Pickleball Fever

It seems that everyone is getting in on this game. What's behind its exploding popularity?

- Karen Robock

IN THE LAST few years, pickleball has taken Europe and North America by storm. There are more than 200 official community clubs registered with Pickleball Canada and an estimated one million Canadians playing each month. In the U.S., there is a professional league (ex NFLer Tom Brady is part owner of a Major League Pickleball team). And the International Federation of Pickleball, which has 60 member countries and counting, is working toward having the game recognized as an Olympic sport. So if you haven't played it yourself, you've probably at least heard of pickleball-even if you don't quite understand it.

"Pickleball takes components from tennis, badminton and table tennis," says Hope Tolley, managing director of recreational programs for USA Pickleball. It's played on a badminton-sized court and with a net that's almost as high as for tennis. Players use square paddles and a small, perforated plastic ball that's similar in size to a tennis ball, but much lighter. Since the lighter ball doesn't bounce as much, it's easier to get a rally (continuous back-and-forth play) going.