With almost 9 million pickleball players in the United States last year, it has now become the fastest growing sport in the US. Pickleball’s growing popularity may not come as a surprise to many, as this sport has seemingly expanded into many of our local cities and parks.
What might be surprising is that its origins started in the not-so-distant past of 1965, in the backyard of a congressman from Washington. The story goes that Joel Pritchard was looking for an activity that his whole family could play. So, taking what he had at his disposal, namely; ping pong paddles, a badminton court, and a perforated plastic ball, the game “pickleball” slowly started to take shape.
Since its original purpose was to be a game that his whole family could play, the riddle as to why this game has taken the US by storm may start to become a little more clear.
With pickleball season in full swing through the Midwest, now’s a great time to walk through the game’s basic principles and common injuries we see in the clinic. Many physical therapists are all for a competitive activity that has a relatively low barrier to entry, but we want to make sure you stay as safe as possible while having fun this summer!
It’s Rise to Popularity
One of the main reasons that pickleball has picked up so much steam since its creation in 1965 is due to its incredibly low barrier of entry. As mentioned, pickleball gets many of its characteristics from badminton but also has the look and feel of many other net and racquet sports. This makes it feel very familiar and natural for many people.
Another factor is the size of the court only being 20 feet by 22 feet on each side. This causes the players to rely more on hand-eye coordination and balance rather than overall agility and speed. Combine that with a large paddle and an easy ball to hit and you get an activity that can be played by young kids to older adults! Don’t let the smaller court fool you though as you will have no trouble getting your heart rate up as you battle back and forth with your opponent(s).
A third and fourth characteristic of pickleball that makes it very popular is the length of play and social aspect. With games played to 11 points and commonly played 2 vs. 2, pickleball games can be finished in a relatively short amount of time and played with a large group of people. This allows teams to be switched and many games to be played in a very reasonable amount of time! All these factors, and more not mentioned here, combine to make a game that is accessible and enjoyable for people of all ages.
Common Injuries and Ways to Prevent Them
Although pickleball can be one of the easier sports to start playing, the repetitive forward, backward, and side to side movements that are required can lead to increased stress on our legs, shoulders, and low back. If not addressed quickly, this can lead to some common injuries that we see in the clinic. These injuries can be modestly placed into two very broad categories: the ones that are more “wear and tear” that happen gradually over time, and the more “acute” injuries such as a pulled muscle or rolled ankle.
Whether you have been dealing with nagging pain over the last few weeks or want to make sure that you are safe to play and can avoid potential injuries in the future, physical therapy is one of the best ways for you to start. Your physical therapist can help ensure you stay healthy this summer or move on from the nagging pain that can quickly turn into something much more debilitating.
Luckily, Optimum Therapies has an incredible team of physical therapists who would love to help you avoid or rehabilitate injuries, whether new or old, and get you back to optimal health to help you make the most of this summer!
You can learn more about pickleball by watching the videos below with Ben Holter, PT, DPT, who is one of our physical therapists in the Bismarck area. In these videos, he goes over some general differences between tennis and pickleball, how to pick the proper footwear for playing on different surfaces, and common injuries. As always, reach out to any of our locations with further questions, and we can’t wait to see you out on the courts!
Optimum Therapies of North Dakota is a privately owned outpatient physical therapy clinic located in Bismarck, N.D. We offer a range of services including manual therapy, dry needling, and Pilates techniques. Our team of therapists is dedicated to helping people restore and improve movement and function with no referral needed.