Tennis has a Pickleball Problem

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I think the biggest thing that benefits pickleball is its low barrier for entry. As a long time tennis player it's much easier to get people who have never played to try out pickleball since its easy simple and the technique required to play at a base "fun" level is significantly lower. I will always continue to prefer tennis due to the depth and complexity but whenever I can get four random friends together pickleball is a significantly easier and more fun adventure to go on.

In summary, this is "scooter kids at the skate park" of tennis

The park down my street had two tennis courts. For years they would sit mostly empty, with someone playing less than once a week. Then one was converted to a set of pickleball courts. Those courts were full almost every day with pickleball players and there was usually a wait to get on the court in the evening after work. So, the city converted the other tennis court as well. Now that park doesn;t have tennis at all. Times change. You don't see many bowling alleys any longer either.

Pickleball isn't just taking over tennis courts. Where I live, the issue is that older people who happen to be on civic commissions who happen to like pickleball have taken out things like hockey rinks, skate parks, and other areas used by youth to put in pickleball courts instead to serve their own interests. Its infuriating as pickleball can easily be played in a gym, many area churches already use their gyms for this, while these other activities don't have other decent natural outlets.

Pickleball might be popular in the United States, but i never heard of it outside of that country. Padel is really popular in Spain and Argentina and its getting bigger every time for maybe the same reasons

It's cheaper, requires less space, and it can be played really easily by beginners. Also the closer confines make it more social. When you play tennis you are about 50 feet from who you are playing with but when you play pickleball they are very close so you can have a casual conversation as you casually play.

As a volleyball player, I'm not sure why i was recommended this video, but let me just say you guys don't even appreciate what you have. I went to a typical park here in California last night, there were 6 people playing tennis with dedicated courts and lights, 15 people playing basketball with a dedicated court and no lights, and 30 people playing volleyball on courts they bought and set up themselves because we get nothing, ever, lol. We used to set up on the tennis courts in the winter to steal the lights but it's gotten more popular and now we can't play in the winter at all. All i am asking for...is 1 light.... we don't even need a court, although it would be nice....

I played my first game of pickleball this past Thanksgiving week. I was amazed at the ease of entry. I used to play tennis up to my teens, so I know what that game is like. My sister and I were able to buy 2 decent PB paddles and a set of balls at Wal-Mart for $70 total (paddles started at $9.99, we bought the $30 ones). We went down to the local rec center and were playing rallies within 15 minutes. I'm 55. I have not picked up a racket of any kind in 40 years, my sister has never played and within an hour we were playing real games and keeping score and everything. To get to the same level in tennis my sister and I would have to take months of lessons. The beauty of the game is that literally anyone from age 8 to 80 can pick up a paddle and be playing in a few minutes. I was able to play with my 74 year old mother and we had a great time. There is no way she could play tennis at her age. Obviously, tennis is the more dynamic sport. It has greater dept at the pro level and is more enjoyable to watch on TV. I agree that PB doubles on TV looks dumb and boring. PB singles on the other hand is pretty interesting to watch. At the recreational up to league level there is a lot to be said for pickleball. The sad thing about tennis is that because of the cost of entry and the skills needed it has turned itself into an elitist sport, similar to golf. I'm sold on pickleball. I can't wait to get a little better so I can join a local league myself.

You forgot to mention that pickle ball is 10x easier to learn and become proficient at. As an avid tennis player, the main flaw of tennis is that it’s very hard to get even just ok at the sport. It’s not very fun before that point. Anyone can play pickle ball though.

"Low skill barrier" about sums it all up

Pickleball is like the love child of table tennis and tennis. The small size of table tennis mixed with big tennis fundamentals and low barrier of entry can fuse the two sports into getting more players. I see pickleball players getting good enough to want to make the jump to either table tennis or tennis themselves.

These comments are pretty interesting for me to read, because in the world of fighting games you can see nearly the exact same arguments when it comes to popularity and how easier modern games stack up vs harder older games. Like you can just sub out the terms 1:1 in a bunch of comments...

As an avid tennis player and coach, I have nothing against pickleball I play it occasionally and its a lot of fun. The thing I do have a problem with is when people try to put lines on tennis courts, very rarely you will see people attempt to put pickleball lines on a tennis court and not screw it up either they use tape and its to thick that it will cause bad bounces when playing tennis or the paint will be all over the place and not even having straight lines making the court an eyesore. I do think its a good idea to add pickleball lines to tennis courts especially in these big facilities that have 20+ courts

This is a great video. I play tennis 3-4 times a week plus USTA matches and I occasionally play pickleball with friends. It is always fun and I can understand the mass appeal. The video said it best: 1. low skill barrier, 2. any fitness level, and 3. budget conscious. It is the activity for the masses. Tennis is the complete opposite of this in an extreme way.

The thought of a gang of tennis players vandalizing a pickle ball court as a scare tactic is kinda funny.

As a 58 year old tennis player, I still enjoy tennis more than pickleball. But sometimes my knees look over at the pickleball players on the court next to us with envy. But most pickleball players seem old to me. :goodvibes: The courts in my community are marked for both, which is sometimes frustrating as a tennis player.

Pickleball doesn't rely on viewership. It's more of a drinking game or hobbie. Tennis has a bad monetization strategy and is too much for the average person to casually play. Especially while drinking or being social.

The financial side of it makes it more interesting. So few players can make it through future’s and challenger events to make tennis financially viable.

A great video. Thanks for spending so much time putting it together!