Pickleball is fun! It’s that simple—but, what makes it so fun and popular? There are a number of reasons:

1. It’s a little bit of this and a little bit of that. If you have any experience with tennis, badminton or ping pong, you will love pickleball! Pickleball combines a little of each of these activities into one.
2. It’s for any age and skill level. Pickleball has become wildly popular here at Cal-a-Vie Health Spa with all of our guests. Whether you are a first-timer to the sport or competitive, you can make this game whatever you want it to be.
3. It’s a social activity. Get a group together to play doubles or find a partner to pay singles. We are all craving social activities these days and pickleball is the way to go.
4. Play indoors or outdoors. Pickleball courts are found both indoors and out, but we absolutely love our outdoor courts with sweeping views of our gorgeous property!

A BRIEF HISTORY

According to the USA Pickleball Association, it was invented on Bainbridge Island in 1965 by 3 dads who were trying to give their kids something fun to do as a summertime activity. It has now become popular in the US, Canada and may European and Asian countries.

HOW TO PLAY PICKLEBALL

Pickleball is played either as doubles with two players per team, or as singles and the same size playing area and rules are used for both singles and doubles. The ruels are pretty simple and once you get on the courts, you will figure it out pretty quickly, but to learn more, go to the USA Pickleball Organization website here. There, you will learn about the serve, service sequence, scoring, and the two-bounce rule.

PICKLEBALL TIPS

Learning how to play pickleball is easy and with practice, you will be a pickleball player in no time! A great resource for how to play, tips and techniques can be found on the USA Pickleball Organization website here. But here are a few or our favorite tips they offer:

• Don’t try to serve hard or near the sidelines
• Remember that both the serve and the serve return must bounce before you can hit the ball, so remain at or behind the baseline after serving to receive the third shot
• Always get to the non-volley line as soon as you can. It’s the strongest position
• Face the player who will hit the ball, not the net. You will be better placed to hit the ball
• Keep your paddle high, near your chest; your reaction time will be quicker
• Placement is much more important than power; emphasize control over pace
• Make note whether an opponent is right or left handed so that you can avoid hitting to the opponent’s strong side
• Don’t take your partner’s shots away by crowding his/her position

Are you convinced? Get together with your friends and family for your own game or tournament. We invite you to come to the spa to enjoy our courts and much more.

JOIN US FOR OUR FIRST PICKLEBALL WEEK!

Join us August 8th-14th, 2021 for a fun-filled week of pickleball playing! Our coach, Kris Kluis, will be on the courts to help you get your game on—regardless of level. Space is limited. Click here to make a reservation request.

We look forward to seeing you on the courts!