City of Tallahassee Updates: Pickleball for the Seniors

Tallahassee, Fla.- Pickleball's senior popularity
By Aishah Walker-Brown

On Friday, the Tallahassee Senior Center hosted one of its biweekly games of Pickleball, one of America’s fastest growing sports. The game has been around since the 1970s. Even though Pickleball is open to all ages, it has become popular for many seniors.

Pickleball is a paddle sport played on a court similar to Badminton, but the net is two inches lower than a Tennis net. The game is played with hard wood paddles and a plastic whiffle ball. The ball is served underhand instead of overhand like Tennis.

“It is great exercise and it’s really good for senior citizens who can’t run as far and as fast,” said Judy Bentley, a regular Pickleball player at the Tallahassee Senior Center. “The Pickleball court is a third the size of a Tennis court and it makes it easier to get to the ball.”

Pickleball was originally invented as an easy game that a whole family could play. Today, it has developed into a quick, fast-paced, competitive game for experienced players.

“It’s relatively easy to learn and it’s a lot of fun,” said Barry Powers, another Pickleball player at the Senior Center. “I’m an ex-Tennis player and have bad knees. Pickleball is much easier on my knees than singles Tennis, so it was a great compromise to get out and play.” Powers has been playing Pickleball ever since the Senior Center first hosted the game a year ago.

Pickleball does not require as much physical movement as Tennis. The court is smaller which makes it easier to hit the ball, and players do not have to run as much.

“I’m too old to play Tennis,” said Gail Long, yet another Pickleball player at the Senior Center. “This being the senior version of Tennis, is more that I can handle.”

For more information about Pickleball, visit http://www.usapa.org/

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