Starting Pickleball in Retirement: Considerations from Personal Experience

In the United States, pickleball courts are springing up everywhere. I see them in public parks, private tennis clubs, and even superimposed on basketball courts. It shouldn't be hard to find a venue and, if you approach the "auditioning" of the sport sensibly, your trial - whether you stick with it or dump it - should not be costly.

(1) The game requires you to move your body. Even if you play poorly, pickleball will provide bursts of cardio, aerobics, and eye-hand coordination.

(2) It supplies cognitive stimulation. The most mentally challenging aspect is the crazier-than-chicken-droppings scoring system. However, remembering the names of your fellow players can also improve your memory skills.

(3) It is social. And the experts say that socialization is an important contributor to our keeping healthy and sharp.

Let's assume that you can get to an official court. It looks similar to a tennis court, but is not identical. The court is smaller overall and has a weird line marking a zone on either side of the net. You will help yourself tremendously by looking up "pickleball court" to learn the names of the zones.

The net. Some public courts provide the net, and for others you must bring your own. This is not a big deal because portable nets are for sale all over the universe for about $40 or $50. Make sure your purchase has a carrying bag. Practice setting it up and tearing it down. This works better with two people, rather than solo. Look up how to do it.

You need a paddle. Some call it a racquet. If you go out and spend $100 on one when you are just trying out pickleball, it IS a racket. Please, see if you can borrow one or rent one. If not, buy one that is not the cheapest item available, but not too highly priced. If you decide you like pickleball, then you can upgrade and lend your "starter" to a newbie.

Balls. They look like whiffle balls, but they come in colors and allege that they are for indoor or outdoor play. Hey, you are just tasting this sport. Buy about six balls that look similar to those of your fellow players and immediately use a marker to write your initials on each.

Sneakers or court shoes help keep you safe. This is the one item that needs to be very good. If your shoes allow you to slip and slide, nix them. If your shoes make you trip over your own feet, they are not what you want to wear. With careful research, you can find a shoe that will keep you upright.

Eye safety. I wear glasses. I have had a pickleball whack me in the glasses and it was dramatically unpleasant. You may want to consider safety googles which can be purchased online at very low, reasonable prices. I tried goggles over my regular glasses and that did not work at all for me. However, an instructor gave me a tip which helps a little. I wear a baseball cap with a bill any time I play.

Hydration. Bring along water or an electrolyte drink. You know why.

Borrowing from other sports, the score is recited in a different order for the side serving and the side receiving. In addition, you and your partner have player numbers which change during the game. When I was first playing, I went to a basketball court to practice my serving and pretend that various scenarios happened in order to practice scoring. One requirement I absolutely love is that the server must shout out the score before every single serve. Of course, getting this right is also a cognitive exercise! (Spoiler alert: the serving and scoring is nothing like tennis.)

Watch a video on scoring about ten times.

Hey, as in any sport, some things are allowed and others are not. I am hoping that you observe some live games and videos to get a sense of the basics. Also, I am hoping that your fellow players will guide you - which brings us to the last decision . . .

In my neck of the woods, there are many gyms and places with open pickleball hours. These venues quickly develop a reputation for the vibe. There are some parks I will never try because the players are known to be extremely skilled, competitive, and absolutely rude to beginning players. Other places have a few cliquey groups who only want to play each other, but there are many others who are welcoming. I was lucky enough to find my local YMCA has the most beautiful souls who encourage beginners and never feel burdened by someone trying to learn.

By the way, you are retired, right? And might have health insurance that includes subsidizing gym or health club membership? Check it out.

I encourage you to give pickleball a try. I don't know if you'll like it or not, and it won't affect me either way. I just want to make your trial of the sport successful (enough) and not at all a waste of your hard-earned money.