Zack Zhang

Zack trying pickleball for the first time with Sunny.

The crisp clack of the ball against the racket rang out across the courts on a recent day as people of all ages crowded around the small pickleball courts located at West Valley College. A speaker played out upbeat music and families sat in the fold out chairs, observing the games. Walking onto the courts for the first time instantly felt like joining a big welcoming community. We’re here to offer two different perspectives on a sport that seemingly exploded overnight but still has many doubters.

Zack: A tennis player’s first impressions of pickleball

As someone who’s been playing tennis since elementary school, I have always doubted the merits of pickleball. To me, it was a ripoff version of tennis and ping pong, and was a sport for an older audience that wanted to get some outdoor exercise during the peak of their retirement.

However, I was surprised to see the growth of the sport in the last few years. And so, with my heightened curiosity, I decided to give pickleball a try. Over the summer, I decided to call fellow senior Sunny Cao, who has been playing pickleball for around 4 months, to introduce me to the game. 

The first time I held the pickleball paddle, it felt like holding a miniature cereal box with a handle. The light weight of the paddle initially threw me off, but the similarity between the grip of the pickleball paddle and ping pong paddle allowed me to adjust quickly.

At the start of our first rally, I turned my body sideways into the hitting position of a tennis player, and gave the ball a big top spin, only to quickly realize that — unlike tennis — the pickleball is frictionless. The trajectory of the ball, unsurprisingly, went straight into the bottom of the net due to  the  lack of spin and control. 

Learning from that mistake, I opened up my paddle face a bit more to contact more of the bottom of the ball. “BOOM!” The ball flew right off of my paddle and, in a perfect curve sweeping across the sky, onto the back fence of the court. 

Gradually, I found the rhythm and started to hit some nice shots by using my slightly adjusted tennis techniques.

By the time we finished our game, every single court was full and there were even people waiting for courts. As I scanned the area, I was surprised to see the diverse range of people gathered at the courts. There were 3rd grade children who could barely see over the net, college students who were blasting energetic music through their speakers, adults who were still in work clothes and senior citizens in sunglasses and cowboy hats with foldable chairs spectating on the sides of the court.

Seeing the diversity of players at the courts made me realize the reason for pickleball’s booming popularity. The lower physical demands of the sport — compared to a sport like tennis — make it easier for beginners while allowing for the same competitive and enjoyable feeling found by playing tennis with friends.

 Not only was my first time playing pickleball fun and entertaining, I also met several friendly competitors who patiently taught me the rules. I found the pickleball community to be extremely welcoming and friendly, and the sport itself is easy and fun to play (largely due to my ability to beat my opponents by using my skills from tennis). My final verdict: There’s no reason for tennis players to reject pickleball when they’re likely to excel at it and enjoy it.

Sunny: Starting pickleball with my family

My introduction to pickleball was quite different from Zack’s. Since my only prior experience was badminton, I approached the sport without any preconceived notions. 

My first introduction to pickleball started with a rude awakening on a random Sunday morning — in the midst of spring break, mind you — when my parents dragged me out of bed to go “hang out.” In reality, the “hanging out” was having me standing on a cold, wet court half awake as I flailed around, struggling to hit the hollow, yellow ball while tripping over my two left feet.

However, as time went on and I started playing the sport more, I found a newfound appreciation for the easy-to-play and lighthearted nature of it. When summer rolled around, I introduced all my friends to pickleball, leading to many late evenings at the West Valley College pickleball courts. As more of my friends joined, it was genuinely fun teaching them about the sport, and they grew to appreciate the experience as well. 

While I’m far from being a professional, I would say I’m somewhat of a veteran player. I have played for a few months and have beaten many of my friends and family members. Every time I go to play, the courts are always full of energy. The more time I spend there, the more new friends I make and more skills I pick up from others.

Through pickleball, I get to hang out with friends and exercise simultaneously. Although it’s not the most common or competitive sport, it’s the perfect balance for high schoolers like me to get away from their desks and have some fun with friends while also getting light exercise.

Pickleball is a sport that welcomes all ages and experiences. It blends aspects of every ball sport, including tennis, badminton and table tennis, and now has millions of devotees from every demographic group. Whether starting as a tennis player or extreme newbie, the sport is easy to pick up, and the emphasis on fun social interactions make it appealing for recreational play. The bottom line: Give pickleball a try and you might find yourself showing up regularly at courts and having a great time.