The U.S. Open tennis tournament may not be happening for another few months but many casual and frequent tennis players alike are turning in their rackets for paddles in order to play a sport of smaller proportions: pickleball. According to the USA Pickleball Association (USAP), this low-stakes game is one of the fastest-growing sports in the country, with a reported 4.8 million new players since 2021.
Pickleball has caught on for a number of reasons, but mostly for the fact that it’s a fun way to exercise and easier to play than tennis because it requires less court space. There’s even evidence to indicate that playing pickleball can increase muscle strength and hand-eye coordination.
If you want to try it out for yourself, it’s fairly inexpensive to do so. Gameplay only requires a paddle and a ball, and you can make a court just about anywhere (including on a public tennis court). Before you pick up the paddle, download the official rulebook from the USAP site and take a look at some of the pickleball gear and accessories that you might need once you hit the court.
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