Pickleball
PADDLE UP FOR PICKLEBALL
Tired of tennis, bored of badminton and in a pickle as to what racquet sport to try next? Well, perhaps it’s time you picked pickleball. Yes, it is a real sport, in fact it is played with relish (sorry) by young and old and has become one of the fastest growing sports in the world. A gym in Dar es Salaam has wonderful brand-new courts, but you can set up your own game on the beach or on the street. Twiga has the lowdown on the pickleball phenomenon. What is pickleball?
Who can play pickleball?
Pickleball is a fun sport that draws on elements of tennis, ping pong and badminton. It is played with large wooden paddles that are used to hit a perforated plastic ball over a three-foot-high net on a court less than half the size of a tennis court. It can be played as singles and doubles and either inside or outside. The winner or winning team is the first to 11 points.
A major part of the appeal of pickleball is that it can be enjoyed by all ages and skill levels. With a small court there is not a great deal of ground to cover as a player and as volleys and smashes are prohibited in the area seven feet from either side of the net it is quite difficult for physically stronger players to impose themselves on the game and most points are won as a result of deft placement and touch.
32 / Twiga
A pickleball court with the no-volley zone or ‘kitchen’ closest to the net
What are the rules? Although pickleball is played on a court, the rules of the game more closely resemble table tennis or badminton than traditional tennis. The game begins with one side serving the pickleball. To properly serve the ball, the player must keep one foot behind the back line and strike the ball with an underhand swing, aiming at the service court located diagonally over the net, and clearing the no-volley zone. Service starts from the right-hand court. Only one fault is allowed. In the case of doubles, both players get to serve once, and then the serve is taken over by the opposing team.
