Pickleball Magazine 4-4 | Page 46

What Net to Get? ALTHOUGH PADDLES ARE USUALLY TOP OF MIND IN PICKLEBALL, DON’T FORGET OTHER IMPORTANT EQUIPMENT NEEDED TO PLAY. 44 TO SUBSCRIBE CALL 888.308.3720 OR GO TO THEPICKLEBALLMAG.COM W hen it comes to playing pickleball, putting thought into the kind of net best suited for your court is one of the last things people do. But, like all sporting equipment, there are variations on the market that cover nearly every situation you may find yourself in. Essentially, there are two types of nets available from which others are derived—permanent and portable. Permanent nets are just that, permanent. You’ll find these on dedicated pickleball courts, attached to poles cemented into the ground. The only consumable is the netting itself, which can be removed and replaced depending on season changes or wear and tear. Where players have more choices is in the realm of portable nets. However, when you have an area that can be dedicated to pickleball play most of the time, you’ll want a heavy-duty net system with wheels. Weighing around 230 pounds, this isn’t something you want to lug in and out of your trunk every weekend. A sturdy, tournament-grade net system that can be moved, if it needs to be, is a great option. Perfect applications would be indoor or outdoor recreation centers that have to make use of every square inch of space and where pickleball is a favorite sport, but has to give up court space for other programming at times. It’s great to be able to simply roll the net out of the way to the sidelines or across the gym and reinstall with ease. You just don’t want to have to carry it across town for quick games unless bodybuilding is a secondary life goal.