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Pickleball isn’t for seniors anymore.
When Zak Miller, 27, ponders playing either badminton or pickleball, he shared the instances where the latter wins.
“If I want to get my exercise and steps and the occasional fun and play, I would lean towards Pickleball,” he said. “If I’m looking for a more intense workout, I choose badminton.”
Two to three days a week, Miller plays pickleball outdoors with a meetup group at Fisher Park in Phoenixville, which has eight pickleball courts. He plays there all year round unless there is snow on the ground.
“If it’s not snowing, you get warm out there quickly,” he said.
Other days, he might teach classes at Smashville in Pottstown, where he’s a Professional Pickleball Registry-certified instructor of the sport.
“What I love about this sport is how accessible it is to everyone,” Miller said. “Anyone of any age group can easily hit and pull off a good rally.”
Increasingly in younger population groups
For a sport typically associated with retirees, Miller says pickleball is starting to grow in younger demographics.
“I was down in Florida a month or two ago and there was a pretty young group down there,” he said. “I was surprised.”
Miller, who has been with Smashville for seven years, first encountered pickleball during his senior year at Penn State University in State College, where he played at the YMCA.
“I was looking for something to do in the morning,” he says.
Smashville, which has locations in both Pottstown and King of Prussia, offers introductory classes for beginners at its Pottstown location. Lessons take place indoors.
“Conditions are not good for casual or advanced players,” he said, adding that the surface is a bit uneven.
The last free class they held had over 20 participants. Smashville started offering pickleball and clinics about two years ago.
“We’ve had tournaments and clinics in other places as well,” he said, such as at Fisher Park in Phoenixville.
Promote and demonstrate basic skills
Half of the time at Pickleball Clinics is usually devoted to basic skills and the other half to playing.
“The goal is to encourage and showcase basic pickleball skills and some advanced skills as well as chops and slices,” Miller said.
If you’re already a tennis player, Miller said the coordination skills you get from the sport can work in your favor if you’re new to pickleball.
“You can transition even faster if you have these skills,” Miller said.
Alternatively, he said pickleball can provide a good foundation if you want to play tennis if you have no tennis experience.
“It’s probably the perfect game to transition into tennis,” he said. “You learn some of the same mechanics you can use in tennis, like topspin, slice, footwork, volley.”
While Miller likes to use pickleball as a workout, he said you can approach it just as easily while playing.
“You don’t have to expend a lot of energy,” he said. “People can get out there and it’s easy to get going and gather with your partner.”
Next Smashville Pickleball Clinic
Date: Saturday 26 March
Time: 1pm-2:30pm
For free
Where: Smashville
Address: 310 E. High St., 3rd Floor, Pottstown
*All ages welcome and bring a pickleball paddle if you have one.
For more informations
Pickleball and badminton in Smashville
Smashville in Pottstown is a member-operated badminton facility that also offers pickleball lessons. Everyone takes responsibility for the smooth running of Smashville, general cleanliness and respect for the equipment. www.smashville.us
