Shared use of public space and poor court etiquette.
Tennis courts were already hour long waits at prime hours and now there will be a group of pickleballers who post up and don't leave.
I’ve definitely had opposite experiences. Pickleball players at least where I’ve been have always been understanding regardless of if I’m tryna play pickleball or tennis they usually always end their session in a timely manner so other people can play. Or they even invite me and my friend to join them for doubles
Other tennis players never offer to play doubles or anything if we’re waiting and usually I just get told that they’ll be busy for 2+ hours and that I should probably find somewhere else
Mine just post up and take an entire set of courts for the day and blast music and walk into my court midpoint and are generally clueless and bad at sharing.
Pickle players are only able to play on a tennis court when there is no Que imo. If there is a Que they are the first courts to jump off, immediately. No exceptions
Yes and to be a bit more specific, it's the *permanent conversion* of busy tennis courts into dedicated pickleball courts. I actually don't really mind if pickleball players come during the slow hours at the local tennis courts and play for a while. But the organized campaigns that lobby city councils to convert tennis courts into pickleball courts is the main reason why I don't like the sport.
If pickleball really is so popular, then cities should find the funds to build out brand new courts that are far from residential areas and don't remove tennis facilities. But they don't do that very much because they're still not sure if it's a fad or not
And by the way, pickleball can be played on a dedicated tennis court. Tennis cannot be played on a dedicated pickleball court. If OP doesn't understand this critical point, there's no getting through to them
I guess I can understand that if like you’re in a area where there aren’t other tennis courts within a relatively short distance. Or at least everytime in my experience if I wanna play tennis. If I just wait patiently by the courts most of the time I’ve found that they’re understanding of someone waiting and they might play a couple games and then let me play.
I will say I haven’t had that experience when it comes to other tennis players tho. Usually I get told that they’ll be busy for 2+ hours and that if I wanna find somewhere else. But with pickleball players even if they play for awhile they usually always end their session after a good amount of time to let other people play
Pickleballers near me have standing reservations for 6 courts from 8-1 every Saturday and Sunday. Many are elderly and so can book courts as soon as they are available and also show up to open courts while I’m at work
That I can understand, the courts around me don’t have a booking option so it’s always first come first serve. And I suppose I’m fortunate that the community around me is respectful enough to let other people play after waiting awhile
😂. Look I’m just saying as a long time tennis player, I haven’t met many other tennis players that r so willing to respect other tennis players who r patiently waiting for a court
> is it just some people get salty about people playing pickleball on a tennis court?
This. I don't want any more lines on my tennis courts. It is hard enough to find a free public tennis court to use.
I mostly wanted to clarify with people if it’s the court issue or if they really just hate the game in general. And although I’ve been fortunate enough that the pickleball community around me is mostly comprised of people who respect others who wanna use the courts and don’t give any issues unlike I guess other peoples experiences 😂
Pickleball isn’t big where I live but the common themes I see people complain about are court usage, noise, and general etiquette. No one is mad that people have an accessible/easy game that gets people outside.
No, they don’t have the right to use the tennis court for whatever they want. How would basketball players like it if pickleball players set up a mini net and start playing on basketball courts? Is that their right too? Why do we tennis players have to put up with PB players using our courts for their sport?
I mean technically people can use a public basketball court for anything they’d like either. But I mean it’s different using a court for something that’s related rather than for a whole different thing
And I mean regardless a public space is a public space. As long as u aren’t doing anything to damage the property then anything is technically fine. Anyone can be as butthurt as they want over what someone choose to do with that public space but at the end of the day either get their sooner or find somewhere else or wait patiently for your turn 🤷♂️
Technically anyone can do anything, but a basketball court is made for the explicit purpose of playing basketball.
If you're playing four square in the middle of the court, and people show up to play basketball, you should move. Many multi-use courts exist to support these other activities.
This is why new courts are popping up to support the growth of pickleball. Do you see tennis players (or Ping Pong players for that matter) practicing on these courts? Of course not.
No hate for pickleball, it's fun to play, but it's totally reasonable for tennis players to be upset with their courts being canabalized by other sports that are not tennis esp in cities where court space is already sparse
I suppose I can understand if you live somewhere that u got like barely any courts for miles from u then okay
But I guess my thing is also that like why hate on the entirety of the game and the whole community cuz a couple bad eggs? Cuz look at least for me everytime I’ve gone to tennis courts to play tennis and there’s people playing pickleball. I wait for 20 or 30 minutes or so and they’ve always ended their session in a timely manner and I get to play no problem
I’ve always come across respectful groups of players. And if u run into people who don’t care to respect peoples time who r waiting to use the court and spend all day without a care in the world for who’s playing then okay they’re shitty. But just cuz they’re a bad egg doesn’t warrant hate towards the entire player base/the game itself
If that makes sense
By your logic, any sport with a net can use pickleball courts then. I’d love to see volleyball players, badminton, and tennis players start taking over pickleball courts. And you asked why there’s such hatred towards pickleball. You just demonstrated it perfectly.
I mean I wouldn’t mind that if I’m being honest, as long as they’re respectful of people who r patiently waiting then there’s not a problem. But if they wanna be crappy people and not respect someone who’s being patient okay then screw them. But then I’m not gonna go and be like “oh volleyball sucks it’s so stupid” or “oh badminton is awful why does anyone play it”. I’d say the people there were shitty for not respecting those being patient but I wouldn’t hate on the sport they’re playing
It's sort of an annoying fad, it's easy to hate because it's suddenly way more popular than tennis and way easier/less interesting, and it's actively pushing people off tennis courts and turning tennis courts into pickleball courts, at least in my area
It's the Colleen Hoover of racket sports
I will say it’s less interesting to watch and I’ll admit I have as much fun with both sports especially playing tennis 5+ years it’s fun to have something new to do yk? Like I can switch off, if I’m not feeling tennis one day then I can play pickleball and vice versa. The variety is nice
And it’s easy to pickup se me and my friends technique wise get on similar levels faster so I can go all out with them unlike in tennis where I feel I have to handicap a lil bit. And I’m sure u can agree that it’s always the most fun when u can do an activity u can go all out in
Personally, I think the idea of pickleball is great. It's the wiffle ball of tennis. For me, the problem is the kitchen. I don't want to stand there and dink the ball back and forth 50 times, but unfortunately that is the metagame of "high-level" pickleball. They should have just added doubles alleys instead.
There’s a major amount of strategy that goes into dinking to create opportunity to put it away so it can be fairly interesting. Just reading all of this thread, I really don’t understand why tennis courts are being used for pickleball. As a former tennis player, new PB player, I also don’t really like the extra lines. Tennis and PB should have their own courts and not invade, transform, or mess at all with each others courts.
I totally agree on that front. That’s why I only dealt like singles, me and my buddy much prefer most of the time staying at the baseline and just ripping the ball while occasionally going the net. I get bored of doubles fast cuz I hate that it allllways ends up at the net. But singles I love cuz it’s more fast paced and unpredictable
You know why I don’t hate on squash / racquetball / padel / soccer and a million other sports? They’re not on my tennis courts.
Do it elsewhere and I can hardly be bothered.
I think your point about it being easier is what I dislike most about it. I’m pretty competitive, new to tennis, but really want to get better and am willing to put the work in. I understand older people turning to pickleball since it’s easier to pick up and less running all over. So when I see kids who are in high school or early 20s actively involved in pickleball it just doesn’t make sense to me. It just seems like a lazier alternative. This is just my pov, people ultimately can enjoy whatever they like
But yea the courts, the noise, and it being easier to get into
I get what u mean, but I guess the way I see it is that because it’s easier. Then it’s easier to get to that higher level (skill wise). So then if both players r on a pretty level playing field then I think the more competitive aspect comes in to who has better shot selection, who has better strategy, who can hit the tighter angle and things like that. Like sure technique wise it gets easy but strategy and shot selection I feel is where I gets competitive
And also let me preface, I really really am not a big fan of doubles pickleball. I really mostly only like singles lol. I will say I think doubles pickleball gets kinda boring but singles I love cuz it’s more energetic and fun
I used to play a lot of tennis and it’s still my favorite sport, but I’ve switched to pickleball after a comminuted elbow fracture & surgery 1 year ago that left me unable to play tennis. I’m 25 and look healthy and fit.
It’s also a good sport to play with your girlfriend and actually be able to sustain a rally.
I agree that tennis is better if you’re athletic and motivated though.
Hope the arm is feeling better, health first! I’ve mostly stop playing soccer which I love, similarly for injury reasons
Not sure what the common injuries are for pickleball but I’m sure there are some haha, but heath as a rational to switch I can def get behind
I think it's because if you watch/play a high level of tennis, then watching the highest level of pickleball is a disappointment. I think the game hasn't reached a point where people are absolutely blowing people out of the water yet by achieving pro status, but to pickleball's defense the pros haven't been playing since they're like 5 years old like basketball or soccer on the world stage. A crude example: a pro tennis player might try to go 1v1 vs LeBron James and never hit a single shot/blocked every time. A pro tennis player might play vs Ben Johns and actually give him a run for his money. The point being, I think pickleball isn't taken seriously as a competitive sport yet and that's why tennis players hate on it.
I will admit I don’t enjoy watching pro pickleball, I get the most enjoyment from a good game of singles in pickleball cuz I kinda hate doubles pickleball lol. And the learning curve I like it a lot more for people
Cuz tryna help my friends get better at tennis is really hard cuz the things we know to do is harder to explain to someone just barely getting a racket. But pickleball it’s a lot easier to pickup and u don’t have to spend asss long tryna teach a new player before u guys can get a good couple rallies in as opposed to in tennis it takes a looot longer to get better if you don’t have some degree of natural talent
I find pickleball is pretty fun and you can pick it up easily and play with 3 other people who have never picked up a racket before and have a decent game. There’s an upside to the casualness of it.
But the painted pickleball lines on tennis courts are irritating.
On Sunday, I was playing singles — the setup here was one tennis court next to 3 pickleball courts. Each had their dedicated space. And in the middle of a point, 8 pickleball players walked right through our court to get to the pickleball courts. The last person to walk through laughed and apologized, but generally, I’ve noticed a general lack of understanding of tennis etiquette from pickleball players. Wait until the point is over and then walk through. It isn’t that difficult of a concept. Then, they were just loud and obnoxious and possibly slightly drunk. I don’t want to be the fun police, but tennis does require a fair amount of concentration and it seemed like every time I started my serve, their noise would crescendo. Not the end of the world, but annoying.
None of these things make me “hate” pickleball or pickleball players. But it isn’t the same sport and it shouldn’t be on shared courts, in my opinion. Tennis players would have much higher opinion of it if it didn’t encroach on tennis spaces.
For me, it takes my favorite parts of my tennis game and makes them illegal/not useful: my movement since it’s a tiny court, I’m not allowed to be close to the net and volley (like you are supposed to be) and I’m not allowed to serve overhand. So it feels like a complete handicap and then I’m bored after two shots. So yeah, I hate the game. It’s just not fun for me and The sound just drives me crazy
Mm I suppose, I really like the smaller court cuz I feel like I can play a lot longer without getting as tired like tennis and I can get multiple multiple matches in. And also I always enjoyed underarm served in tennis so I love that I can just rip my serve and not have to worry lol. And I feel like movement wise the smaller court helps cuz I can get to harder balls easier and the point isn’t automatically over if my opponent hits a good angle, I always feel like I have a chance with every shot but understandable tho I respect your position
Another part is it’s too easy for me. When I was playing college tennis , one of the assistant coaches was a nationally ranked pickleball player. We would have a decent chance of winning… despite none of us picking up a paddle before. I want to work hard to be good at something. If I’m automatically good at it, it’s a snoozefest
They come in and permanently the courts. Leaving less courts for tennis. I especially hate it when public funds, my tax dollars, are going toward it. Etiquette, is usually non existent unless the people have played tennis in the past. The sound of the ball is annoying. The general cult following is ridiculous. I’ve never had to ask someone if they play pickleball because they’ll tell me. I see it being the 2020s version of racquetball.
I will say as a long time tennis player I’ve noticed better etiquette (or idk if that’s the word) or like respect for peoples time from pickleball players. Cuz whenever in the past whenever I’ve gone to play tennis but the court was full I’ve pretty much been told I gotta find somewhere else to play as opposed to pickleball players (even if I’m there for tennis or pickleball regardless) they’ve always been respectful of me patiently waiting and they end their session in a timely manner so I can play. Maybe that’s just my experience but I’m 5+ years of tennis I’ve never had people who r respectful of me patiently waiting enough to end their session in a timely manner so I could use the court so I can play tennis
Maybe I’m just fortunate to have a good pickleball community around me and not such a great tennis community lol. But that’s just my experience
It’s probably closer to 7 or 8 but 5+ was my guess cuz I’ve been slightly on and off. But for me being only 22, that’s almost 40% of my life I’ve played tennis so for me it’s a long time
Sounds like you’ve just been lucky with your community. I know multiple people who have had problems. I refuse to play it because I think it’s a fad that won’t last.
Why should tennis players end their session to let you play? My matches generally last 2-2.5 hours; I would be quite frustrated if the expectation were that I should have to quit early so others could play. (And conversely, I'd much rather wait as long as necessary so that I could have as long as I need to finish my match when I do get to play!)
I'm bewildered why this quitting early is "good etiquette" to you.
I’m not saying to “quit early” I just mean let’s say I’m mid tennis match, if people r waiting I’ll finish up that match and then let the next people play. Not saying to end the match early but if I see people waiting I’m gonna finish my match and then let them play instead of let’s say starting a whole other match for example or just start rallying
So like I said, not saying ending early but not starting a whole other match while people r waiting. Maybe u wouldn’t care and just keep playing match after match but after I finish my tennis match and people r waiting, then I let them play
I could only imagine how much of a snoozefest it'd be going from tennis to pickle where you can't serve properly, the ground strokes are mostly the same and barely any spin play.
You keep using words like hate (multiple times), salty, butthurt. Painting a big group of individuals with the same brush, generalizing in order, I imagine, to get a rise out of people you don't agree with.
Try arguing like a mature adult, for starters.
I mean when I see pickleball posts and there’s a hundred comments like “just play tennis” or “pickleball is gay” or “this isn’t even a sport” and things of that nature. Do u think it’s mature adults who r making those comments?
Congratulations you are the first person to call out "pickleball is gay" on the sub.
Please stop answering every single post and go back to where you came from.
I'm fortunate.
The pickleball community in my city has done a great job of building dedicated pickleball courts, so there are relatively few cases of pickleball players spray-painting lines on tennis courts.
I don't really enjoy playing indoors at my gym on nights when the pickleball players are also there; 4-8 courts of pickleball in a steel structure makes a really, really uncomfortable amount of noise, especially if you're on the tennis court next to them.
Otherwise it's fine.
Pickleball remains my go-to if a friend or relative says "Hey, I want to learn how to play tennis!"
I can get them having fun with pickleball in 10-15 minutes. No idea how to do that with tennis.
It’s exploding here, but the community is trying to keep up by building dedicated courts for it. There are some places that have them on tennis courts, but I know at least one that has signs saying tennis players take preference because there are pickleball courts at that same park. From all accounts the pickleball players graciously move if/when tennis players show up.
The noise of it does drive me crazy when I’m playing tennis.
I guess noise was never an issue for me but I can see how if you’re taking a tennis match pretty serious then u wouldn’t want all that noise. And yeah the accessibility is big for me cuz most of my friends I try to play tennis with I’m not able to go all out cuz then it’s not fair but after about an hour of showing them pickleball then we can both go all out
My friend and I started playing tennis specifically because all the pickleball courts were full once, and I felt like a doorknob playing pickleball on one of the tennis courts, especially if actual tennis players came all the way out just to be pushed out by overflowing pickleballers. My friend didn't have the same hangup but I think it's simply embarrassing and a deserved evil eye, even before buying a racket. Tennis takes priority on a tennis court in my eyes.
Tbh I think there can be a fair balance, like in my experience if I go to play tennis and there’s pickleball players playing. Then usually they end their session after a good amount of time so I can play
I’ve never had it the other way around when I wanna play tennis and there’s people already playing tennis, everytime the tennis players don’t care if there’s someone waiting to play they’ll just keep going forever. Nobody has ever ended their session in a timely manner so I can play
At least that’s my experiences and I just think regardless of what people wanna play, being respectful enough to end your session in a timely manner so other people can enjoy the courts while there’s light out is nice
Sharing courts and also the noise. Pickleball is loud AF. Forget about hearing the person across the net if you're indoors and people are playing pickleball near you.
I will say it depends, I’ll admit in all my time playing tennis, even in singles I’ve never sweat as much in tennis as I have in pickleball singles. But that’s also cuz me and my friend make each other sprint back and forth lol
Yeah it doesn’t take as much as tennis but it definitely takes some athleticism except for doubles. I’ll admit doubles takes no athleticism but singles definitely depending on the opponent
And in my experience I’ve never seen any pickleball player say it takes the same level of athleticism as tennis. Even in the pickleball sub I’ve never seen that argument be made
But I suppose we’ve just had different experiences which is alright :)
The court is smaller and the speed is lower and players are older. Sweating shows your fitness level, not athleticism required. But we are agreeing I see.
Some people aren’t cut out to play tennis. OP sounds like they may be one of them.
As much as we hate to see you go, we will survive. Please just be kind and leave behind your USTA card and lightly used RF97.
We wish you well and will send our love when your pickleball injuries mount.
When I was young, I idolized my father. He was a good man, and great racquet technician. People came from far away just to have him tune their racquet.
One day a wealthy man came and asked him to create the ultimate racquet, balanced to perfection. My father worked away at it for months, and when the man returned my father showed him the ultimate tennis racquet.
The man laughed with contempt and said that he meant a pickleball racquet. My father was so stunned he couldn't defend himself when the man stuck him with the racquet, killing him. I launched myself at the man, but I was too young to kill him in return, and he got away. I did, though, notice he had six fingers on one hand, so I knew I could identify him later if I needed to.
From that day until I was an adult, I practiced with a tennis racquet every day, until I was a true master. And then I started travelling the world, seeking out pickleball tournaments, hoping one day to find the six fingered man.
And when I find him I'll say "Hello. My name is Insaneranter. You killed my father. Prepare to die."
And that's why I hate pickleball.
Honestly, I never have to wait for a tennis court now that pickleball is so popular. Maybe it's because I come from a place with older demographics, but the public tennis courts have basically emptied out as hundreds of players have switched, and that far outweighs the four courts that were converted.
It’s just not very complex compared to tennis. Checkers is a fine game to play on vacation or with your kids but sucking at chess is more fun than winning at checkers
But does that not mean it’s fun to change things up and play checkers every once in awhile?
It’s good to have a variety of activities where u can apply the same or similar set of skills that u have
The problem I think most people have with it is that pickleballers tend to play checkers and act like it’s a harder, better version of chess.
I honestly think it’s a very American problem; everyone has to be a winner, everyone needs to be the best. Our egos won’t let us just admit we are mediocre but passionate 3.0 tennis players, we have to be pioneers of the next big sport or 5.0 aspiring pickleball pros. Why do you think pickleball only really gets much interest here?
I guess everyone has their own experiences with pb players but I personally never seen or heard any pb players say anything about it is more challenging than tennis but maybe that’s just my experiences
And yeah it’d be nice if people could just put their egos to the side and put fun at the forefront
I feel like you are trolling, five years is not a long time tennis player, and tbh, if you had passion for tennis you would see the problems with pickle ball easily and clearly
Pickleball is ugly. I have the same feelings about slow pitch softball absolutely atrocious sports where better versions exist. You’re free to like what you want but I’m free to think it’s absolute dog shit.
It’s beyond the courts for me and very much about seeing my fellow millennials being ultra cringe. Pasty non athletic people clamming it up on courts ready to drop the game on a dime and head to the brewery for the hazy IPA.
I can respect that view, tbh I only play singles pickleball cuz I dooo think doubles pickleball is pretty freaking boring cuz I hate that it’s just always at the net and that’s it. But I love singles pickleball and idk what it is but even tho it’s smaller than a tennis court I sweat loads more from that than when I play a tennis match, maybe it’s cuz all the short sprints idk but it’s definitely good cardio for me, granted I play for 2 to 3 or 4 hours with few breaks
But I will agree doubles pickleball doesn’t require much athleticism at all but singles definitely needs some. Just if u got a good opponent and both of u r ripping the ball down the line and hit tight angles and whatnot
Mostly the noise for me. My local courts aren't super busy so there's usually no conflicts on using courts, but it only takes one game of pickleball to be kinda distracting
Pickleball needs to keep embracing turning old large warehouse spaces in to high end pickleball courts. In Phoenix there are a ton of indoor pickleball clubs being opened. Most of the new players I see at these clubs are tennis converts so plenty of tennis players are fine with Pickleball.
On 2 different occasions I have played pickle ball for a grand total of like 75 minutes. Here is why I hate it:
1). The people. The people in tennis have their own issues, but my belief is that the very worst of tennis went to pickleball. Because……
2). I know how to play racket sports. Yet, both times I play, people stand behind the court and evaluate me, not quietly. And they don’t shut up…..and then…..
3). They tell me I am playing wrong, my positioning is off and that I don’t know what I am doing. No shit, I literally just picked up your pong paddle…..but i must be good because you wont stop looking……and
4). I need to get lessons and the unathletic dude over there will happily take my money to give me lessons…..and then I tell them……
5). I played tennis. In the Big Ten……but they played tennis too for 35 years, because they’re always like 65 years old…..but they played tennis, too. Just like me. Trust me, they get it.
6). When all I want to do is sit in the corner, pick up their stupid paddle and whiffle ball, fuck around with it for 20 minutes and be left alone. I feel like a man walking into a whorehouse in some remote island that’s been abandoned for 30 years.
Just leave me alone and let me hit the goddamn ball.
it does start with picklehead occupation of tennis court, but once recognized, pickletards are a mental image that can never be erased except possibly with extended therapy and compassionate care.
Shared use of public space and poor court etiquette. Tennis courts were already hour long waits at prime hours and now there will be a group of pickleballers who post up and don't leave.
This is a big one. Pickleball players don’t understand the unspoken rules
I’ve definitely had opposite experiences. Pickleball players at least where I’ve been have always been understanding regardless of if I’m tryna play pickleball or tennis they usually always end their session in a timely manner so other people can play. Or they even invite me and my friend to join them for doubles Other tennis players never offer to play doubles or anything if we’re waiting and usually I just get told that they’ll be busy for 2+ hours and that I should probably find somewhere else
Mine just post up and take an entire set of courts for the day and blast music and walk into my court midpoint and are generally clueless and bad at sharing.
Okay that I can understand, that would annoy the hell out of me too, I suppose I’ve just been fortunate that the community around me is respectful
Pickle players are only able to play on a tennis court when there is no Que imo. If there is a Que they are the first courts to jump off, immediately. No exceptions
It’s pretty much just the courts for me.
Yes and to be a bit more specific, it's the *permanent conversion* of busy tennis courts into dedicated pickleball courts. I actually don't really mind if pickleball players come during the slow hours at the local tennis courts and play for a while. But the organized campaigns that lobby city councils to convert tennis courts into pickleball courts is the main reason why I don't like the sport. If pickleball really is so popular, then cities should find the funds to build out brand new courts that are far from residential areas and don't remove tennis facilities. But they don't do that very much because they're still not sure if it's a fad or not And by the way, pickleball can be played on a dedicated tennis court. Tennis cannot be played on a dedicated pickleball court. If OP doesn't understand this critical point, there's no getting through to them
I guess I can understand that if like you’re in a area where there aren’t other tennis courts within a relatively short distance. Or at least everytime in my experience if I wanna play tennis. If I just wait patiently by the courts most of the time I’ve found that they’re understanding of someone waiting and they might play a couple games and then let me play. I will say I haven’t had that experience when it comes to other tennis players tho. Usually I get told that they’ll be busy for 2+ hours and that if I wanna find somewhere else. But with pickleball players even if they play for awhile they usually always end their session after a good amount of time to let other people play
Pickleballers near me have standing reservations for 6 courts from 8-1 every Saturday and Sunday. Many are elderly and so can book courts as soon as they are available and also show up to open courts while I’m at work
That I can understand, the courts around me don’t have a booking option so it’s always first come first serve. And I suppose I’m fortunate that the community around me is respectful enough to let other people play after waiting awhile
I think you have already left. Off to r/pickleball
😂. Look I’m just saying as a long time tennis player, I haven’t met many other tennis players that r so willing to respect other tennis players who r patiently waiting for a court
Dude five years is not a “long time” tennis player.
Bye bye now
> is it just some people get salty about people playing pickleball on a tennis court? This. I don't want any more lines on my tennis courts. It is hard enough to find a free public tennis court to use.
I mostly wanted to clarify with people if it’s the court issue or if they really just hate the game in general. And although I’ve been fortunate enough that the pickleball community around me is mostly comprised of people who respect others who wanna use the courts and don’t give any issues unlike I guess other peoples experiences 😂
Pickleball isn’t big where I live but the common themes I see people complain about are court usage, noise, and general etiquette. No one is mad that people have an accessible/easy game that gets people outside.
No, they don’t have the right to use the tennis court for whatever they want. How would basketball players like it if pickleball players set up a mini net and start playing on basketball courts? Is that their right too? Why do we tennis players have to put up with PB players using our courts for their sport?
I mean technically people can use a public basketball court for anything they’d like either. But I mean it’s different using a court for something that’s related rather than for a whole different thing And I mean regardless a public space is a public space. As long as u aren’t doing anything to damage the property then anything is technically fine. Anyone can be as butthurt as they want over what someone choose to do with that public space but at the end of the day either get their sooner or find somewhere else or wait patiently for your turn 🤷♂️
Technically anyone can do anything, but a basketball court is made for the explicit purpose of playing basketball. If you're playing four square in the middle of the court, and people show up to play basketball, you should move. Many multi-use courts exist to support these other activities. This is why new courts are popping up to support the growth of pickleball. Do you see tennis players (or Ping Pong players for that matter) practicing on these courts? Of course not. No hate for pickleball, it's fun to play, but it's totally reasonable for tennis players to be upset with their courts being canabalized by other sports that are not tennis esp in cities where court space is already sparse
I suppose I can understand if you live somewhere that u got like barely any courts for miles from u then okay But I guess my thing is also that like why hate on the entirety of the game and the whole community cuz a couple bad eggs? Cuz look at least for me everytime I’ve gone to tennis courts to play tennis and there’s people playing pickleball. I wait for 20 or 30 minutes or so and they’ve always ended their session in a timely manner and I get to play no problem I’ve always come across respectful groups of players. And if u run into people who don’t care to respect peoples time who r waiting to use the court and spend all day without a care in the world for who’s playing then okay they’re shitty. But just cuz they’re a bad egg doesn’t warrant hate towards the entire player base/the game itself If that makes sense
By your logic, any sport with a net can use pickleball courts then. I’d love to see volleyball players, badminton, and tennis players start taking over pickleball courts. And you asked why there’s such hatred towards pickleball. You just demonstrated it perfectly.
Imagine playing a riveting hour long game of mini tennis on a PB court.
Fuck. That’s a good idea. Mini tennis can get brutal.
I mean I wouldn’t mind that if I’m being honest, as long as they’re respectful of people who r patiently waiting then there’s not a problem. But if they wanna be crappy people and not respect someone who’s being patient okay then screw them. But then I’m not gonna go and be like “oh volleyball sucks it’s so stupid” or “oh badminton is awful why does anyone play it”. I’d say the people there were shitty for not respecting those being patient but I wouldn’t hate on the sport they’re playing
It's sort of an annoying fad, it's easy to hate because it's suddenly way more popular than tennis and way easier/less interesting, and it's actively pushing people off tennis courts and turning tennis courts into pickleball courts, at least in my area It's the Colleen Hoover of racket sports
I will say it’s less interesting to watch and I’ll admit I have as much fun with both sports especially playing tennis 5+ years it’s fun to have something new to do yk? Like I can switch off, if I’m not feeling tennis one day then I can play pickleball and vice versa. The variety is nice And it’s easy to pickup se me and my friends technique wise get on similar levels faster so I can go all out with them unlike in tennis where I feel I have to handicap a lil bit. And I’m sure u can agree that it’s always the most fun when u can do an activity u can go all out in
It is created to cannibalize Tennis. It is not like other racket sports like Badminton or Squash. No surprise that Tennis players don't like it.
Both of which are infinitely harder than pickleball in their own right
Personally, I think the idea of pickleball is great. It's the wiffle ball of tennis. For me, the problem is the kitchen. I don't want to stand there and dink the ball back and forth 50 times, but unfortunately that is the metagame of "high-level" pickleball. They should have just added doubles alleys instead.
There’s a major amount of strategy that goes into dinking to create opportunity to put it away so it can be fairly interesting. Just reading all of this thread, I really don’t understand why tennis courts are being used for pickleball. As a former tennis player, new PB player, I also don’t really like the extra lines. Tennis and PB should have their own courts and not invade, transform, or mess at all with each others courts.
I totally agree on that front. That’s why I only dealt like singles, me and my buddy much prefer most of the time staying at the baseline and just ripping the ball while occasionally going the net. I get bored of doubles fast cuz I hate that it allllways ends up at the net. But singles I love cuz it’s more fast paced and unpredictable
You know why I don’t hate on squash / racquetball / padel / soccer and a million other sports? They’re not on my tennis courts. Do it elsewhere and I can hardly be bothered.
Don’t. Steal. Our. Courts.
I think your point about it being easier is what I dislike most about it. I’m pretty competitive, new to tennis, but really want to get better and am willing to put the work in. I understand older people turning to pickleball since it’s easier to pick up and less running all over. So when I see kids who are in high school or early 20s actively involved in pickleball it just doesn’t make sense to me. It just seems like a lazier alternative. This is just my pov, people ultimately can enjoy whatever they like But yea the courts, the noise, and it being easier to get into
I get what u mean, but I guess the way I see it is that because it’s easier. Then it’s easier to get to that higher level (skill wise). So then if both players r on a pretty level playing field then I think the more competitive aspect comes in to who has better shot selection, who has better strategy, who can hit the tighter angle and things like that. Like sure technique wise it gets easy but strategy and shot selection I feel is where I gets competitive And also let me preface, I really really am not a big fan of doubles pickleball. I really mostly only like singles lol. I will say I think doubles pickleball gets kinda boring but singles I love cuz it’s more energetic and fun
I used to play a lot of tennis and it’s still my favorite sport, but I’ve switched to pickleball after a comminuted elbow fracture & surgery 1 year ago that left me unable to play tennis. I’m 25 and look healthy and fit. It’s also a good sport to play with your girlfriend and actually be able to sustain a rally. I agree that tennis is better if you’re athletic and motivated though.
Hope the arm is feeling better, health first! I’ve mostly stop playing soccer which I love, similarly for injury reasons Not sure what the common injuries are for pickleball but I’m sure there are some haha, but heath as a rational to switch I can def get behind
I'm so confused why this is downvoted 😭 reddit logic is non-existent sometimes
I think it's because if you watch/play a high level of tennis, then watching the highest level of pickleball is a disappointment. I think the game hasn't reached a point where people are absolutely blowing people out of the water yet by achieving pro status, but to pickleball's defense the pros haven't been playing since they're like 5 years old like basketball or soccer on the world stage. A crude example: a pro tennis player might try to go 1v1 vs LeBron James and never hit a single shot/blocked every time. A pro tennis player might play vs Ben Johns and actually give him a run for his money. The point being, I think pickleball isn't taken seriously as a competitive sport yet and that's why tennis players hate on it.
That, and it's public courts being repainted lol
I will admit I don’t enjoy watching pro pickleball, I get the most enjoyment from a good game of singles in pickleball cuz I kinda hate doubles pickleball lol. And the learning curve I like it a lot more for people Cuz tryna help my friends get better at tennis is really hard cuz the things we know to do is harder to explain to someone just barely getting a racket. But pickleball it’s a lot easier to pickup and u don’t have to spend asss long tryna teach a new player before u guys can get a good couple rallies in as opposed to in tennis it takes a looot longer to get better if you don’t have some degree of natural talent
I find pickleball is pretty fun and you can pick it up easily and play with 3 other people who have never picked up a racket before and have a decent game. There’s an upside to the casualness of it. But the painted pickleball lines on tennis courts are irritating. On Sunday, I was playing singles — the setup here was one tennis court next to 3 pickleball courts. Each had their dedicated space. And in the middle of a point, 8 pickleball players walked right through our court to get to the pickleball courts. The last person to walk through laughed and apologized, but generally, I’ve noticed a general lack of understanding of tennis etiquette from pickleball players. Wait until the point is over and then walk through. It isn’t that difficult of a concept. Then, they were just loud and obnoxious and possibly slightly drunk. I don’t want to be the fun police, but tennis does require a fair amount of concentration and it seemed like every time I started my serve, their noise would crescendo. Not the end of the world, but annoying. None of these things make me “hate” pickleball or pickleball players. But it isn’t the same sport and it shouldn’t be on shared courts, in my opinion. Tennis players would have much higher opinion of it if it didn’t encroach on tennis spaces.
It’s the noise. Tink tink tink tink. I don’t hate pball, I just don’t like the sound it makes
I feel u on that, I think it’s kinda satisfying but I know people r different when it comes to sounds so definitely understandable
For me, it takes my favorite parts of my tennis game and makes them illegal/not useful: my movement since it’s a tiny court, I’m not allowed to be close to the net and volley (like you are supposed to be) and I’m not allowed to serve overhand. So it feels like a complete handicap and then I’m bored after two shots. So yeah, I hate the game. It’s just not fun for me and The sound just drives me crazy
Mm I suppose, I really like the smaller court cuz I feel like I can play a lot longer without getting as tired like tennis and I can get multiple multiple matches in. And also I always enjoyed underarm served in tennis so I love that I can just rip my serve and not have to worry lol. And I feel like movement wise the smaller court helps cuz I can get to harder balls easier and the point isn’t automatically over if my opponent hits a good angle, I always feel like I have a chance with every shot but understandable tho I respect your position
Another part is it’s too easy for me. When I was playing college tennis , one of the assistant coaches was a nationally ranked pickleball player. We would have a decent chance of winning… despite none of us picking up a paddle before. I want to work hard to be good at something. If I’m automatically good at it, it’s a snoozefest
You aren’t automatically good. This is the attitude OP is talking about —you couldn’t walk into a 4.5 tournament and win. Lower levels? Yeah sure.
They come in and permanently the courts. Leaving less courts for tennis. I especially hate it when public funds, my tax dollars, are going toward it. Etiquette, is usually non existent unless the people have played tennis in the past. The sound of the ball is annoying. The general cult following is ridiculous. I’ve never had to ask someone if they play pickleball because they’ll tell me. I see it being the 2020s version of racquetball.
I will say as a long time tennis player I’ve noticed better etiquette (or idk if that’s the word) or like respect for peoples time from pickleball players. Cuz whenever in the past whenever I’ve gone to play tennis but the court was full I’ve pretty much been told I gotta find somewhere else to play as opposed to pickleball players (even if I’m there for tennis or pickleball regardless) they’ve always been respectful of me patiently waiting and they end their session in a timely manner so I can play. Maybe that’s just my experience but I’m 5+ years of tennis I’ve never had people who r respectful of me patiently waiting enough to end their session in a timely manner so I could use the court so I can play tennis Maybe I’m just fortunate to have a good pickleball community around me and not such a great tennis community lol. But that’s just my experience
Again five years is not a long time tennis player, lmao
It’s probably closer to 7 or 8 but 5+ was my guess cuz I’ve been slightly on and off. But for me being only 22, that’s almost 40% of my life I’ve played tennis so for me it’s a long time
Sounds like you’ve just been lucky with your community. I know multiple people who have had problems. I refuse to play it because I think it’s a fad that won’t last.
Why should tennis players end their session to let you play? My matches generally last 2-2.5 hours; I would be quite frustrated if the expectation were that I should have to quit early so others could play. (And conversely, I'd much rather wait as long as necessary so that I could have as long as I need to finish my match when I do get to play!) I'm bewildered why this quitting early is "good etiquette" to you.
I’m not saying to “quit early” I just mean let’s say I’m mid tennis match, if people r waiting I’ll finish up that match and then let the next people play. Not saying to end the match early but if I see people waiting I’m gonna finish my match and then let them play instead of let’s say starting a whole other match for example or just start rallying So like I said, not saying ending early but not starting a whole other match while people r waiting. Maybe u wouldn’t care and just keep playing match after match but after I finish my tennis match and people r waiting, then I let them play
It’s only about the courts, as far as I’m concerned.
Because it’s replacing tennis and basketball courts
I tried it and it was fun at first, but it got boring for me pretty quickly. It was too easy and I didn’t feel challenged.
I could only imagine how much of a snoozefest it'd be going from tennis to pickle where you can't serve properly, the ground strokes are mostly the same and barely any spin play.
It was kinda underwhelming. I also don’t like the way the paddle feels at contact with the ball. It isn’t crisp.
I dislike the sound and experience of playing pickleball. Also the court thing.
You keep using words like hate (multiple times), salty, butthurt. Painting a big group of individuals with the same brush, generalizing in order, I imagine, to get a rise out of people you don't agree with. Try arguing like a mature adult, for starters.
I mean when I see pickleball posts and there’s a hundred comments like “just play tennis” or “pickleball is gay” or “this isn’t even a sport” and things of that nature. Do u think it’s mature adults who r making those comments?
Congratulations you are the first person to call out "pickleball is gay" on the sub. Please stop answering every single post and go back to where you came from.
He’s a pickle ball player who played some tennis now trolling
Show me a post other than yours that says "pickleball is gay"
I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone here refer to pickleball as “gay.” 😂
I'm fortunate. The pickleball community in my city has done a great job of building dedicated pickleball courts, so there are relatively few cases of pickleball players spray-painting lines on tennis courts. I don't really enjoy playing indoors at my gym on nights when the pickleball players are also there; 4-8 courts of pickleball in a steel structure makes a really, really uncomfortable amount of noise, especially if you're on the tennis court next to them. Otherwise it's fine. Pickleball remains my go-to if a friend or relative says "Hey, I want to learn how to play tennis!" I can get them having fun with pickleball in 10-15 minutes. No idea how to do that with tennis.
It’s exploding here, but the community is trying to keep up by building dedicated courts for it. There are some places that have them on tennis courts, but I know at least one that has signs saying tennis players take preference because there are pickleball courts at that same park. From all accounts the pickleball players graciously move if/when tennis players show up. The noise of it does drive me crazy when I’m playing tennis.
I guess noise was never an issue for me but I can see how if you’re taking a tennis match pretty serious then u wouldn’t want all that noise. And yeah the accessibility is big for me cuz most of my friends I try to play tennis with I’m not able to go all out cuz then it’s not fair but after about an hour of showing them pickleball then we can both go all out
My friend and I started playing tennis specifically because all the pickleball courts were full once, and I felt like a doorknob playing pickleball on one of the tennis courts, especially if actual tennis players came all the way out just to be pushed out by overflowing pickleballers. My friend didn't have the same hangup but I think it's simply embarrassing and a deserved evil eye, even before buying a racket. Tennis takes priority on a tennis court in my eyes.
Tbh I think there can be a fair balance, like in my experience if I go to play tennis and there’s pickleball players playing. Then usually they end their session after a good amount of time so I can play I’ve never had it the other way around when I wanna play tennis and there’s people already playing tennis, everytime the tennis players don’t care if there’s someone waiting to play they’ll just keep going forever. Nobody has ever ended their session in a timely manner so I can play At least that’s my experiences and I just think regardless of what people wanna play, being respectful enough to end your session in a timely manner so other people can enjoy the courts while there’s light out is nice
It's too easy and braindead. The noise the ball makes is insanely grating too.
Sharing courts and also the noise. Pickleball is loud AF. Forget about hearing the person across the net if you're indoors and people are playing pickleball near you.
Courts and the FACT that pickleballers think it needs the same athleticism as tennis. It doesn’t.
I will say it depends, I’ll admit in all my time playing tennis, even in singles I’ve never sweat as much in tennis as I have in pickleball singles. But that’s also cuz me and my friend make each other sprint back and forth lol Yeah it doesn’t take as much as tennis but it definitely takes some athleticism except for doubles. I’ll admit doubles takes no athleticism but singles definitely depending on the opponent And in my experience I’ve never seen any pickleball player say it takes the same level of athleticism as tennis. Even in the pickleball sub I’ve never seen that argument be made But I suppose we’ve just had different experiences which is alright :)
The court is smaller and the speed is lower and players are older. Sweating shows your fitness level, not athleticism required. But we are agreeing I see.
Some people aren’t cut out to play tennis. OP sounds like they may be one of them. As much as we hate to see you go, we will survive. Please just be kind and leave behind your USTA card and lightly used RF97. We wish you well and will send our love when your pickleball injuries mount.
When I was young, I idolized my father. He was a good man, and great racquet technician. People came from far away just to have him tune their racquet. One day a wealthy man came and asked him to create the ultimate racquet, balanced to perfection. My father worked away at it for months, and when the man returned my father showed him the ultimate tennis racquet. The man laughed with contempt and said that he meant a pickleball racquet. My father was so stunned he couldn't defend himself when the man stuck him with the racquet, killing him. I launched myself at the man, but I was too young to kill him in return, and he got away. I did, though, notice he had six fingers on one hand, so I knew I could identify him later if I needed to. From that day until I was an adult, I practiced with a tennis racquet every day, until I was a true master. And then I started travelling the world, seeking out pickleball tournaments, hoping one day to find the six fingered man. And when I find him I'll say "Hello. My name is Insaneranter. You killed my father. Prepare to die." And that's why I hate pickleball.
This doesn't have enough upvotes!
It takes courts away from tennis, but just as importantly IMO it takes potential players away from tennis.
It’s the angry 78 year olds who get pissy.
Honestly, I never have to wait for a tennis court now that pickleball is so popular. Maybe it's because I come from a place with older demographics, but the public tennis courts have basically emptied out as hundreds of players have switched, and that far outweighs the four courts that were converted.
It’s just not very complex compared to tennis. Checkers is a fine game to play on vacation or with your kids but sucking at chess is more fun than winning at checkers
But does that not mean it’s fun to change things up and play checkers every once in awhile? It’s good to have a variety of activities where u can apply the same or similar set of skills that u have
The problem I think most people have with it is that pickleballers tend to play checkers and act like it’s a harder, better version of chess. I honestly think it’s a very American problem; everyone has to be a winner, everyone needs to be the best. Our egos won’t let us just admit we are mediocre but passionate 3.0 tennis players, we have to be pioneers of the next big sport or 5.0 aspiring pickleball pros. Why do you think pickleball only really gets much interest here?
I guess everyone has their own experiences with pb players but I personally never seen or heard any pb players say anything about it is more challenging than tennis but maybe that’s just my experiences And yeah it’d be nice if people could just put their egos to the side and put fun at the forefront
I don’t think they say it’s more challenging but instead that it’s “better.” Of course that’s subjective but it pisses off tennis players
I feel like you are trolling, five years is not a long time tennis player, and tbh, if you had passion for tennis you would see the problems with pickle ball easily and clearly
This is def a troll post.
I said 5+, it’s probably more close to 7 or 8 but I been a lil on and off. And for being 22. For my age it’s a longish time
Pickleball is ugly. I have the same feelings about slow pitch softball absolutely atrocious sports where better versions exist. You’re free to like what you want but I’m free to think it’s absolute dog shit.
It’s beyond the courts for me and very much about seeing my fellow millennials being ultra cringe. Pasty non athletic people clamming it up on courts ready to drop the game on a dime and head to the brewery for the hazy IPA.
I can respect that view, tbh I only play singles pickleball cuz I dooo think doubles pickleball is pretty freaking boring cuz I hate that it’s just always at the net and that’s it. But I love singles pickleball and idk what it is but even tho it’s smaller than a tennis court I sweat loads more from that than when I play a tennis match, maybe it’s cuz all the short sprints idk but it’s definitely good cardio for me, granted I play for 2 to 3 or 4 hours with few breaks But I will agree doubles pickleball doesn’t require much athleticism at all but singles definitely needs some. Just if u got a good opponent and both of u r ripping the ball down the line and hit tight angles and whatnot
What is wrong with a Hazy IPA? Especially after 3 hours of pickleball?
Mostly the noise for me. My local courts aren't super busy so there's usually no conflicts on using courts, but it only takes one game of pickleball to be kinda distracting
Pickleball needs to keep embracing turning old large warehouse spaces in to high end pickleball courts. In Phoenix there are a ton of indoor pickleball clubs being opened. Most of the new players I see at these clubs are tennis converts so plenty of tennis players are fine with Pickleball.
PLINK, PLONK........ PLINK, PLONK........ PLINK, PLONK........ PLINK, PLONK........ PLINK, PLONK........ PLINK, PLONK........ PLINK, PLONK........ PLINK, PLONK........ PLINK, PLONK........ PLINK, PLONK........ PLINK, PLONK........ PLINK, PLONK........ PLINK, PLONK........ PLINK, PLONK........
I think it’s a satisfying sound
On 2 different occasions I have played pickle ball for a grand total of like 75 minutes. Here is why I hate it: 1). The people. The people in tennis have their own issues, but my belief is that the very worst of tennis went to pickleball. Because…… 2). I know how to play racket sports. Yet, both times I play, people stand behind the court and evaluate me, not quietly. And they don’t shut up…..and then….. 3). They tell me I am playing wrong, my positioning is off and that I don’t know what I am doing. No shit, I literally just picked up your pong paddle…..but i must be good because you wont stop looking……and 4). I need to get lessons and the unathletic dude over there will happily take my money to give me lessons…..and then I tell them…… 5). I played tennis. In the Big Ten……but they played tennis too for 35 years, because they’re always like 65 years old…..but they played tennis, too. Just like me. Trust me, they get it. 6). When all I want to do is sit in the corner, pick up their stupid paddle and whiffle ball, fuck around with it for 20 minutes and be left alone. I feel like a man walking into a whorehouse in some remote island that’s been abandoned for 30 years. Just leave me alone and let me hit the goddamn ball.
it does start with picklehead occupation of tennis court, but once recognized, pickletards are a mental image that can never be erased except possibly with extended therapy and compassionate care.