?v=KuY9EPy7...h2ld_IvdVNep9W

[isldhn]

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

Any pickleball fans out here? Putting out a thread to discuss on this highly interesting sport that is easy to grasp and fast picking up across the world. For those who aren't aware of what I'm talking about; here's a Wiki extract

This is so appropriate. I searched for Pickleball on TBHP some time ago and could not find a thread. I search again today and Voila!
I also wanted to understand if members here have tried their hands on this new sport. Also wanted to understand the economic viability of opening a 4 or 6 court pickle ball centre.

[mythshere]

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

My questions to those already aware and playing this sport
- what paddles do you use?
- Where do you play? On your local tennis courts or specific pickleball based courts?

Talli, I have picked up the sport since the last two months. I have been playing in Bandra, Powai and Goregaon West (indoor courts) because of the rains. You can book courts through Huddle or Khelonow. I've been playing with rental paddles for now but want to buy them and was looking for a recommendation.

Let me know if you'd like to join. Since the sport is nascent, racket brands are generally not very known but good brands such as Head also make them. I saw one pair for around 5.4k. (I am your college mate, let me see if you are able to recognise me)

[Ripcord09]

A whopping 275%! That’s how much India’s active pickleball player count has shot up in the past three years. If you put a number to it, that’s around 60,000 players by the end of 2024. And if you count the casual ones who’ve picked up a paddle (pickleball racquet) at least once, that number easily crosses 1 lakh.

Maybe you’ve heard Nikhil Kamath mention it often on his podcast. Or you might have seen celebrity-backed teams battling it out in India’s first and only franchise-based Pickleball League (WPBL) on Sony Sports Network. So you know that it’s a paddle sport played on an open badminton-sized court, a cusp between tennis, table tennis and badminton. And the fact that you already know this is proof that the pickleball buzz is real.

Startups and venture capitalists (VCs) are betting big on it, convinced that pickleball could be India’s next sporting revolution, just like IPL (Indian Premier League) was for cricket.

The real boost for pickleball came during the pandemic. Public gyms were out of the question and contact sports weren’t an option. People needed an easy way to stay active. That’s when pickleball took off. Unlike badminton, tennis or squash, which required some kind of training, pickleball was simple to pick up. The rules were basic and anyone from a Gen Alpha kid to a baby boomer retiree could play it.

Fast forward to 2022, and India hosted the Bainbridge Cup (named after pickleball’s birthplace), the first international pickleball event in the country. The prize was a staggering $50,000, which was a hefty sum for a non-professional court game!

Its appeal and simplicity wasn’t just about people being able to pick up paddles but also about how easy it was for businesses to jump in. Setting up a pickleball court requires just a fraction of the investment needed for other sports like badminton. A pickleball court can be up and running in about ₹3-5 lakhs—less than 30% of the ₹15 lakhs it takes to set up a badminton court.

According to The CapTable, India had approximately 200 operational pickleball courts in early 2024. Today, that number has surged past 1,200, with 3-4 new courts popping up every week in cities like Mumbai, Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Surat. And with the number of active players projected to hit 1 million by 2028 (up by a staggering 1,500%), demand for courts will only skyrocket to 2,500 courts by then.

If India follows the US model, the scope is even bigger. In the US, where pickleball is the fastest-growing sport, it’s not just about selling paddles online or booking courts, there are full-fledged restaurants and cafés built around the game, turning it into a social experience. Tech companies are even stepping in, creating apps that help players find courts, book lessons and organise leagues. And India isn’t far behind.

And at this point, you might be thinking, ‘This sounds like the perfect startup opportunity!’ But… hold that thought because while the opportunity is exciting, there are a couple of roadblocks to consider.

The sport is already thriving in urban cities, and expanding from here won’t be a walk in the park. Take Mumbai, for example. Space is a luxury here, and setting up new courts can be a logistical and financial nightmare. This means that businesses which already own a tennis court or a gym might have the upper hand.

There’s a chance that the sport gets premiumised—kind of like golf or tennis. Some groups, especially the elite, might want to keep it exclusive rather than let it go fully mainstream. And if that happens, pickleball could shift from being an accessible, community-driven sport to a high-end experience only a select few can afford.

So yeah, the pickleball opportunity is huge. But if it ends up benefitting only a select group, be it businesses, investors or the elite, its growth could become skewed. And that kind of goes against the very idea of making pickleball a game for everyone, doesn’t it?

Will pickleball remain a widely accessible sport, or is it on track to become an elite pastime? What do you think? Share your thoughts.

Source

Image 1, Image 3, Image 5, Image 6

[shankar.balan]

There is a rash of pickleball courts in Bangalore nowadays. I think it is a nice racquet sport which helps one to move about and be active at a faster pace than for example, a walk or a round of golf. Its not as hectic or skill-demanding as Tennis or Badminton are and it brings in the relative informality of casual Table Tennis. So it will likely appeal to all of us ‘normal’ folks.

Vive le ‘Pickleball’ I say!