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published: Sunday, November 23, 2008

Pickleball finds its way to Highlands County

By CHRISTOPHER TUFFLEY

christopher.tuffley@newssun.com

SEBRING -- One of the best things individuals can do for themselves in these trying times is find a way to relieve stress and have a little fun. To do that and get exercise and meet new people is to be following a sensible recipe for good health.

A new game is beginning to take hold in the country -- indeed in other parts of the world too -- that provides just that kind of relief.

Even better, it has a delightfully silly name, a charming story, and is fun to play.

According to the USA Pickleball Association's official Web site (www.usapa.org) the game was invented in 1965 when then Congressman Joel Pritchard, from Washington State, and his friend Bill Bell, a business man, returned home after a round of golf to find their children bored and their wives upset they weren't spending more time the kids.

Rising to the challenge, the men adapted an existing badminton court and began the process of evolving a game that was part tennis, part ping-pong and part badminton.

It took several years, and the addition of another friend, Barney McCallum, for the game to take its full shape.

Most basically, it is played on a badminton sized court (20 feet by 44 feet) with a low net dividing it in two.

Played with a ball similar to a whiffle ball and solid paddle-like rackets made of graphite, the object is to get the ball over the net so the opponent can't return it.

The silly name comes from Pritchard's pet cocker spaniel, a dog named Pickles, who thought the game ball belonged to him and kept running off with it. Over time, the children called the ball Pickle's ball, which then morphed into the name of the game -- pickleball.

Pickleball is played in sets of two games, with a third game as a tie breaker if needed.

As in tennis, players change sides between games -- except in a tie breaker when they switch at six points. A game is played to 11 points and has to be won by two points. Play continues until one side does that.

The composition of the racket and ball -- which isn't quite exactly round so takes odd hops -- makes the game small scale, but lively and quick.

The rules evolved with the conscious goal of creating a game that is more fun than killer competition. It doesn't take long to master a Pickleball racket, for example, and certain rules are designed to soften the game so children may play as well as older adults.

For example, there is a seven foot zone directly in front of the net which players may not enter as long as the ball is in the air. If it bounces in the zone a player may clear it, but otherwise has to stand back and attack the ball from further away.

That prevents players from gunning the ball down an opponent's throat.

The serve is different from other racket sports as well, closer to a bowling swing or soft ball pitch, as the player serves underhand and the racket can't rise above the belt line.

Typically pickleball is played by two-person teams. Singles do play, but despite the smaller court, it takes a great deal of stamina and skill to play solo. The game also is so new few people have the experience to cover a court by themselves.

But that is changing.

Wayne Roswell, official game ambassador and teacher, said the Tanglewood Pickleball Club had eight players in 2007-08. Going into the 2008-09 season, there are already 85.

According to the association's Web site, in 2003 there were 39 known places to play pickleball in North America, representing 10 states, three Canadian provinces, and about 150 individual courts.

In 2008 there are now 420 places to play pickleball, representing 43 states, four Canadian provinces and about 1500 courts.

Charles Kuehn and Wayne Roswell are two of the sport's biggest boosters in Central Florida.

Both have only recently discovered the game - Kuehn on a vacation in Virginia, Roswell when he lived up in The Villages near Ocala. The game is so popular in The Villages that the community sports 104 courts. Roswell estimates close to 2,500 people play the game there.

Two teams drove down from The Villages to take part in the informal, unsanctioned, non-ranked, but totally fun, Tanglewood Pickleball Tournament on Saturday morning.

Not even the keen wind kept players from the courts.

As it happens, Tanglewood players began playing several years ago using a makeshift court on an outdoor dance floor.

As its popularity grew the players approached John Greytak, Tanglewood's owner, and asked if pickleball courts could be built. In 2007, seeing the game had a serious following, Greytak had four courts installed.

Every player at the Tanglewood tournament raved about what a wonderful time playing pickleball was.

Roswell has a saying, "We play with relish; put mustard on the serve; and when we're behind, we ketchup."

The Tanglewood courts are reserved for members of that community. However, Roswell looks forward to advising anyone interested. There are easy ways to set up a club and court facility.

E-mail rwrooswell@
gmail.com.