Cup
of
Joe
SUPPORT
FOR YOUR
CLUB & EVENTS
WHAT ARE
YOUR PRIORITIES?
CLUB REWARDS PROGRAM
BENEFITS YOU & YOUR CLUB
Movement and
Pickleball
TOURNAMENT & EVENT
SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM
BY JOE DINOFFER
THE PICKLEBALL SUPERSTORE
W
e all hate to admit it, but despite pickleball’s many
attractions (which include exercise and fitness!), most
people play pickleball over tennis because the court is smaller
and there is less movement! That’s right: for most pickleballers,
less is more. After all, it’s better to get a modest amount of
exercise than be overwhelmed by the size of a tennis court and
not play very often. Let’s compare the number of steps to cover
a pickleball court in doubles versus tennis.
The pickleball court is 20 feet wide with a diagonal from two
feet behind one baseline corner to the center of the kitchen
line that measures about 18 feet. In tennis, the diagonal from
two feet behind one corner of the doubles sideline to the
center of the net is much farther at 45 feet (two-and-a-half
times farther). With an average tennis or pickleball movement
stride length of three feet, you can see the huge difference in
movement demands between these two sports.
In pickleball, the longest “run” to the ball demands six steps
or strides. In tennis, the number jumps 250% to 15 steps in the
time it takes the ball to travel from your opponent’s racquet to
yours. This is just one of the reasons why pickleball is an easier
sport than tennis to feel comfortable and confident playing for
all ages and skill levels.
Is it a surprise that pickleball is growing much faster than
tennis among baby boomers? The most common reasons are
it’s fun, easy, social, and accommodates aging bodies with less
running than tennis. Compare the number of steps in doubles
to cover a pickleball court versus tennis. The numbers don’t lie.
888-854-0163
As
Seen On:
3-Time Featured Coach
Author of the
Amazon #1 Bestseller
Joe Dinoffer is a USPTA and PTR master professional,
has written 7 tennis books and 22 DVDs, and has
appeared on the Tennis Channel. His company www.
OnCourtOffCcourt.com manufactures training aids
for pickleball and tennis, and is also the exclusive
distributor for the Pickleball Tutor in the United
States.
Prem Carnot
THE PICKLEBALL GURU
Learn the 5 Rules of Playing Smart Pickleball at:
www.SmartPickleball.com
MAY/JUNE 2017 |
MAGAZINE
19