Full-time fifth-grade teacher Nannette Nillson, 61, was still recovering from her second knee replacement four months prior when she signed up for her first pickleball clinic at Sportsclub Greenville.
“I’m the kind of person who likes to just jump before I think about stuff,” she says.
She had always wanted to play tennis, but with her knees, that wasn’t the best idea. Pickleball, however, is surprisingly ideal for someone with her new physical challenges, she says.
The fastest-growing sport in the country and in Greenville County, according to Greenville County Recreation, pickleball is a mix of tennis, table tennis and badminton. Players use special paddles and a Wiffle ball and play on a badminton-size court with a lowered tennis net. The most common game is doubled, but singles is also an option.
Because the rules are simple and the game is easy for beginners to learn, it has garnered a rapidly growing following of all ages, and especially among the 55-plus demographic.
For more experienced players, games are quick, fast-paced, and competitive. For beginners, games are as much a social outlet as they are a physical workout. And while there are dozens of indoor and outdoor courts currently available through public rec facilities and private fitness clubs, local players on the Upstate Pickleball Facebook page are looking forward to the additional 20 new courts underway at Timmons and Southside parks that will provide more surface area for the Upstate’s more than 1,000 pickleball players.
For anyone
Nilsson and her husband, Kent, 64, are among the game’s newcomers who found the camaraderie as appealing as the athletics and gave them added reason to keep coming back.
“A sedentary person could get into it, too,” Nilsson says. “My husband hadn’t played any sports, and he really likes it.”
That’s exactly what Professional Pickleball Registry certified instructor Terry Kent has seen repeatedly since he began offering pickleball clinics at Sportsclub Greenville in April.
Known to his friends as Pickleball Terry, or PBT, he’s on a mission to bridge both the information gap that exists about the game and the gap between the large number of tennis players and the growing hoard of pickleball enthusiasts.
His tennis players at the club are concerned pickleball will take over their courts and force them elsewhere, he says, which is why he’s organized social events to bring the two groups together.
A long-time tennis player, Kent says there are some significant selling points for tennis players, adding that his game improved dramatically after taking up pickleball.
For the retiree community, regardless of previous sports affiliation, it has an innate draw as well.
“It can be a lot less taxing on your body,” he says, attributing that to the smaller court, the no-volley zone that removes the physically demanding rushing of the net, and the underhand service style that preserves rotator cuffs.
The social aspect is just as important for the 50-70-year-old crowd, Nilsson says.
“We’ve kinda found a niche,” she says. “Sometimes it’s hard to find something to do in our age group. This is perfect for our health.”
Visit upstatepickleball.com for more information.
Pickleball Fast Facts
The rackets: solid wood or composite
The ball: perforated polymer, much like a wiffle ball
The court: The same dimensions as a badminton court; 20 feet by 44 feet
Invented: 1965
The name: Possibly named for the inventor’s dog, Pickles, or for Pickle Boat, a boat in crew made up of the leftover people from other boats.
Number of countries with pickleball organizations: 57
The number needed to become an Olympic sport: 75
Sources: Wikipedia; pickleball.com
Try your hand at pickleball
Start at upstatepickleball.com for a playing calendar, resources and more information.
Places to play:
Sportsclub Greenville 288-7220, sportsclubsc.com
Timmons Park: 467-4355, greenvillesc.gov/1583/Timmons-Park
Ray Hopkins Senior Center, Mauldin: 864.234.3488; cityofmauldin.org
Simpsonville Activity & Senior Center 864-967-9533; simpsonville.com/parksrec/
Victor Park & Gym, Greer, 864-416-6606, cityofgreer.org/Facilities/
