Will Pickleball Kill Tennis?
The quick answer is clearly, No! Think of this: Did MMA kill Boxing? No. Did the growth of Soccer kill American Football? No. Did Cornhole kill Horseshoes? No. Did Television kill Radio? No. Did ‘Streaming’ kill Movie Theaters? No. Did ‘Digital’ kill Print? No. Yet, there are many people still wondering what will become of this Pickleball explosion.
The thing that is not fully understood is that Pickleball (PB) can not replace Tennis. Why? Because they are two very different games. Yes, they both use a ball and play on similar courts, but after that, they are not even close. PB uses a fiber paddle, tennis a stringed racket. The two games have two distinct natures and skill sets. PB uses a plastic ball which slows the game down, which most people like. Tennis is an endurance, long-stroke game. PB is about hand quickness and is a short-stroke game. Tennis is a baseline game with some net play. PB is the opposite, it has some baseline, but mainly net play at the kitchen. The kitchen is a 7-foot rectangle in front of the net that is a non-volley zone. PB has a flatter learning curve. It’s harder to become good at tennis. PB is more affordable, and requires less court time. An average game may last 7-10 minutes (most games are played to 11 points). In tennis, the serving team has a significant advantage, not true in PB. Other differences: Tennis shows well on TV, PB not so much (my opinion). Although both are lifetime sports, PB draws a wider age range. Often in PB there is no age advantage between a 30-year-old vs a 70-year-old. Of course, I like that. Plus, most agree PB is more social. PB is generally a doubles game and it brings folks together that are open to the social nature of the game. Games rotate so quickly there is often time to chat. Tennis has its roots in country clubs, while PB has become a common man’s game. Tennis has deep roots, molded in the 1870s from ancient games, while PB is the new kid put together in 1965 from four existing games.
Surely 10 years from now most of us will still be able to name the top tennis players of the day, but will PB pros have the same size fandom? I doubt it. Yes, tennis will continue to do well, but it will obviously have to share the stage with the new kid on the block. Things are changing, thousands of PB courts are being built and some tennis courts will be converted or adapted for both. In fact, the tennis courts at our own Artesian Park were recently adapted to handle both. The number of courts, PB vs Tennis will soon find its balance. Some active tennis players have taken up the sport, but most new PB players are not coming from tennis backgrounds. My wife and I are good examples, sure we have tried to play tennis (poorly by the way) but PB fits us better. In summary, tennis has taken a hit, but it will not be knocked out. As I said, they are very different games. Tennis is such a classic sport with tremendously deep roots and has a ton of money and history flowing through it.
Both sports have serves and drop shots, but PB has the kitchen and dinks. Both games have lobs and passing shots, but PB has Berts and Ernes. (Funny, right?) Well, I hope I have answered the basic question about the survival of tennis in the face of the growing popularity of PB. How can you not like tennis, after all it has ‘Love’ in its scoring and the unmatched ‘regalness’ of Wimbledon. By the way, the PPA (Professional Pickleball Association) tour will be in KC, Aug. 24-27. Many celebrities have purchased PB teams. Yes, Patrick Mahomes is one of them. Be it old or new, keep playing your game out there. Until next time.
