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Padel vs Pickleball - views?

Mad Dog
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This whole pickleball thing has really become the rage in Cincinnati. I see all ages playing it…new pickleball courts are almost everywhere. I started playing a few years ago…I can run around the court like a maniac but my shots generally suck. I have a hard time hitting the ball in the sweet spot…too many distracting hot cougar moms on the court.
 
gearjockey
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Mad Dog Mad Dog
This whole pickleball thing has really become the rage in Cincinnati. I see all ages playing it…new pickleball courts are almost everywhere. I started playing a few years ago…I can run around the court like a maniac but my shots generally suck. I have a hard time hitting the ball in the sweet spot…too many distracting hot cougar moms on the court.

A fellow I work with said he played with someone in Hyde Park who was rocking a Speedy on the pickleball court on a Tuesday. I knew exactly who he was referring to.
 
Mad Dog
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gearjockey gearjockey
A fellow I work with said he played with someone in Hyde Park who was rocking a Speedy on the pickleball court on a Tuesday. I knew exactly who he was referring to.
Yeppers…I remember him [it was a few years ago]…he’s a big dude and could basically reach everything on the court by himself…good player. I thought he said he was on the 777 at the time.

Also, since I play pickleball fairly infrequently, I get really confused regarding the scoring/service/court position…and sometimes it’s resulted in some drama on the court…

Some pickleballer dude: “Dude…that’s not the score…it’s their service…give that person the ball…stand here…not there…and blah, blah, blah…what the hell is wrong with you?”

Mad Dog: “Hey guess what, pickleballer dude? The club is giving away free poop sandwiches right over there…you should go get yourself ‘a couple two tree’ of those poop sandwiches!”

For some reason my comment didn’t go over too well…and I received counseling as a result. 😗
 
TimeODanaos
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Mad Dog Mad Dog
hot cougar moms on the court
Got to be factored in, thanks (gentlemen equivalents too of course).
 
Mad Dog
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Archer Archer
Naked seniors? Do not want!!
Thanks for the heads up on that, kind sir. 👍

Luckily, I saw your post immediately following @blufinz52 ’s post and did not click on the link…therefore, I don’t have to endure the “what has been seen cannot be unseen” evolution. You, however, must endure the “what has been seen cannot be unseen” evolution…so thanks for taking one for the team. 👍
 
arturo7
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OK, I tried it this afternoon.

It was much easier than I anticipated. One of my knees is 50% on a good day and my lower back can give me fits. No issues with either. I liked it. We played singles. I imagine if you play double you barely need to move.

I might go buy a racket...
 
blufinz52
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arturo7 arturo7
OK, I tried it this afternoon.

It was much easier than I anticipated. One of my knees is 50% on a good day and my lower back can give me fits. No issues with either. I liked it. We played singles. I imagine if you play double you barely need to move.

I might go buy a racket...

It’s a paddle. A racket has strings.
Once you progress to a 3.0, 3.5 level, you’ll be moving a lot in doubles.
 
Archer
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blufinz52 blufinz52
It’s a paddle. A racket has strings.

Some advantages of pickleball over tennis...

1 - no broken strings in the middle of a rally, costing you the point...





1a - no need to pay for regular restringing.

arturo7 arturo7
I imagine if you play double you barely need to move.

2 - shoes don't wear out as fast. 😉

Seriously, I go through 2 pairs an outdoor season easily playing on hardcourts...
 
blufinz52
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Archer Archer
Some advantages of pickleball over tennis...

1 - no broken strings in the middle of a rally, costing you the point...





1a - no need to pay for regular restringing.



2 - shoes don't wear out as fast. 😉

Seriously, I go through 2 pairs an outdoor season easily playing on hardcourts...

All good reasons to switch to pickleball 😉. We can tell pretty quickly who is a former tennis player and who is a former racquetball player. Tennis players get the game quicker, racquetball players have real fast reaction times to the ball.
 
Braindrain
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Archer Archer
Some advantages of pickleball over tennis...

1 - no broken strings in the middle of a rally, costing you the point...





1a - no need to pay for regular restringing.



2 - shoes don't wear out as fast. 😉

Seriously, I go through 2 pairs an outdoor season easily playing on hardcourts...

It's why I love the game. So many variables...
 
vitriol
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Here in Poland, tennis is no.1 racket sport since forever. There is a huge gap between a number of the tennis clubs and squash or badminton clubs. Padel started growing 1-2 years ago and is growing rapidly. Yet it is not that popular as it is in Spain, Sweden, Italy or France but everyone expects in a few years padel to be second to tennis.

I've background in squash, have played padel and found it as slow-paced game, a bit too undemanding.
From the viewers point of view the padel for sure is an attractive game, possibly even more attractive than tennis (double), but as long as my fitness allows me be decent at squash I will continue in squash.

Pickleball? Frankly speaking I had to google it because I thought it is not existing here.
Would be interesting to hear from you guys how far away from truth Chris Barnes (a comedian) has got it? 😉
Edited:
 
vitriol
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To my surprise, apparently, we have a Polish Pickleball Pro Association and I have just checked a number of active licensed and ranked players between the Pickleball and Padel Pro Associations;

Padel
Men - 847 Doubles
Women - 99 Doubles

Pickleball
Men - 59 Doubles
Women - 25 Doubles
 
Dan S
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I'm not familiar with padel, but pickle ball has exploded in popularity here over the past 3-5 years, with many tennis courts almost always converted. Initially it was all seniors, but in the last year I am seeing many more young people, and the game looks quite different when they are playing.
 
Archer
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"Yeah I got really burned by crypto...this really saved me."

😁😁😁😁
 
TimeODanaos
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"...too unathletic for tennis, too poor for golf."
Oh dear...
I've now played padel some; still trying to give pickle an equal chance before the verdict. I'm getting the impression there are places where pickle is the alternative to paying to belong to a tennis club (that may or may not have padel or pickle as a side order). Nothing wrong with that - getting to the stage where tennis is genuine fun is pretty expensive by comparison.
Edited:
 
calalum
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Not sure about that. Most clubs here have tennis and pickle, and club dues and fees are all part of the same package.
 
TimeODanaos
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calalum calalum
Not sure about that. Most clubs here have tennis and pickle, and club dues and fees are all part of the same package.
Ah, OK, thanks for correcting. I just wondered whether some pickle courts were setting up in e.g. public parks etc, bringing some fun and fitness to a wider demographic. I don't see that as being an option for padel (I still have to un-autocorrect that spelling each time...). The courts are much more expensive - think astroturf and glass walls - and might be vulnerable* to getting trashed in some public areas. Perhaps some Europeans will correct me if that perception is wrong too!

* Disclosure: I have now bounced my non-small self off the inside of the glass numerous times, both as part of the fun and in hope of persuading onlookers it might be an elite play of some kind. That glass is tough! Of course, in some places that might be seen as a challenge by the better-armed sort of vandal. But the rebound of ball, and sometimes player, is definitely part of the appeal.
 
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