Pickleball is the sport of the moment: here's EYNTK before your first game

If you've ever watched a tennis game in awe, wishing for the hand-eye coordination needed to dominate the court, then you're in luck.

Pickleball, an up-and-coming racket sport, is perfect for any tennis enthusiast looking for a more accessible game, and it's just as fun as its older sister (trust us, you'll soon see).

A cross between tennis and table tennis, the game is popular among sporting superstars and amateurs alike (Andy Murray installed Scotland's first dedicated court at his hotel, Cromlix, earlier this year).

It's also easy to pick up, and gentler on your joints, meaning it's perfect for the whole family to play together, according to Neilson Active Holidays' chief pickleball instructor, Mark Petchey.

A former tennis pro himself, Petchey has coached the likes of Andy Murray and Emma Raducanu, but he's now also made space in his heart for pickleball – and coaches it under the Grecian sun (along with tennis) at Neilson's Kalamata site, Messini Beachclub.

Below, he talks to Cosmopolitan about the sport of the moment, setting out EYNTK before you hit the courts for your first game. Read on if you're keen to find out how to play pickleball, and why it differs from tennis...

So, strictly speaking, pickleball is not a new game. But it is a young sport compared to the likes of tennis, first gaining popularity in the UK around 2011, according to Pickleball England.

Invented in the USA in 1965, the sport was created by three friends looking to entertain their families. The founders were inspired by badminton, but (for those of us who aren't familiar with the sport), you can expect to follow similar (but not identical) rules to tennis. Whether you're playing singles or doubles, every player has their own paddle – rather than racket – and you play on a much smaller court than you do in tennis, explains Petchey.

As such, players who hate chasing after tennis balls or running from one side of the court to the other might feel much more comfortable with the confines of this game.

"You have less ground to cover. The bounce is pretty similar every single time and there's not a huge amount of bounce on the ball, so it's going to be relatively easy for you to pick up," says the pro. The ball is different, too, and quite a bit slower (moving at about a third of the average speed of a tennis ball) and is made of plastic with holes in it, known to some as a 'wiffle ball'.

But, this slower pace doesn't make the sport any less exciting to play! Rather, it's a "great participation sport", according to Petchey.

Picklball is fun for the whole family, says Petchey. "It is something that you can pick up relatively easily and in a short space of time. It isn't going to take you six months to learn," he adds – unlike other sports (*cough* tennis? *cough*).

"Not everyone in the family is going to have great hand-eye coordination," he continues. "Not everyone is going to have a great love of running around the tennis court, especially in hot temperatures, but somebody could pick up pickleball and have some great fun in 45 minutes."

If, like us, you're now convinced it's time to pick up a paddle, you're probably also wondering, 'How do I actually play pickleball?' and 'Is pickeball really so different to tennis?' – differences in equipment aside.

First up, when learning the rules you'll need to take notice of the 'kitchen', which is what the space in the forecourt of the pickleball court is known as. "You can go into the kitchen if the ball bounces but you can't go into the kitchen and hit volleys," instructs Petchey. "It stops you from being able to camp on top of the net and just smash balls down, which would make the game extremely boring."

"When you serve, you only have one serve, compared to tennis where you have two serves. So you have to be a little more safe with your serving. The ball has to bounce on your opponent's side and it has to bounce back. So the points always develop into something," he adds.

What's more, Petchey adds, "You can only score when you serve in pickleball, so that's the big difference between it and tennis." Yep, to repeat: you can only win points when you serve in pickleball.

The scoring system is also a bit tricksy because of this rule. As Pickleball England explains, "The game ends when one of the parties gets 11 points, with a 2-point lead.

"When a side scores a point, the same person serves, but from the other side of the court. When a player loses a point, his or her partner serves from the side of the court where he or she is standing at the moment. If this service also fails to score, service goes to the opponent and the opponent begins the service on the right. For the first service, however, the service changes sides after only one serve."

Still with us? We promise we're nearly there. "When playing singles, the player serves from the left if he or she has an uneven number of points, and from the right with an even number of points. This is how scoring is kept: 1-0-1 means that the serving side has 1 point, the other side has no points, and this is the first server," Pickleball England adds.

Don't worry if you need to recap the rules a few times. If you're used to tennis, it makes sense that the new rules will take a bit of getting used to.

Pickleball sounds great, right? So it's likely no surprise that the game is gaining popularity in the UK and US.

"It has exploded in the States in terms of the participation because it is a very social sport, particularly for the older generation, who are able to play to for many, many years. It's very forgiving on your joints. You can talk and chat and learn some nice skills while you're out there," says the pro.

Petchey adds: "The greatest compliment you can give to pickleball is that it's at Andy Murray's hotel, Cromlix. You know there's a good reason why he's done that! He understands that people who are going to stay there are going to enjoy this sport, it's a sport that you can learn at any stage of your life and I think you'll play it forever."

If you don't happen to live near Cromlix (if you do, doubles match with Murray, anyone?), don't fear as there are over 120 places to play in England alone, according to Pickleball England. You can also check out Pickleball Scotland and Pickleball Ireland for more information, or Torfaen Pickleball Club, if you're based in Wales.

Fancy learning in the sun under the watchful eye of Mark Petchey himself? Check out Neilson's Messini Beach Club that offers tennis, pickleball and a tonne of other activities for all ages and abilities (from yoga to windsurfing, bikinig to HIIT). Prices start from £749 pp for a weeklong stay.

Amber O’Connor

Former Junior Features Writer

 Amber O’Connor is Cosmopolitan UK’s former junior features writer, who covers everything from breaking news, women’s safety and real life features to fitness, travel, and cultural trends. She works on first-person features, reports, and long reads, plus the hottest stories of the day (if you want to know about the latest wellness craze or TikTok trends, she’s your girl).  Amber has previously worked as a reporter and a lifestyle writer, with her work appearing in numerous publications, including The Mirror, Red Magazine, Evening Standard, Indy100, and Yahoo News. When she’s not working her way through her TBR list, Amber loves dancing, running, and going on adventures with her dog.

Jennifer Savin

Features Editor

 Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.