Pickleball is Taking SWFL by Storm!

Pickleball has been gaining popularity throughout the country and with the outstanding weather we experience in Southwest Florida nearly year-round, what better place to join the nearly 2.5 million players enjoying the sport. Originating in Washington state about 50 years ago, pickleball is played on badminton-sized courts with paddles and a plastic ball similar to a wiffle ball. Enjoyed throughout Southwest Florida - Naples boasts a recently opened pickleball mega-center home to the U.S. Open Pickleball Championship.

Courtesy of Naples Illustrated, here are some tips from Professional Pickleball players Jerry Pershing and Tami Thomas:

1. Adjust your stance. Face the net and keep your paddle at chest height. The game is played very close to your opponents—about 14 feet away—and the goal is to keep the ball as low to the net as possible.
2. Stay on the offensive. “You have to move to the ball because it’s not going to come to you like it does in tennis or racquetball,” says Pershing, explaining that the plastic ball the game is played with doesn’t bounce like tennis or racquet balls. “If you wait for the ball to come to you, it’ll be too late.”
3. Practice control. “People who don’t take lessons or have only watched pickleball being played think it’s basically mini tennis, and they stand at the baseline and hit the ball as hard as they can,” says Thomas. “The trick is to move more strategically.” (Source: link)

Here are links to find pickleball courts and leagues in SWFL:

Wa-Ke Hatchee Park Recreation Center

Pickleball Leagues Throughout SWFL

Pickleball at Fort Myers YMCA