Pickleball explained as Matthew Perry became ‘obsessed’ with fast growing sport

10/31/2023

Matthew Perry fell in love with the sport of pickleball and even played it shortly before his tragic death. It is the fastest growing sport in the United States and the Friends star was obssessed with it.

Perry’s pickleball coach and close friend, Matt Nanasse, was one of the few people on record to have seen Perry before his sudden passing. The actor best known for his portrayal of Chandler Bing on “Friends” was found dead in the hot tub of his Los Angeles home on Saturday.

According to Manasse, Perry had a deep passion for the sport, which played a significant role in his journey to sobriety. In his memoir, he revealed that he had spent $7 million on 15 different stays in rehab centers. During the interview with the New York Times, Perry stated that he had been sober for 18 months at that time.

But what sparked the astronomical uptick in pickleball play? Here is everything you need to know about the sport taking the nation by storm.

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Pickleball origins

Pickleball originated in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Washington, thanks to Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum. They devised the game by improvising with old Ping-Pong paddles and a perforated ball on a badminton court. The game was initially created for their children to play on rainy days and provide entertainment indoors.

What is Pickleball?

Pickleball is a paddle sport that involves two or four players. They use the paddles to hit a perforated, hollow plastic ball over a 34-inch-high net until one side fails to return the ball or violates the rules.

The sport is versatile and can be played both indoors and outdoors. The court measures 44 feet in length and 20 feet in width. On each side of the net, there is a 7-foot area known as the non-volley zone or “kitchen.” In this area, the ball must bounce before it can be struck.

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How to play Pickleball

The serve must be underhand: Move the arm upward to serve the ball, underhand tennis style diagonally into the deeper box.
Gameplay until fault: Hit the ball back and forth within bounds until it does: A.) not clear the line, B) is it out of bounds, C) hit into the net.
No kitchen volleys: The non-volley zone is within 7 feet, and the ball can never be volleyed into this area without hitting the ground first.
Double bounce rule: The ball must bounce on both sides of the ground before volleys can be played
Points on serve only: Pickball players can only score points off their own. The sides of the court are switched after each winning point with your partner.
Both partners must serve: Each member gets a chance to serve.
Score to 11: The game will continue until one team scores 11 points. However, all games are required to win by two points, especially in a 10-10 match.

The rapid growth of the sport explained

The sport of Pickleball saw a significant increase in popularity in 2021, as the number of players in the United States reached 4.8 million, according to the 2022 Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) Single Sport Report on Pickleball. Prominent athletes like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, and Kevin Love have all made investments in the future of the sport.

Equipment needed

Paddle: Regulation pickleball paddles must have a surface area of fewer than 24 inches.

Ball: Official indoor balls are more prominent with a soft feel, compared to the regulation outdoor ball, which is lighter with thin plastic.

Clothing: Typical pickleball clothing is similar to tennis, wearing athletic and lightweight stops, shirts, polos, and skirts. Players typically wear socks that can handle sweat resistance and sneakers with good traction on outdoor surfaces.

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