Toggle Background Video Playback Ask the Expert What’s Up with Pickleball? Stories You May Like After a Century on Hoy Field, Baseball Slides into a New Home From Greek Peak’s Slopes to Helen Newman’s Lanes: Phys Ed Memories Clueless About Watching Football? Pro Alum Will Help You Fake it With the sport’s popularity continuing to skyrocket, we asked a grad alum who’s a pro teacher and court owner for some basics By Beth Saulnier Like many such facilities of its age and size, the Shops at Ithaca Mall has numerous vacancies, giving it a hollowed-out feel. One notable bright spot: Pickleball Mania, a multi-court operation (housed in a former Planet Fitness) that’s owned and operated by Lesa Carter, MPS ’94, PhD ’01. A devotee to the sport who goes by the nickname “Petunia Pickle,” Carter is certified as a level-two instructor by the International Pickleball Teaching Professional Association. Cornellians asked Carter—who holds a master’s in Africana studies and a doctorate in education, curriculum, and instruction—to share her take on Pickleball 101. The sport, she notes, has seen huge gains in popularity in recent decades; it now has its own governing body and there’s talk of future inclusion in the Olympics. Could you characterize pickleball in relation to other racquet sports? It has aspects of tennis, ping-pong, and badminton; in fact, the courts have the same dimensions as badminton. It’s played with a paddle—like a ping-pong paddle on steroids—and a plastic ball that’s similar to a wiffle ball, but a little harder. Since many people are familiar with tennis, could you name some contrasts between the two? In pickleball, you serve underhand, and when you make contact with the ball, the head of your paddle has to be at or below your waist and going in an upward motion. A pickleball court is about a third the size of a tennis court. Technically, you could put four pickleball courts on a tennis court—but that’s not advisable, because it’s too close for safety. Carter takes a shot. Why do you think the sport has gotten so popular in recent years? It’s fun and accessible. It’s not specific to age or gender; moms and sons play together, grandparents play with their grandkids. That’s not something you can do in every sport. It’s easy to learn—but it’s hard to master. Pickleball has been notably popular in retirement communities. Is it still predominantly played by older adults? Definitely not. In fact, there are many players in the range of teenagers to mid-60s. There are now professional players, and it is highly competitive. Many former tennis pros are playing, because the backhand and forehand strokes are the same. Venus and Serena Williams love pickleball. LeBron James owns a pro team. It has aspects of tennis, ping-pong, and badminton. It’s played with a paddle—like a ping-pong paddle on steroids. Is it also getting popular in other countries? Absolutely—in Africa, Brazil, and India, among other places. If someone wants to get started, should they just go buy a paddle and balls? I would not suggest that, because $50 or $60 for a very basic paddle is not necessarily the best thing to do. You should borrow a paddle, and get used to it before you start putting money into the sport. It’s not that a cheap paddle is necessarily bad, but it may not get you what you want. You need to get a feel for a paddle and what it can do for you. Do you like power paddles? Control paddles? Do you like composite? Or wood? Much like gear in any other sport, there are pickleball paddles that cost over $300. Stories You May Like After a Century on Hoy Field, Baseball Slides into a New Home From Greek Peak’s Slopes to Helen Newman’s Lanes: Phys Ed Memories What about footwear? I see players wearing running sneakers, but they don’t have lateral stability. I’ve had a number of people tear tendons in their ankles. Court sneakers—like for volleyball or basketball—have lateral stability. Are lessons essential? It’s okay to go out and just start playing and have fun. But if you’re going to continue, get some lessons to learn how to play safely. For example, you always want to leave yourself open to the ball. [She demonstrates reversing while facing the net at an angle.] You shouldn’t just run backwards; I’ve seen people fall and need stitches or injure their wrists. If you’re going to continue, get some lessons to learn how to play safely. What are some common ways that injuries occur? Some people just go out and play without stretching, and that’s not good; pickleball is a sport like any other, so you need to stretch. In addition to falls, I see a lot of back and shoulder injuries, which come from people hitting the ball really hard—just killing it. People can get detached retinas from being hit in the eye, so you may want to consider wearing eye protection. Is it true that pickleball noise—with its particular audio frequency and unpredictable rhythm—can be irksome, especially to people living near outdoor courts? Yes, pickleball can get loud, and I fully understand it can be annoying. In some places, it’s gotten so bad that there have been legal issues, and noise ordinances have been passed. Indoor courts like mine are in a good position, because nobody cares about the noise. Also, new kinds of paddles and balls are being engineered to be sound-dampening. On the courts at Ithaca's Pickleball Mania. Other than the noise issue, is there a big difference playing outdoors? Yes—the wind factor. It’s like having a whole other person that you have to play against. Is pickleball a mental game, as well as physical? Definitely. I don’t play chess, but people tell me it’s like that—the strategy of figuring out where you want the ball to go. I’m not going to just hit the ball to you; I’m going to try to get you to move and go out of position, and hit the ball so my partner can win the point. I don’t play chess, but people tell me it’s like that—the strategy of figuring out where you want the ball to go. Do you think the sport has benefits beyond a good workout? Pickleball is an avenue to meet new people and socialize. We opened Pickleball Mania during the heart of the pandemic. People were so tired of the isolation, and they gravitated to one another. Even though we were wearing masks, it was so good to see each other. Top: Illustration by Caitlin Cook / Cornell University. Carter portrait by Noël Heaney / Cornell University. All other photos and video by Sreang Hok / Cornell University. Published July 11, 2024 Comments Tim Harrod, Class of 1984 16 Jul, 2024 Pickleball is a really inclusive sport. I play with ages from young teens to eighties. While the size of the size of the court promotes more social interaction than tennis doubles, I sweat just as much. It’s not as much a power game as you might see in some videos. The game requires skillful shot placement, patience, strategy, and partner communication. Contact me If you’re in the NYC Metro?/NJ area and interested in a creating a player chat group to coordinate games/events. Tim Harrod ’84 Reply Amy Gillett (JGSM MBA, 1999), Class of 1999 23 Jul, 2024 Excellent to read about Pickleball Mania and get some tips from owner Lesa Carter. I started playing tennis again a few years ago and have recently become interested in pickleball, too. All that time on the courts has led me to a new business, CourtMerch, with a fellow tennis player outfitting tennis and pickleball players and teams with fun court apparel. You can read about it here: https://www.clickondetroit.com/all-about-ann-arbor/2024/06/11/ann-arbor-sports-brand-scoring-points-on-tree-town-tennis-courts/ Reply JOEL I KURTZBERG, Class of 1968 23 Jul, 2024 I played tennis for 40 years and, after 5 months of rehab for a stubborn hamstring pull, I thought I would try pickleball before I went back to tennis because it was not as much running. I never went back to tennis… Pickleball is so much more fun and more social (I’ve met so many people I can’t remember all their names). I play in NYC (spring/summer) and Hollywood, FL (Fall/winter) on free public courts where it is “open play”. You come any time, place your paddle on a stack with 3 other paddles at your playing level and wait your turn. No need to arrange a game or join a club unless you want to. I am addicted and play 5 days a week, sometimes 4-5 hours a day (with a rest in between games)… and I’m 78! 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