Have Paddle, Will Travel: An Introduction to Pickleball

It’s taken nearly 60 years for this "trend" to catch on… but catch on it has.

The world’s fastest-growing sport can be played by just about anyone—no matter your age, height, weight, physical acumen, or number of knee or hip replacements—and is quickly spreading, including everywhere that expats call home.

Pickleball, the offspring of tennis and ping pong with a DNA dose of badminton and wiffle ball, has been called the "new shuffleboard," but its popularity goes way beyond the retiree set.

Everyone, it seems, has caught pickleball fever. It’s a great way to meet people and get some good aerobic exercise, too.

Longtime International Living reader and expat Sarah Booth, age 55, is one of them. She’s helped organize three pickleball leagues in Latin America: in Panama, where she owns a home and rental casitas; in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, where she’s owned investment property; and in her new home base of Puerto Vallarta on Mexico’s Pacific Coast.

"You’d be surprised how fast the time flies," she says. "Blink and three hours have gone by, during which time you’ve giggled and laughed, and done something very healthy. At the end of it, you’re usually enjoying a cold drink with new friends.

"It’s a sport that’s physically, mentally, and socially fulfilling."

Sarah’s interest in the sport began in Panama. "When I first started playing, there was a pickleball court a block from my house in Coronado," she says. "You pay to play there, but there are free courts in nearby Gorgona and Chame. Whatever level you’re at, you can always find someone to play with."

The key to the game’s popularity, she says, is that it can be played by just about anyone. "I’ve played with young kids and with people in their 70s and 80s who, granted, are usually in pretty good shape. And I’ve been beaten by all of them. Sure, some people are super competitive, but it’s really not about winning. It’s about having fun."

Pretty quickly, Sarah found herself designated as a World Ambassador for the International Federation of Pickleball (IFP), working with municipalities in Panama and Mexico to have little-used tennis and basketball courts taped and painted to allow for the sport.

"We brought a pro from Florida to Panama to do some workshops and some ratings," she says. "And we work with local schools to bring kids into the game. In Playa del Carmen, we solicited donations to help with that. And while there are several groups in Vallarta, I’m helping set up some new ones near where I live.

‘It’s been really fun to see people come together over a sport everyone can play… you don’t have to just be a spectator."

No Matter Where You Wander, You’ll Find a Pickleball Group Nearby

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How do you find pickleball groups to play with? "Facebook is probably the best way," Sarah says. "Just do a search for ‘pickleball [name of town].’ There are groups all over Latin America, from big cities like Medellín, Colombia, to small towns like Cotacachi, Ecuador. And I know the game is popular in Europe, too. Everywhere in the world, in fact."

Indeed, if you can’t find a group searching as Sarah describes, check out the International Pickleball Friends page on Facebook. Post a query about courts in your intended destination and you’ll connect with players around the world, from Amsterdam to Cape Town, Asia to the Americas.

Jose Ferrer, age 73, who moved from South Dakota to Portugal last fall with his wife Jesika, says he loves the game enough to make the trip by train from his home in Tavira, on the Algarve Coast, to the larger city of Vila Real De Santo António to play.

He plays with locals and expats from many different countries. "Some come across from nearby Spain. Mondays and Fridays are for open play, Tuesdays are for beginners, and usually a fourth day is reserved for practice play on Wednesdays or Thursdays," he says.

"It keeps me feeling young and agile. Unlike tennis where you cover a lot of area, pickleball is played on a smaller court, so older folk like me can be more competitive. The game isn’t about strength; it’s more about strategy and finesse, but at our play level it’s not that important. We play shorter sets and have fun while getting a nice workout."

Pickleball is easy to learn, but hard to master.

In the US, pickleball pros and instructors can expect to make an average $50,000 annually, and tournaments will pay out some $5.5 million in prize money this year.

Billionaire businessman and Shark Tank star Mark Cuban, tennis player Naomi Osaka, pro football quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady, and basketball greats LeBron James and Kevin Durant are just a few of the many celebrities that have invested in new major league pickleball teams.

40-year-old Joshua Bartosh, who made his move from Attleboro, MA to Chiang Mai, Thailand in 2010 and onward from there to Bangkok in 2016, says he’s just beginning to see his pickleball "addiction" pay off. (He’s taped off the top floor of his condo parking garage in the shape of a court where he drills alone or with his girlfriend daily.)

Last year, he and his brother won gold and a small cash prize in a local competition held in Chiang Mai. And this past February, the doubles team was rewarded with new paddles for finishing first place in the first-ever pickleball tournament held in Vietnam.

"Occasionally, I provide instruction to beginners, but I’ve never charged money for a lesson, although I do know a couple of proficient coaches here in Bangkok that do," he says. "I’m happily in the red so far for my pickleball tournament career when you factor in all the tournament fees where I didn’t win a prize.

"This year’s Asia schedule includes tournaments in Phuket, Bali, Australia, Cebu, Ho Chi Minh City, Hua Hin, Chiang Mai, Bangkok, Singapore, and possibly Laos. Not sure I will make it to every single one, but they’re all marked on my calendar."

Joshua agrees with Sarah’s and Jose’s sentiments. "It’s a sport that is fun from the very first time you play, and just continues to become more and more fun the better you get. What other sport can you see a 9-year-old playing against a 90-year-old?

"Because it’s easy to learn but hard to master, it’s a great fit for anyone. This is why this sport is growing at such a fast rate and has such a fun and diverse community."

And you can play it just about anywhere. If you like to travel, pickleball is one of the most portable sports out there. Most leagues will have extra balls and paddles and they typically invite everyone that shows up to give it a go.

Large hotels and resorts are increasingly adding pickleball courts to their properties and you’ll find courts on fleets of at least a dozen of the major cruise lines. Holland America is the official cruise line of the Professional Pickleball Association, and all of their ships offer top-deck courts, complimentary lessons, and "how to play" tutorials you can watch in your stateroom.

There are even travel companies that specialize in pickleball getaways and excursions (including with pro instructors) to places like Costa Rica, Portugal, Slovenia, Croatia, Mexico, and more.

As Sarah Booth says, "I used to be an avid golfer. But imagine hauling your golf clubs around the world. While I understand the lure of golfing, I don’t have to do that anymore. I don’t have to look for golf courses and schedule tee times and pay expensive green fees. "I just pack my racket and go."

The History and Basic Rules Of Pickleball

©BHPix

The invention of the sport dates to 1965, when a trio of dads in Bainbridge Island, Washington, wanted an activity their families could participate in. Armed with a badminton net but few rackets, they improvised on a nearby tennis court with ping pong paddles and a perforated plastic ball. From there the game evolved, and in 1967, the first permanent pickleball court was constructed.

Over the next two decades, the sport grew in popularity… and by 1990 was played in all 50 states.

In 2021, 2022, and 2023, pickleball was named the fastest-growing sport in the US by the Sports and Fitness Industry Association, and today, it’s played in more than 60 countries and governed by the International Federation of Pickleball whose goal is to have it added to the Olympic games.

While no one is exactly sure where the name "pickleball" came from, the prevailing legend has it that one of the family’s dogs also enjoyed the game, nabbing the ball and running off with it whenever he got a chance. His name? Pickles.

The rules: While it’s not terribly complicated, a few basic rules and strategies are involved. For instance, when the ball is served, the receiver must let it bounce before returning, and then the serving team must let it bounce before returning, thus two bounces. After that, you can hit the ball before it bounces or let it bounce once.

One of the best sources of information on the sport is USA Pickleball. Officially, the game is played on a 44′ × 20′ court, with a 36″ net. On each side adjacent to the net is a non-volley zone called the "kitchen." You can’t step into or hit the ball in the kitchen until it bounces there.

The game can be played singles or doubles and, similar to other racket sports, players win points when their opponent(s) commit a fault. The first side to score 11 points when leading by at least two points wins.

Lisa Hockton, who plays pickleball on a court near her home in Penang, Malaysia, says, "I also play tennis, but pickleball is easier on the hips and joints. Injuries are less frequent because you don’t have to sprint, but you still need skill to move it around. You can play if you’re wheelchair-bound, with full-bodied players. You can’t do that in tennis.

"I read recently that racket sports are great for stress, anger, anxiety, and depression, and that table tennis is the best of them all. It activates the largest part of the brain because you’re hyper-focused on a smaller space. And pickleball is like table tennis and tennis merged into one. If that helps to reduce Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and other forms of dementia, I’m in!"