Anyone else not get pickleball?

[Anonymous]

Living in FL where pickleball is a BIG thing. It seems that people are all in and eventually burn out or get injured. There are MANY recovering pickleball players walking among us.
For me, I liked it years ago. The game is intended to be played at the net. It sharpened my reflex skills and required quick thinking. Now the game has morphed into baseline play, ground strokes (former tennis players) and the serve has been dumbed down to being able to bounce and serve.
Another observation (and the main reason I no longer play) is that there is often times no social etiquette like there is in tennis. People will smack a ball at you and laugh. They celebrate their own wins and bad line calls are the norm. The upside is that the games are quick and you can move on and play with someone else.

[Anonymous]

If there's anything worse than playing pickleball as a hobby, it's sitting around racking your brain trying to think up a way to insult pickleball. Get a life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Living in FL where pickleball is a BIG thing. It seems that people are all in and eventually burn out or get injured. There are MANY recovering pickleball players walking among us.
For me, I liked it years ago. The game is intended to be played at the net. It sharpened my reflex skills and required quick thinking. Now the game has morphed into baseline play, ground strokes (former tennis players) and the serve has been dumbed down to being able to bounce and serve.
Another observation (and the main reason I no longer play) is that there is often times no social etiquette like there is in tennis. People will smack a ball at you and laugh. They celebrate their own wins and bad line calls are the norm. The upside is that the games are quick and you can move on and play with someone else.

That's FL not pickleball. FL is trash culture.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's for people who live in The Villages outside Orlando. Stupid non-sport. ( There was a piece on 60 minutes about the person who started the sport in WA State. Pickle all was named after his dog.

Mmm, yes, famous Orlando Washington.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:i don't get listening to podcasts, I don't get doing crossword puzzles, i don't get doing brunch, I don't get opera,

people have different interests and they find things they enjoy. sorry we are all not like you,

Yes we know pea-sized brains enjoy PB thwack thwack

I hope one day your children decide to try speaking to you again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Living in FL where pickleball is a BIG thing. It seems that people are all in and eventually burn out or get injured. There are MANY recovering pickleball players walking among us.
For me, I liked it years ago. The game is intended to be played at the net. It sharpened my reflex skills and required quick thinking. Now the game has morphed into baseline play, ground strokes (former tennis players) and the serve has been dumbed down to being able to bounce and serve.
Another observation (and the main reason I no longer play) is that there is often times no social etiquette like there is in tennis. People will smack a ball at you and laugh. They celebrate their own wins and bad line calls are the norm. The upside is that the games are quick and you can move on and play with someone else.

That's FL not pickleball. FL is trash culture.

Pickleball people in FL are from all over. I agree with thwack thwack being an odd attraction. It’s hard to sell a house near pickleball courts. The thwack speaks to the masses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: Another observation (and the main reason I no longer play) is that there is often times no social etiquette like there is in tennis. People will smack a ball at you and laugh. They celebrate their own wins and bad line calls are the norm.

LOL. What planet are you living on? Have you ever attended any of the UTR or USTA tennis tournaments lately? Players will hit you with the balls during points, on purpose. Bad line calls are very common in tennis.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pickleball was fairly easy transition for me because I already had good groundstrokes, footwork, anticipation, overhead, court coverage. Learning the “soft game” of dinking took a while longer. Most tennis players come in as “bangers” but realize you cannot progress to 4.0 and higher levels without soft game.

The answer depends on single or double PB. Single PB is very similar to tennis. You don't need as much "dink" in single PB as I do in double PB. I am a 12 UTR tennis and it takes me three weeks to become a 5.4 single PB player.

That sounds about right.

How many DUPR matches do you have so far?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looks like a lot of pickleball haters here. That’s ok, courts are already too crowded.

I’m a tournament/league player, 56 year old. Played USTA league tennis for many years; on multiple teams that advanced to Nationals for my Women’s and Mixed teams.

I transitioned to pickleball after torn ACL injury.

Pickleball was fairly easy transition for me because I already had good groundstrokes, footwork, anticipation, overhead, court coverage. Learning the “soft game” of dinking took a while longer. Most tennis players come in as “bangers” but realize you cannot progress to 4.0 and higher levels without soft game.

My Mixed partner was 5.0 tennis and now a 5.0 pickleball player. He’s now 50 and playing on the Senior Pro Tour. He also coaches full time pickleball.

I bought a condo in a resort area that has 36 courts. The courts are packed 7 am to 10 pm. The locals who play regularly are like me: retired, former athletes of all sports, want to play competitively, social, keep in good shape, etc. On an average day I get 5-6 miles on the courts (I wear a watch that tracks my distance).

Tennis was my first love, but just couldn’t continue with my injury. Pickleball is easier because court is smaller, but it feels similar to tennis.

Pro pickleballers can make significant money. The top male is 24 years old and has 2.5 million contract. There are three different pro tours right now: PPA, APP, and MLP. Tournaments are played all over the US and are televised. Last week on ESPN and Fox Sports. Major League Pickleball was recently played in Washington DC. Will be in Virginia Beach in late September. The majority of top pros are in their 20s…a handful of 17, 18 year olds. Some also in their 30s.

Jack Sock, Sam Querry, John Isner, Genie Bouchard are all well known tennis pros now playing pro pickleball. Isner just signed paddle contract this week. Donald Young also a pro player. Andre Agassi, Steffi Graf, and Maria Sharapova also do exhibition play.

There are a few female pros from the DC area. Alix Truong (Falls Church) is the highest rated, I believe.

A typical amateur tournament can have well over 1,000 entries.

So, yes, pickleball is for old people. And for people who just want to have fun. It’s also a pro sport and there is a tremendous market based on demand.

Besides the top player who is making money

All of the players in Premier and Challenger League of MLP have guaranteed contracts. Plus many make a ton with sponsors, endorsements, etc. There are only a few of the top pros who still have full time jobs; vast majority are full time pro pickleball.

[Anonymous]

It's fun, I play here and there for the last 5 years or so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pickleball was fairly easy transition for me because I already had good groundstrokes, footwork, anticipation, overhead, court coverage. Learning the “soft game” of dinking took a while longer. Most tennis players come in as “bangers” but realize you cannot progress to 4.0 and higher levels without soft game.

The answer depends on single or double PB. Single PB is very similar to tennis. You don't need as much "dink" in single PB as I do in double PB. I am a 12 UTR tennis and it takes me three weeks to become a 5.4 single PB player.

That sounds about right.

How many DUPR matches do you have so far?

DP. I played about 100 DUPR single matches so far, won 90 and lost 10. All of those ten losses came at from ex-tennis players.

All of the top 10 PB players, with the exception of Dylan Frazier, are former tennis players.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Besides the top player who is making money

All of the players in Premier and Challenger League of MLP have guaranteed contracts. Plus many make a ton with sponsors, endorsements, etc. There are only a few of the top pros who still have full time jobs; vast majority are full time pro pickleball.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pickleball-professional-sport-how-much-you-can-earn/

LOL... They don't make as much money as you think.

In 2022, the average PPA pro earned $96,000 in payouts, according to the league.

"The economics are much, much smaller for others who are just getting into the sport," he added. "They're taking sponsorship deals for $500 or $1,000 to be an ambassador of some brand."

96K is not a lot of money when you factor in the cost of travel, room and board.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pickleball was fairly easy transition for me because I already had good groundstrokes, footwork, anticipation, overhead, court coverage. Learning the “soft game” of dinking took a while longer. Most tennis players come in as “bangers” but realize you cannot progress to 4.0 and higher levels without soft game.

The answer depends on single or double PB. Single PB is very similar to tennis. You don't need as much "dink" in single PB as I do in double PB. I am a 12 UTR tennis and it takes me three weeks to become a 5.4 single PB player.

That sounds about right.

How many DUPR matches do you have so far?

DP. I played about 100 DUPR single matches so far, won 90 and lost 10. All of those ten losses came at from ex-tennis players.

All of the top 10 PB players, with the exception of Dylan Frazier, are former tennis players.

I know who you are if you’re not pulling anyone’s leg.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel like every other day another friend becomes obsessed with pickleball or another place I go to installs pickleball courts.

I don’t get it. It’s just hitting a ball around, right? Like I get that might be fun sometimes but I don’t get the obsession.

Have you tried it? It's fun and social. You think it is easy but to master it you have to work at it. It is challenging in that no two games are the same because of your partner and your opponents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pickleball was fairly easy transition for me because I already had good groundstrokes, footwork, anticipation, overhead, court coverage. Learning the “soft game” of dinking took a while longer. Most tennis players come in as “bangers” but realize you cannot progress to 4.0 and higher levels without soft game.

The answer depends on single or double PB. Single PB is very similar to tennis. You don't need as much "dink" in single PB as I do in double PB. I am a 12 UTR tennis and it takes me three weeks to become a 5.4 single PB player.

That sounds about right.

How many DUPR matches do you have so far?

DP. I played about 100 DUPR single matches so far, won 90 and lost 10. All of those ten losses came at from ex-tennis players.

All of the top 10 PB players, with the exception of Dylan Frazier, are former tennis players.

Those stats are impressive (if, indeed, true). You should try PPA Singles Qualifying draw and see how far you can advance. There are a lot of people trying to break through.