Hello! 
I’m Antlet—
an all-round
sports fanatic! 
Today, I’m introducing
the sport that
is making courts
everywhere buzz:
pickleball!

Pickleball is a paddle sport 
played on a compact court
with a net.

It began on 
Bainbridge Island, Washington, in 1965
—using a lowered badminton net,
simple paddles, and a perforated plastic ball.
Think of it as a lively meeting point between
ping-pong and tennis!

You can play singles
—one versus one
—or doubles—two versus two.
Doubles is especially popular 
because teamwork and
positioning matter so much

The goal is simple: win rallies. Make the ball land
in your opponent’s court, or force a fault
—such as hitting out, into the net,
or letting it bounce twice.”

Traditional pickleball uses
side-out scoring: 
only the serving side scores. 
Most games go to 11 points, 
and you must win by 2

The serve travels
diagonally into
the opposite
service court. 
It must clear
the kitchen line.

Kitchen
Line

Unlike tennis, pickleball
serves are underhand
or drop serves.
The serve can touch the
net and still be good—
if it lands in the correct
service court.

The seven-foot
zone beside
the net is called
the kitchen,
officially the
non-volley zone.
You cannot hit
a volley while
standing in it—
or fall into it from
your momentum
after a volley.

Kitchen

After the serve, the receiving team
must let the ball bounce.
Then the serving team must let it bounce too. 
Only after those two bounces
can players volley—
or keep playing ground strokes.

Uh-oh. 
Even an all-round sports fanatic
must follow the rules.
One player, one paddle!

Warning!

I’m sorry…

Pickleball equipment is simple.
The paddle is solid-faced
—larger than a table-tennis paddle
but smaller than and shorter
than a tennis racket.

Pickleballs are lightweight plastic balls with holes. 
Indoor balls usually have fewer, larger holes; 
outdoor balls generally have more, smaller
holes to handle wind better.

Pickleball’s rise comes from a simple recipe:
an easy first rally, a compact court, social doubles,
and enough strategy to keep people improving.

It has expanded rapidly across the United States
and is spreading internationally through 
clubs, public courts, schools, and tournaments.

The boom has also drawn sports stars, entertainers,
and investors. Familiar racket-sport names such 
as Andre Agassi, John McEnroe, Andy Roddick, Jack Sock,
and others have taken part in pickleball events or play.

At the professional level, games are fast, tactical,
and intense. Players battle with sharp serves, 
quick hands at the net, soft dinks, drives, resets, 
and coordinated doubles strategy.

Dink: 
A gentle, controlled shot that arcs just 
over the net and lands in the opponent’s kitchen,
used to slow the rally and create an opening.

Professional doubles often becomes
a chess match at the kitchen line: 
teams wait, dink patiently, create an
opening, then speed up the ball.

Pickleball gets you moving with cardio,
balance, coordination, reflexes, and 
social connection. Start gently, warm up, 
and choose a pace that feels right for you.
Ready to play?

Youtube: Nastiest Points In Pickleball History