The pickleball enthusiasts say that the game is fun and exciting. And in fact, in the U.S. pickleball is a game that brings together family members both the old and young people.
Pickleball game is a sport that looks almost similar to ping-pong, tennis, and badminton. But pickleball has special equipment. It is a fun game you can play inside the house and outside in a court.
If you are just getting started with pickleball, you will find the game easy to play but as you progress to the level of experienced players, the game gets competitive.
Usually, pickleball is played in a court that looks like that of badminton, although small in size. The court has a net like that of tennis, but 34-inch long. The pickleball court is rectangular in shape, measures 20×44 ft for both the singles and doubles matches.
The playground is expected to be 40×64 ft. And the court lines are marked with colors that make them easily visible, preferably white color or any color that is different from the surface color of the court.
If you like playing racket sports, then you will find pickleball being fun and exciting. It is a fast-paced game that has recently gained popularity among the U.S. nation. When playing the game, you will be required to have small paddles and oversized balls that look similar to those of ping pong.
Of course, there are other essential pickleball equipment that are a must-have before you enter the court to play. And we share them in this article.
But before that….
The Pickleball Basics
Well, pickleball has exceptional rules but are not far from those of badminton, ping pong, and tennis. That means for a person who has played these other games, getting started with pickleball does not take too much of your time to understand it. The court looks the same as that of badminton and tennis although pickleball court is smaller.
The players will serve the ball to each other whereby the person receiving the serve will hit back the ball and the serving goes on and on until maybe it goes out of bounds, hits the net or the players misses it.
Basic Pickleball Equipment
For beginner pickleball players who have no experience (learners), the must-have equipment are a pickleball paddle and ball. There are cheap pickleball paddles out there that you can use for the start.
As your progress to the real pickleball game, you will need a lot more equipment to boost your game. These equipment are essential for you to improve your ability to win the game.
Here are the essential equipment you need to have in the pickleball court.
1.Pickleball Paddles
One of the essential pickleball equipment you will need at the court is a pickleball paddle. Paddles come in different sizes and shapes so you need to decide which one is suitable for you. The paddles look similar to those of ping pong and tennis, although a bit bigger than the former and smaller than the latter.
A paddle has circular-like edges. In the past, most paddles were wooden but these days, you can find paddles made of graphite or composite materials.
Graphite pickleball paddle has a carbon polishing, which usually gives you more control and power to your shot. And the composite paddle is made with a blend of different materials like carbon fiber, vinyl, fiberglass, etc. That gives the composite surface the right amount of texture, which helps the ball to hold a little bit on the surface when it touched. This type of paddle usually knowns as the best pickleball paddle for spin.
2. The Ball
The second essential thing you need to have at the pickleball court is the pickleball itself. The ball is the one that sets this game apart from other racket games in that it is a bit bigger and looks like a pickle. That’s why the game is called pickleball.
It is oval-shaped and has holes in it. There are balls for indoor and outdoor games.
The difference between the balls is that for indoors, you need a ball that does not move fast and the holes are bigger and the ball isn’t always heavy.
Outdoor balls, on the other hand, have smaller holes in them and they move quickly. But you can get outdoor balls with both large and small holes in them.
3. Safety Gears
Although the game is safe, minor accidents are inevitable. You need to hit the ball hard with the paddle when returning serve and when you have a lighter paddle, chances of missing the ball are high which can cause injuries in your eyes. For that reason, you need to keep your eyes safe by wearing some safety gears. To protect your eyes, you can wear goggles and gloves for your hands.
Other things you need at the court are clothes shoes and covers.