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Pickleball is one of the fastest-growing sports in the U.S. Fans of the game grew by nearly 40% during the pandemic and continued to climb to an estimated 20 million players in 2024. A simple-to-learn, easy-to-play sport that offers a great way to stay active and social, it’s easy to see why pickleball has become so popular.
This post breaks down everything you need to know to get started, including what to wear, what gear to bring, fundamental rules, and what to expect from your first game.
What Is Pickleball?
Pickleball is a paddle sport that draws inspiration from tennis, badminton, and ping-pong. It’s played on a small court with a net, a perforated plastic ball, and a paddle. Games are usually played in doubles, making it naturally social and easier to pick up than many other sports.
Because the court is compact and the rules are straightforward, beginners often find success quickly. The game offers light cardio, sharpens reflexes, and builds strength without putting too much strain on joints.
Why So Many Women Are Trying It
- It’s active without being intense
- It’s easy to learn at almost any age
- It supports coordination, balance, and focus
- It’s fun and social, and only as competitive as you want it to be
Many women enjoy pickleball because it offers a combination of movement, structure, and a low-pressure way to stay physically engaged. It’s a game that can be picked up quickly, whether you play once a week or dive in more regularly.
What to Wear
Pickleball doesn’t require a special uniform, but athletic wear similar to what you would wear for a tennis match will likely be the most comfortable on the court.
Consider wearing:
- A lightweight or sweat-wicking t-shirt
- A pair of shorts, skort, or lightweight leggings
- Court or tennis shoes that support side-to-side movement. Avoid running shoes that typically don’t offer the stability needed for a court game.
Gear to Bring or Borrow
If you’re just starting out, most pickleball clubs offer loaner paddles. Once you’ve decided you like the game, here are suggestions for your own starter pack of gear.
Paddle Look for a composite or graphite paddle in a midweight range (7.5 to 8.5 ounces). A few beginner-friendly brands include Selkirk, HEAD, and Onix.
Ball Pickleballs are available in both indoor and outdoor versions. Outdoor balls are a bit heavier and have smaller holes.
Other helpful items include a reusable water bottle, a sweat towel, and a bag to carry your gear.
How Long Does a Game Last?
Most games are played to 11 points and must be won by 2 points. A casual game of doubles usually takes 20 to 30 minutes. If you’re playing during open court time, expect to rotate in and out with others, which keeps things moving and low-pressure.
Some local parks and centers offer beginner’s hours, so beginner’s can learn at a slightly slower pace. No one expects perfection, and most people are happy to explain things as you go.
Basic Rules Beginners Should Know
Understanding these simple rules will help you feel confident stepping onto the court:
- Games are played to 11 points and must be won by 2 points. Only the serving team can score points.
- Each serve must be underhand and hit diagonally across the court. The serving player must keep both feet behind the baseline during the serve.
- Each team must let the ball bounce once on each side before volleying it out of the air, a rule known as the two-bounce rule.
- No volleys are allowed in the kitchen, which is what the non-volley zone, extending 7 feet on each side of the net, is called.
- After a fault, the serve rotates. In doubles, both players on the serving team take a turn before the other team serves.
These rules may seem overwhelming at first, but most players catch on quickly. Watching a few games before you play can also help everything click. Author’s side note: In this author’s first game, a woman twenty-five years my senior was also on the court for her first game. In our doubles game together, she learned the rules faster and scored twice as many points as I did without breaking a sweat. #schooled
Tips to Get Started
- Learn the basics, especially serving and court boundaries
- Start with doubles to get comfortable
- Stay light on your feet and keep your paddle up
- Focus on consistency more than power
If You’re Easing Back Into Fitness or Want a New Way to Move
Pickleball makes social exercise simple and fun. It supports your health, gives you a reason to get outside, and builds a connection with others.
Consider showing up once and seeing how it feels. One game is all it takes to find out if it’s for you.
Yet another ad showing women with impossibly long, lean physiques popped up in my Instagram feed. Given that I was carrying over well 200 pounds on my 5’6″ frame and struggling to walk a mile, this wasn’t a reflection of my current hobbies or interests. Those women always looked so confident and graceful. I caught myself thinking they must have been born that way, which triggered my common sense “Oh, no, you don’t” alarm. I know they worked for that look, or at least most of them did. If I applied myself, I might start to look like that too. What’s that George R.R. Martin saying: The night is long and filled with terrors? I put my mental right-turn blinker on and decided to give it a shot.
I dug around for information, and the two words that were repeated constantly were Yoga and Pilates. Many women I admired online were either heavily into one or both. I’d tried all kinds of yoga before, including hatha and vinyasa, and never felt as enlightened physically as the instructors seemed to expect at the end of a session. By default, it was time to try Pilates and see if it was the answer. The worst possible outcome was discomfort, soreness, and embarrassment, and that was already part of my daily routine of being a heavier person.
More research led me to a Pilates instructor about thirty minutes from my home in Santa Monica. She was very experienced in working with people who were higher-weights, had injuries, or other limitations. Since she offered a single introductory session and worked out of a private studio, there was no concern about committing and no reason to be embarrassed.
On the day we agreed to meet, I found the address and stared up a long, steep flight of stairs that separated the street level from her studio. I knew I would be exhausted, even using both hands, trying to get up that flight of stairs. Once again, that pesky “Oh, no, you don’t” alarm went off. There was no use in getting to the outer door and not going in. Try it tired. Just try it.
On the second level, the instructor greeted me warmly at the door. She invited me to sit on what looked like a huge wooden torture device with a black bench attached and asked me about my fitness level, injuries, and goals. She assured me that Pilates is well-suited for beginners and that I would see an improvement over time. Since she looked exactly like the group of women in the photo that brought me to this space, I chose to believe her.
We went through a series of exercises faster than I thought I could do any exercise at all. The instructor went over the names of the tools, which, once I was on them, looked less like torture devices and more like welcome help. Grab the bar, use this block, lift, twist, hold, and rest. Repeat. By the time the very first session was over, I felt more confident in the moves we were doing. I considered it a bonus that there wasn’t any new pain from the attempt. Miraculously, I was only mildly sore, in the way you are when you move differently.
Leaving the studio, I couldn’t help but think, ‘Hey, pilates is cool.’ I was hooked after just one session. Over the next several months, I worked with that instructor on my balance, posture, and strength. Did I lose weight? Not really. But did I get stronger and see a difference in my body? Absolutely. Looking back at all the things I’d tried over the years: yoga, weights, spinning, dance, and a slew of forgettable classes, the difference I saw in my body through Pilates was the most profound. It was a relief to find something that not only worked but also felt comfortable and right for me.
My instructor planned to relocate with her adorable family to Nashville around the same time I was scheduled to return to New York City. She helped me select a New York instructor so I could continue my practice. The idea of quitting had become inconceivable in just a few short months.
My journey with Pilates is far from over. I’m committed to getting stronger and leaner. I may never look as impossibly long and lean as the women in that Instagram post, but I look and feel better than ever before. Like those women, I’m confident now and sometimes even graceful. Pilates has become a part of my life, and I’m excited to see where this ongoing fitness journey takes me.
