Tennis will not die while I am alive!

@johnvrasta

24 күн бұрын

How old are you?

@okayest_amateur

24 күн бұрын

You are correct, and there will always be a pro following, but it will continue to get less popular amont amatuers. People love F1 but virtually no one drives an F1 car for fun!

@rdmalonso1

23 күн бұрын

@@johnvrasta I expect to live another 20 years 👍🏽

@tsouratzis

23 күн бұрын

@@rdmalonso1Com' on, make it 30, this will cover my as well :))

@silvestreperezg

21 күн бұрын

​@@okayest_amateurInteresting point.

this is a reflection of society ...people are lazy and dont want to go thru the journey of succeeding in a difficult sport

@EssentialTennis

26 күн бұрын

I wish I could disagree with you...

@farojaco

26 күн бұрын

Tennis is not difficult per se, but in reality it is a specialty sport, where you have to be really studious of the game, starting with the fundamentals to up your level, cause if you think you can play solid tennis without studying the fundamentals of every shot, then you are condemned to be stuck at the same level. Tennis requieres a lot of patience, time, consistency, analysis, implementation of improvements to your shots and game after that analysis, and the cycle repeats itself. What i would definitely say is that today's society doesnt have the patience to master a sport/think that requires more time and effort that your normal thing.

@CynicalWolverine

26 күн бұрын

Agree 100%. Pickleball is an easy sport to learn. A decent tennis player can dominate on the pickleball court in a very short period of time. PB is definitely a lazy man activity, I don’t even call it a sport.

@vicman877

26 күн бұрын

I agree. I think it goes hand to hand with the nowadays short attention span and how the last 20 years have been, things changing fast and people wanting everything RIGHT NOW. If people go out to play something, people may want to be able to enjoy it right away, and not wait 1 year of beginner lessons to be finally able to enjoy the new sport. Sad, but reality of our times.

@RSH137

25 күн бұрын

I think lazy is not an accurate description. I play both in a serious way. Played Tennis for 20+ years, Pickleball for 10. 3.5 Tennis player, 3.9 Pickleball. Been on Ian's coaching for years and still struggle to continually improve my serve and other strokes. On the Pickleball side, it is easy to start, but there are still significant tactical and strategic skills to be mastered. Pickleball requires a lot of drilling to get better, just as tennis does. Yes, it easier to get into recreational play, but as you advance the game gets faster and faster, and it makes tennis look like slow motion. So the vast increase is recreational players coming on board as it is easy to start, but good Pickleball players have to invest the time and focus to get even better, just as Tennis players do. Neither are lazy. I love both.

I live in Spain and about 25 years there was a massive boom in the number of people playing padel. There was a lot of anxiety about it taking the place of tennis, just the same as you have with pickleball in the states. Padel is definitely the most popular racket sport in Spain now (it's great fun and much more challenging than pickle ball) but tennis is still very much alive here and the decline hasn't been anywhere near as bad as some suggested it would be.

@skakollaettklipp

17 күн бұрын

Sweden has had a huge paddel boom during the pandemic. Remember that Sweden was quite open this period. Now the paddle clubs are going bankruptcy. Tennis hasn't really taken off, quite low interest overall. Now when I google pickle ball and Sweden I see that Pickle ball is taking over Paddle courses here and there but I haven't heard about anyone playing it so existing but not a sport that Average Joe here knows anything about I would say. Table tennis is still strong in Sweden and since it is a indoor sport it took a hit during the pandemic but is now making a comeback again with more and more kids and adults starting to play. If we look at high prices for real estate and geo demographic factors Table tennis is in a great spot IMHO.

@RaymondChenon

14 күн бұрын

Spain produces top tennis players Nadal, Alcaraz. More spanish youngsters will follow steps in tennis.

A remark from abroad: this seems to be (at least for now) pretty much a US phenomenon. I live in Europe and here I've barely ever seen a single pickleball court, nor do I know anyone who plays it. Padel is considerably more popular and still very far from rivaling tennis. I don't know about other places in the world, to be clear, but I haven't heard of the pickleball hype from anywhere else but US-based creators.

@EssentialTennis

26 күн бұрын

Thanks for sharing

@kickstartedwards6916

26 күн бұрын

I have the same experience in the UK - padle is getting super popular and whenever I play the courts are all full all day whereas my tennis club (and most of others nearby) and nearly empty - sadly the bars/restaurants have nearly all closed at tennis courts which tends to kill the social side - personally I much prefer tennis to padel but it is much more difficult to play than padel

@GhostofGerulaitis

26 күн бұрын

If you lose future generations of Americans (and you will), tennis will radically contract.

@katemc516

26 күн бұрын

I'd say same for Australia, in Sydney all tennis courts are outdoors and half of them are maintained by the local council and super accessible

@October_Girl

26 күн бұрын

Just a note for our overseas friends- this might be an arbitrage moment for you. Seriously, we’re seeing more and more pickleball tournaments and interest and with that comes merch and sponsorship dollars. And with that comes globally spreading interest. Check it out!

1. Pickleball does have a distinct advantage in that it doesn't require athletic ability to enjoy, aside from basic hand-eye coordination. At the highest level sure, but just for basic recreational play it's on par with beer league softball. 2. That said, tennis does have one very strong advantage of its own: high school sports. When every school (and more importantly, state high school athletic associations) supports pickleball, tennis will really be in trouble, but at least as things stand now there's at least that limited pipeline bringing new young players into the sport.

@EssentialTennis

26 күн бұрын

Interesting point RE high school programs

@cassiocameron

26 күн бұрын

But people gets tired and tennis will continue as always.

@kabob21

26 күн бұрын

You’re extremely uninformed if you think rec-level pickleball doesn’t require athleticism. There is a lot of explosive movement laterally and horizontally from the high-3.5 level and up. I played yesterday and my hamstrings, quads and ankles are still feeling it. Tennis takes a lot out of me upper body and stamina wise but playing pickleball has made me more fit and a better tennis player, most especially by honing my reflexes.

@stevenjm12

26 күн бұрын

​@@kabob21Compared to tennis, it requires a lot less athleticism

@BenPlayingTennis

26 күн бұрын

I agree with KaBob and Steven. I think you are BOTH correct. I believe tennis (especially Singles) requires more athleticism than PB, but PB does, too. I had the same physical discomfort as KaBob after playing a 2 day charity PB tourney. I only play PB once or twice a year. Tennis year round. I get winded playing tennis because points/games/matches are SOOO much longer the PB. I can play a PB match in 10-15 minutes. Tennis match may take 2-3 HOURS. I know of several people who have gone out to play PB for the FIRST time, and either blow their ACL, fall and break their wrist, or sprain an ankle. All because they've never played a racquet sport (or paddle game). Simply put...a lack of athleticism. This next part is for Ian... He asked about our thoughts on the possibility of PB taking people away from tennis. From what I have seen so far, the majority of recreational players have never stepped foot on a tennis court. They are simply trying something new and easy. IMO, PB is a fun, quick, and easy game someone can play proficiently in a matter of no time at all. I think people may be looking for an easy recreation that really doesn't cost much and takes little time to play. Folks are busy these days and don't have extra time on their hands. I used to play golf. It took a good SEVEN hours out of my day to play one round (when you include transportation to and from, warm up, playing, and then spending an hour at the 19th hole). I don't have that kind of free time anymore! That's a big reason I got back into tennis. Less time...bigger reward...less cost...more fun. Dare I say that those 4 reasons (and others that I didn't come up with) may be a large reason why people are playing PB instead of tennis. However, I LOVE tennis and hope to play until I'm 100! Thanks for all the vids Ian!!!

I think it would help to make pro tennis more accessible. I would love to watch the French open and get excited about tennis again. But Im not going to pay a subscription to watch it. They should make it free and show off how awesome pro tennis is to watch without barriers.

@EssentialTennis

26 күн бұрын

Totally agree

@Cleveland_Rocks

26 күн бұрын

the tennis majors used to be a national event here in the USA....now, its all tennis channel and people getting rich. The legg mason, now citiopen, in DC was such a fun, low-key event...now it's long lines, expensive prices, hoopla, attitudes...

@kabob21

26 күн бұрын

@@Cleveland_Rocks I agree, the lack of accessibility due to cost to watch and attend events along with dwindling affordable places to play is moving tennis back to its elitism/country club roots

@sunsioux444

26 күн бұрын

@@EssentialTennis as a senior citizen and newcomer to tennis, I would like to see tennis marketed to more people. I pretty much left pickleball to play tennis. I still play a Little pickleball, but tennis comes first. I am unusually fit for my age and I love the challenge of tennis ! pickleball is accessible to more people and marketed to more people. Tennis could attract more people by changing its marketing strategy, perhaps by facility and clubs, having incentives to learn and making it fun! I don’t know of any tennis facility anywhere that is trying to market to senior citizens like myself or other groups. so tennis still remains an unattainable sport for many people because they think they are too old or it’s too late to learn. I started tennis 12 months ago when I was 69 years old! I can’t believe I did it, but I did, because I reached out to our teaching, pro at our retirement community and started taking all of his clinics. But nothing was really being marketed for beginners whatsoever.

@billfly2186

26 күн бұрын

TC Plus is $10 a month. Cheaper than one movie ticket. During the French Open there are 30 matches a day you can watch.

It only comes at an expense of tennis if tennis courts are being lost. Pickleball is a fun game, but it cannot compare to tennis. People ask me all the time if I play pickleball when they learn I play tennis. My answer to them is usually, "that is like asking a runner if they also walk."

@sunsioux444

26 күн бұрын

I started with pickleball and found out that I liked running and sprinting in the PB court so I migrated over to tennis and I am putting tennis first! I am 70 years old and I am unusually fit for my age. I suppose I am an exception to the rule.

@judythompson8084

25 күн бұрын

Not true… the skill set of a pro PB player is very high!

@judythompson8084

25 күн бұрын

That is why former tennis players are taking over

@briankronberg

25 күн бұрын

@@judythompson8084 That is why former pro tennis players, after 4 or 5 games, already play at pro PB levels. Your logic is flawed as there are NO pickleball only players that can jump in and play anywhere near competitively in tennis with that little practice. People love PB because it is a racquet sport with a low barrier of entry. Just about anyone can play and have fun whereas with tennis you need all the skills of PB, plus endurance, and a whole lot more athleticism to play well. I have nothing against PB. It is a fun game that is way more inclusive. But don’t you dare try and take my tennis court, I don’t care if there are 20 people waiting.

@guidomando

25 күн бұрын

Yep it seems like an American phenomenon at the moment. I also don’t know of any PB players or courts here in the UK.

Pickleball is great for people who have limited mobility and struggle to cover the larger tennis court.

Pickleball brought me to tennis.

Indoor tennis is a losing game. I was a director at a club for over 12 years and only 3 ways I see to profits. 1. You have to own the land your club is on. 2. Your junior program/quick start/red ball/orange ball is everything. You need to load up players on courts (5, sometimes even 7, 8 kids) but still somehow maintain a quality product which is an extremely tricky balance to strike. Luckily I was successful at this place and it is still thriving financially today too. 3. You need a great staff. We had awesome directors and a deep Bench of pros. Good luck trying to find all this!! Great video Ian.

@tomcooper6108

20 күн бұрын

Our indoor courts are busy. Even in summer. We have 10 outdoor courts also plus pickleball. I've discovered PB players are cheap. They don't like paying for equipment, drills, or courts. They also don't like warm-hot weather. They don't really want to get exercise. They'd rather just play an hour and leave. Tennis is going stronger than ever. We've had more USTA teams than ever before this year. Plus, Juniors are coming in at an all-time high.

I play both. I think like 80% of pickleball players don't/can't play tennis. 100% of tennis players can play pickleball very easily. I think that a significant majority of pickleball players were not playing any tennis before pickleball. I would love to see the metrics on how many pickleball players were active tennis players before they got into pickleball, and what % stopped tennis in favor of pickleball. I bet it's really low. Tennis is VASTLY more difficult than pickleball. Most pickleball recreational players don't really have any shot at enjoying tennis. I will say that the ease of pickleball and the smaller real estate footprint is the golden key - so easy to get into, and the pickup culture at the beginner level is great. Tennis never had that. And never will. But there's plenty of room for both. Pickleball offers a sport for a huge number of people who wouldn't otherwise play a sport.

@kabob21

26 күн бұрын

I agree, I also play both and that’s been my observations as well. But I do think with a little training a 4.5 or better pickleball player could adapt easily to tennis

@yourgoalsfitness2285

26 күн бұрын

Or active at all. The positive I see in Pickleball is that it has gotten people off the couch

@gasperm3

26 күн бұрын

I agree, pickle really caters to EVERYONE, where tennis really doesn't. But tennis is a great challenge for those that want to be challenged and get more exercise.

@sunsioux444

26 күн бұрын

@@kabob21 I am a fit senior citizen who has been playing pickle ball for about 4-5 years, and you don’t need to be a 4.5 pickleball Player to migrate to tennis. At best I am 3.0 in PB and yet I decided to start tennis lessons 12 months ago and I am having a blast. I love tennis. What I see is pickleball markets to so many different and diverse groups. tennis is not marking in itself to increase its participation or popularity. It still seems a bit exclusive, but I would like to see tennis clinics marketed to people looking to increase physical and mental fitness.

@sunsioux444

26 күн бұрын

@@gasperm3I so agree. I pretty much put pickleball on the back burner and am now devoting myself more to tennis as a fit 70 year old!

I’m a lifetime tennis player, having said , this is what I see about picket ball: It’s just an easier game to play! Playing picket ball you have fun a *lot earlier* in the learning curve than in tennis. I’ve never played picket ball so far, but times are changing.

I'm from Copenhagen and here tennis is booming! 2-3 years ago it was possible to become a member of the local tennis clubs, or at least on the (short) waiting list. Nowadays all the waiting lists are closed down and only more and more people want it.

@sunsioux444

26 күн бұрын

as someone who pretty much left pickleball to play tennis as a retired senior, I can tell you I absolutely love tennis. Pickleball attracts people who think they don’t need to move or have Fitness. I’m a senior citizen who is very fit and agile, and I am loving tennis!! I think tennis needs to make itself more available to people like pickleball does.

@-Munditimum-

26 күн бұрын

Here in a small town in Canada, small club of 8 courts. 5 years ago 300 members. Today 700+ members, 1,300 in the waiting list! Love it that it's growing in your area! M

@johnvrasta

24 күн бұрын

How come? Because of H.Rune? Glad to hear that anyway, we need some encouraging news, we tennis fans :)

I just wanted to add one thing, pickleball players, a lot more friendly and not so picky about who they play. I seen tennis players that never play against new players, just the same 4 players every couple times a week. That is why I love round robin’s in tennis, different people and different partners every 4 games where I live at! Great job Ian on the video.

@SurpriseTennisClub

25 күн бұрын

Haven’t really seen that degree of snobbery and elitism from tennis players (but I’ve heard stories!) but there’s no question that pickleball players go above and beyond to be inclusive and welcoming

@darnellcaballes

24 күн бұрын

absolutely... and i am one of those snobs (ie. not gonna play with beginner/intermediates if i have folks my level to play with)... but this would need to change to make tennis more inviting... i recall back in the day (80's) where courts were filled, people waiting, etc... i haven't seen that in decades... i miss it

@y2jandy

24 күн бұрын

It’s not snobbery but more about compatibility. Tennis is a sport, sports can only be competitive around the same level. Its like u want someone to run with but the person cant run at ur pace, it simply doesnt work out

@Shaunsweeney-Kubach71

23 күн бұрын

@@y2jandy you make a good point! I play doubles on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday with some people that are literally in the 90s and I have to run everything down, but it’s fun and I like the company of the people. That is what I was trying to say, enjoy the game at every level.

I am late 40s and played tennis for 30+ years. My kids now play and there is a good amount of juniors and tournaments in our area so tennis still doing well in the UK. However, our club has recently started pickleball and its very popular with the older players, its not as demanding on the body, its easier, faster and more fun, it brings more revenue to the club.

In Singapore, not only pickleball eating up tennis courts, pickleball is eating up badminton courts too 😂

@EssentialTennis

26 күн бұрын

Wow, that's crazy, I didn't know it was booming there, too

@EssentialTennis

26 күн бұрын

Wow, that's crazy, I didn't know it was booming there, too

Padel is quite popular in the UK but not in a spot to challenge tennis. Meanwhile nobody plays pickleball here and there are no signs of it becoming popular either. My biggest worry is seemingly a lack of younger people taking up tennis. Local leagues are just chock full of old players.

@EssentialTennis

26 күн бұрын

Ya, somehow tennis needs to get younger participants

@sunsioux444

26 күн бұрын

@@EssentialTennis absolutely, tennis needs to start a huge marketing campaign! Here in Texas they have lots of junior clinics at the park and rec tennis courts. But I see pickleball marketing itself to all different age groups, and tennis needs to do that too. I am unusual, and that I migrated from pickleball at age 69 over to tennis. I wanted the challenge, and it has been a beautiful and rewarding journey. another lady, the same age as me moved over from pickleball to tennis as well. We wanted more challenge, and tennis is more elegant.

@darnellcaballes

24 күн бұрын

@@EssentialTennis cost to learn needs to go down imo... vids help, but people still want 1-1 lessons... and around me at $100/h+ private, or $50/pp group, that's just too cost prohibitive for many... especially given the many alternative activities avail to people these days...

@Stoker3rdClass

23 күн бұрын

I'm from the south coast in the UK and I can see some signs that pickleball is (just) starting to become a thing around here! The LTA seem to be actively promoting it with many articles on their website about how to get started in pickleball and the rules etc. I'm a member at 2 tennis clubs one fairly large (17 courts) where we've just had one of our courts marked out as dual use tennis and pickleball and one of the coaches teaches picklleball as well as tennis, not sure as yet how popular it will become though. The other club I'm a member of only has one court and they have recently started running casual pickleball sessions once a week (court marked out with tape) and it seems to be proving very popular, the court is getting more use than previously when it was just used for tennis. Totally agree with the comment about needing more young people in tennis, my local leagues are very much dominated by older players too.

I wonder if pickleball may be similar to poker a few years ago when everyone was playing it and then it plateau.

@EssentialTennis

26 күн бұрын

It'll be interesting to find out

@Wooooosaaaaaa

26 күн бұрын

Poker always comes back around. It has its cycles

@kabob21

26 күн бұрын

I don’t think so, I play both PB snd tennis and there’s been a lot of money pouring into pickleball for equipment, courts and tournaments. Tennis otoh has been pretty stagnant for a decade or more.

@markvanderwerf8592

24 күн бұрын

Tennis in Netherlands had a major lift because of covid, was one of few sports you were still allowed to do at that time. But there is also huge popularity of padel but not sure if that hurts or helps. Many clubs convert courts to padel but it also brings in players indirectly. Also padel is already crashing again in some European countries.

@michaelescorza1164

23 күн бұрын

I feel it will plateau. Unbiased new tennis player here. The demographic who picked it up follow/drop trends easily

This could be because I haven't been tuned into Tennis up until the past year, but I have seen a big growth of interest in Tennis at least in Austin in the last year. It's unique, we do not have any indoor courts and tennis is largely played at public parks and High school courts. There are a few city supported tennis clubs, and a few expensive private spots but most we don't run into the money issue. At the end of the day, to keep tennis alive we need to evolve and follow model of other sports with more interesting accessible content. That starts at the top (ATP & WTA) and they are dropping the ball on interesting and especially accessible front.

@sunsioux444

26 күн бұрын

as a senior center citizen, who migrated from pickleball over to tennis, I don’t see any marketing on the part of tennis to attract people who are looking for mental and physical fitness challenges.

@albertcamus5970

26 күн бұрын

I used to live in Austin. Weak tennis scene IMHO - way to hot without indoor tennis

great insight - looking forward to hearing more as things progress

@EssentialTennis

26 күн бұрын

I'll share more as I hear it, cheers

No one who plays pickle ball says “I’m gonna learn how to play tennis” Tennis is 10x harder to learn and play than pickle ball. A pickle ball player will take one lesson in tennis and go back to the much easier sport.

@jeebeeyim8135

25 күн бұрын

True. As was written above, peeps are generally lazy. So sad but on the other hand, it's great if peeps who wouldn't exercise previously, get out there to move their bodies.

Hey Ian..... In Louisville, we recently had one of our indoor tennis facilities convert five Indoor tennis courts to about 14 Pickleball Courts. They also renamed the facility to include Pickleball in the name. I've been amazed at how much busier the facility is now in terms of number of people using it. It's much harder to find a parking spot or get a tennis court reservation. They've had to open a remote parking facility behind the building that is shared with an apartment building. And even that is filling up. The pickleball courts are owned and operated by a new corporate entity that I believe has an option to buy the rest of the facility within the year. Based on what I'm seeing, I think they will. And I don't have any doubt that they'll convert the rest of the tennis courts to Pickleball. The most venerable, locally owned tennis facility in Louisville (that I actually belong to) has two locations. It has fabulous, well maintained indoor and outdoor facilities, including wonderful clay and hard courts outside. The facility was recently sold to an out-of-town, corporate, regional health club owner. That owner has changed the name of the club to their corporate name, which, incidentally, does not include the word Tennis. While this club is pretty heavily used by tennis players, I am extremely concerned that the new corporate owner will follow the dollars and cents and begin converting tennis courts into pickleball courts. We are already starting to see more pressure on our USTA matches indoors, since we've lost the four courts I previously mentioned. And if the other club starts converting, I actually fear what could happen. I think pickleball is fine for those who like it, but I think tennis players need to step up and start taking matters into their own hands regarding preserving what we've got left. I'm not sure how we do that. But it's pretty clear to me that we better start thinking about it or we're going to find ourselves out in the cold (quite literally) sooner rather than later.

@chriskessler393

24 күн бұрын

Which facility is it? I'm from Louisville, grew up there but haven't been back in years.

In Europe we have a similar issue, but it is padel threatening tennis rather than pickleball. Though thankfully padel courts are more expensive to build than pickleball so I don't think tennis courts are being 'dug up' to quite the same extent as in the US. 😂

@EssentialTennis

26 күн бұрын

Glad padel isn't as much of a threat

@craigthompson6210

26 күн бұрын

That seems to be changing here in the UK, Pickleball seems to be on the rise here as well as Padel

@kabob21

26 күн бұрын

Padel is gaining good traction in the US. There’re multiple indoor padel facilities in DFW area of Texas where I live.

@Vonsterella

20 күн бұрын

Holland (Netherlands here: padel is on the rise. However, several clubs that have built (outside) padel courts are now dealing with law suits from neighbours with noise complaints. My own local club planned to build some padel courts (after a vote from club members) but decided against it during the process of getting a permit, I believe cause they could foresee legal trouble on the horizon. By the way: most clubs in this country are member-run, nonprofit organisations, I think! So that might help. We have to volunteer somehow as well as pay an contribution as members. And get to co-decide/vote on decisions. This might factor into the big picture too...?

We play both and pickleball is absolutely booming. Tennis is growing here in Surprise, AZ too but we can play outdoors year rounds so we’re in a fortunate position

My community just expanded a local park and thought to include pickleball courts. We have no true public tennis courts. In communities where I have seen public tennis courts they are typically in bad/rough shape. Access is a big issue.

Since your central argument is real estate costs, why is ping pong not taking off? it's the same game requiring even less space

During COVID, I bought a Slingerbag, then eventually played with the older guys around me, which all stopped last year when I switched back to basketball full time. My 2 cents: pickleball is like basketball in that it's got an inclusive pickup type culture where the majority don't care about winning or losing, In tennis, it was always hard for me to keep rallys going, so people .5 rating above you don't want to hit with you to help your game. If I want to improve my basketball game, I can always go shoot by myself. Let's be honest, hitting against the giant green wall sucks, isn't very realistic and gets boring fast. You touched on the cost, a local gym charges pickleballers $3 for a Sunday morning and basketball players $14 while using the same court, which makes no sense to me, but tennis court time is far more expensive and needs a dedicated facility while Pickleball is played on anything hard. Pickleball also removes the full body serving element, which reduces the difficulty further.

This is the elephant in the room. I started with pickleball about 5 yrs ago and have now recently migrated to tennis. I am 70 years old! Tennis could be friendlier like PB and market itself to more people. where are the tennis clinics that advertise “scared of tennis? we will change your mind!” Everything can be adaptable to different groups but tennis is not doing that like PB does. Long live tennis.

@-Munditimum-

26 күн бұрын

Lovely. What a great message. All the blessings and hope you're having a great time. M

@stpetetennispro2012

23 күн бұрын

Glad to know you’re loyal to the wonderful game of tennis. I started offering free tennis lessons utilizing the orange 60-foot decompressed tennis balls to beginners through my nonprofit organization about 3 years ago and this has been greatly successful in introducing the game of tennis 🎾.

@sunsioux444

23 күн бұрын

@@stpetetennispro2012 that is wonderful! more of that needed.

@sunsioux444

23 күн бұрын

@@stpetetennispro2012 Wonderful!

My local park is always parked every night with people playing pickleball while hardly anyone is ever playing tennis . The main problem is pickleball is attracting the new players that would have played tennis

Pickle ball is not a sport. It’s one of those recess activities like tetherball or foursquare. It’s a joke and it will forever be a joke. I mean, the game doesn’t even have a serve.😂😂😂😂😂

My area lost the mid tier club courts about 10 years ago. One super fan opened a "space restricted" (short ceiling and lots of padded posts)club in an industrial park. Lease was not renewed after 3-4 years. The usta opened a club in one of the old buildings that sat vacant for 4 years. Space restricted courts in warehouse buildings may be the only way to add courts.

Pickle ball is more for people who aren't as athletic and want to have a more social experience.

I started playing Pickleball in 1987. I was recovering from a knee injury and was a few weeks from being cleared to play again for my college team. My younger brother who was also a good tennis player said we should play in the university intramural Pickleball doubles tournament together. I asked him what the heck "pickle ball" was while laughing. We had never heard of it before. We decided it would be entertaining and at worst it would help me keep my hand eye coordination from getting too rusty. We WON the tournament with no experience. I still play PB a few times a month at my local athletic club where tennis is booming. Pickball just doesn't take much athletic ability. However, Ian you make some good points, yet I wonder what it will look like in a few more years. Can PB sustain? I hope so because I love sports in general. Personally, I put PB on a par with beer/softball leagues.

The UK is the battleground between Pickleball and Padel, our local Pickleball club has 300 members. Pickleball is far easier to setup and play vs Padel, it's costly to setup a new Padel court whereas Pickleball can be played on existing tennis/badminton courts. I think Pickleball will win out over Padel purely down to low barrier of entry (also it's the better game :) )

When Novak Djokovic won his last tennis major (or maybe second last) he was so appreciative for his dad for his financial effort as tennis is so expensive. If one is not going to be a professional tennis player, and is not probably going to make much money playing, why not play something fun, less expensive, and less demanding?

In the UK pickleball exists but on a very niche basis . The big threat here is padel which both the LTA ( UK tennis governing body ) and David Lloyd ( largest private tennis club group ) are pushing hard. My nearest public tennis facility is currently removing 2 tennis courts to replace with 4 padel courts and my local David Lloyd is also removing 2 of it's tennis courts to replace with 3 padel courts

All I know is that a whole lot of previously empty tennis courts have been repurposed into very busy pickleball courts where I live.

I’m in central Kansas and Pickleball is coming quickly. It’s family friendly. You don’t have many things to learn.

I remember as a kid racquetball taking over at tennis clubs. The logic was the same. You could put a lot more people in the same space, didn't need as high a ceiling, etc. I haven't seen a racquetball court anywhere now in years. They may exist somewhere but they used to be everywhere.

We saw this in squash Racquetball was going to take over, everyone switched for a while and then the boom died off. People went back to squash and the 2 sports lived side by side. I see pickle ball similair to the relationship between snowboarding and skiing. Snowboard technology and ideas transformed skiing in the 90s.

@EssentialTennis

26 күн бұрын

I hope you're right!

@EssentialTennis

26 күн бұрын

I hope you're right!

@tobycolin6271

26 күн бұрын

@@EssentialTennis people always see the negative. But skiing was dead until snow boarding arrived. Everything was race orientated 180 plus skis, then along came snowboarding radius side cuts and 150cm skis became the norm. Twin tips , ski cross and freestyle all turned up. The slopes and skiing are a much better place for snow boarders. The same has also happened to waterskiing/wakeboarding /wake skating sailing/ windsurfing /kite surfing / hydro foiling have all brought new technologies and new people to assist the original sport.

@derekpappas1556

26 күн бұрын

The difference here is that pickelball is cannibalizing tennis courts vs skis and fully ski slopes along with there still being the same space used for squash and racketball .

Thank you for your Analysis. Where do you put Padel in this graphic or analysis? At least in Mexico and Span popularity is growing rapidly @EssentialTennis

I’m curious what your thoughts are on a paddle game like Spec tennis? I play tennis and a little pickle ball, but I really like Spec tennis since it uses similar strokes to tennis. I think the court size is the same as a PB court. A local pro in my area introduced me to Spec, but it hasn’t taken off like PB.

I'm in the UK. A David Lloyd coach told me the square footage requirement/cost of tennis courts doesn't add up now (especially indoor). So you are correct that pickleball/Padle will take over. It's sad. I took up tennis at 46 and now 62 I'm still obsessed with tennis. I have recently played pickleball, but it's very much casual fun, not at the same level as tennis at all. But as I age I guess Pickleball will be more accessible. Hopefully, there is room for everything to continue. Best wishes.

I don't understand why tennis is fighting back so hard. We are losing courts to pickleball, but those courts are almost always empty. My courts were switched over. Yeah. Well, I'd figure there were 40 tennis players per week on those courts? There are probably 300 players on the pickleball courts every week. There will be 40 on the 6 pickleball courts some nights. We want to make 300 people unhappy? I don't understand that. Why can't we just be happy for them? People want to get out and sweat a little and keep score at something. Pickleball lets them do that after an hour or two of learning. Tennis lets you do that after a few months of learning. Why hate on people for making good use of their time?

Tennis was bigger when I was growing up because we had Americans who dominated the sport in Sampras and Agassi. That inspired a generation of people to play tennis who are now middle age. Since then the only American to capture the minds was Serena but most people watch men’s tennis. And Agassi, the American bad boy, now promotes pickleball instead of tennis. No wonder why interest has stalled. At least in America, tennis is not as accessible to other sports. Rackets and lessons are expensive. Courts are not free, plentiful and in good shape in many areas except tennis-hot regions. Older generation tennis players have a country club mentality and gatekeep younger people from courts because of stodgy old thinking. Nowadays the people I see most into tennis are actually immigrants where tennis is popular in their home countries. The way it can grow is if an American pro can capture the hearts and minds either winning GS’s and/or Olympic medals. Then, there needs to be support by cities and schools. Build more courts at the parks and create tennis teams and promote it at school (we had tennis for physical education in high school growing up). And make it more open and friendly for young people and drop the old, stodgy, country club attitudes - look at how open, social and fun pickleball is. That’s why young people feel like they can be beginners and just show up to play. Tennis doesn’t have that because of its attitude that it’s better and superior.

I am that tennis guy who was always at the tennis center playing matches, USTA practices, group clinics, and using the ball machine. I remember I would play on a Friday night with my friend and almost 14 out of 16 courts were empty week after week. The directors tried to do a mixed doubles round robins on Tuesdays but that was hit or miss with attendance. They relied on holding holiday tennis tournaments. A business like that cannot survive. The fact is tennis players haven’t been out there playing enough, most only play once or twice a week. No one can convince me otherwise because multiple centers in the LA area were at risk of shutting down until pickleball came around. Pickleball players are playing almost every single day. This is coming from a tennis player who has been learning PB for the past 4 months. The PB players are interested enough to practice/drill/play games and do tournaments and they are willing to put their money down for a membership because they are reserving courts and going to socials. Also tennis has an issue of investing more in junior players, whereas pickleball is intergenerational and accessible. I hardly see any live ball, cardio tennis clinics like I used to that catered to adults and took up 8 courts. It’s all a bunch of tennis coaches feeding balls to kids or working with a single junior. Or you have coaches who are milking clients and never teach them anything (and how can you in a hour?) or fellow players who don’t want to help beginner players out. I have no idea about the solution to this issue but it is sad to see the state of tennis like this, especially while the world is depressed that Federer and Nadal are no longer playing professionally like they used to. It is difficult to come up with a solution because actually pickleball is fun and something new to learn, and tennis players can find enjoyment at the advanced level. I still participate in tennis group clinics and single matches every week but I see the transition happening. So unless more tennis players go out and play tennis, you will see pickleball become more dominant

In France we don’t have this problem yet. The same dynamic is seen with padel and tennis though and a lot of tennis clubs are replacing some of their tennis courts for padel courts. Everyone wants to play. Pickelball has just been introduced this year here ( there is even a pickelball court at the entrance of the Phillipe chatrier stadium for you to try it out) but the French federation has been smart enough and absorbed this two sports as they are “racket sports” and as long as you are playing a racket sports in one on their clubs, they are happy. As someone who has seen the padel fever back in the 90s in my home country (Argentina- very similar to what is happening with pickelball right know), this will go down one of two ways: either it will die down in 15 years when it is no longer hip and a social thing, or it will become a strong sport in the country and will coexist with our sport. All the while tennis will remain constant because it appeals to a certain type of people that padel and pickelball don’t: the ones that do not need instant gratification and feels a sport must be easy from the get go. Padel/ pickelball players will just jump to the next easy and gratifying thing that comes along

With all due respect, I Don't feel that Pickleball is a sport. It is just an activity you do in a certain situation or environemnt - Just like playing racketball with your girlfriend at the beach. I don't understand why it is a phenomena in the United States. It is really non-existent anywhere else in the world. I would assume pickleball attracts mid-aged people who really do not play serious sports (i.e. Tennis, Bball, Soccer...etc.) and at a point that it is too late for them to learn, play and compete in them. So here comes Pickleball, an activity with zero learning curve. Pickleball is great for senior citizens. Keeps them active physically and socially without putting a toll on their bodies. Thanks for the video though. A big fan of Essential Tennis and Real Tennis.

@gcs7817

26 күн бұрын

Yeah pickle ball is more like corn hole… except now corn hole is on ESPN🙄

@jmp62276

20 күн бұрын

Well the top Pickleball players are now making multi millions of dollars a year in winnings and endorsements. Because it is growing in popularity, money is being invested in it, and the more money there is, the better athletes are going to be drawn to it. This is already happening, and the level of pickleball has already started to drastically improve just over the last 5 years. It is way past playing with your girlfriend at the beach. That might be how people get introduced to it, but that is not the endgame.

Pickleball is starting to rise here in the UK. My club has fully embraced it and we get regularly 50 people turn up on our pickleball club nights. Going forward I see clubs having to evolve into more hybrid setups in order to survive and facilitate growth of both sports. As a tennis coach I have no intention of playing or coaching pickleball but I see the benefit it has in bringing in revenue and new clients who perhaps may transition to tennis further down the line. It’s yet to be scene but it’s definitely an interesting one to keep an eye on.

@EssentialTennis

26 күн бұрын

Unfortunately you might not have a choice RE having to coach pickleball. Hope I'm wrong.

At least here in Charlotte my local indoor tennis club is expanding, building a second indoor facility. Also every public court is always full during prime times, it’s hard to find a court most nights. Pickleball is also thriving, but I’m personally not seeing a drop off in tennis here. Since I got here 3 years ago there’s more activity at our club now than before.

Great video Ian. I think tennis needs to do a better job of marketing the health benefits as it is clearly more physically demanding to play than pickleball. I am pre diabetic and playing tennis keeps my glucose and A1C numbers in check.

Vancouver here. Real estate prices are crazy high. Very few chances that a tennis court will be the best choice businesswise. The supply is so short, especially during the 7 months of winter, that not many people are willing to go through the hassle of fighting to their nails to get a court. They just do something else. The demand is certainly there, there is just no supply.

“Laziness” is a lazy explanation for why pickleball is fun and popular. But it is part of both games. For tennis, laziness explains why most rec players: Don’t split step. Don’t drill. Don’t learn proper serve technique and settle for a pancake motion. Try to end the point quickly instead of patient percentage shot selection. Don’t move early to set up for shots. Don’t recover, but wait to see if the other player is going to return the ball. Pickleball has some laziness, too. Players: Don’t come to the net on every serve return. Don’t like singles pickleball. Try to end points quickly by banging every shot instead of developing a patient soft game.

i live in Europe where padel is gaining same popularity as PB in the US, at the expense of tennis by taking over tennis courts. Where i live, we used to have 6 courts at the club and it was already hard to find free court after 6pm. This year one court was taken by padel and it is a nightmare. You need to book 10 days before, which is most of the times not a choice for me... As a result, i am thinking of canceling my tennis subscription and forced to search for another sport, just for the shake of exercising. But i love tennis so much that this new reality saddens me a lot.

Brilliant analysis!

Great analysis on the economics of running a tennis club. That's the main issue. Tennis by its nature will always be more expensive than PB. However, I think most PBers are new to racquet sports, not ex-tennis players. The main exception are those whose knees and hips don't let them run around the court anymore. So one can look at this as a positive: more people picking up a racquet, and also paying the same club dues as a tennis player. Club managers just need to deal with crowding - maybe by building cheaper (low ceiling) PB courts.

@EssentialTennis

26 күн бұрын

Thanks for your thoughts!

In England I heard of ‘wallball’ which may increase profits from indoor courts. Hitting at a wall, doesn’t require painting different lines.

In UK we've never really had many indoor courts and its super expensive, but in terms of club membership at least in my area in london its full and man on waiting lists so it's pretty packed. Don't see any pickleball here in UK. I've seen quite a few pickleball courts in spain when I go on holiday though.

My teenager still likes tennis a lot more because is it very challenging, hence there's a sense of accomplishment after each progress. I am in Dallas, our tennis community is very strong, courts are always packed with tennis players of all age groups. Most PB players seem to be those who never played tennis before, or ex-tennis players who had injuries and must quit the game. We play PB with friends who aren't otherwise active, everyone gets to have fun pretty quickly and we can set up the net on any piece of concrete and draw our own lines 😆, but it gets boring pretty quickly too.

As long as we have the grand slams and star players, tennis will rule. Nobody saw a pickleball player and felt inspired to play. People see Alcaraz smashing winners and hoisting the French Open and want to hit their local court. They see the showmanship of Gael Monfils and they want to play like him. This will always make tennis unique. The stars are the greatest marketing product for tennis. They will ensure that it lives forever.

Tennis at the beginner level is just much much more difficult to make progressions, or even enjoy for most people, because the balls will fly everywhere. The muscle memories and coordination require too much practice and hard work to start making sense. So it's natural that a similar looking, more accessible sport is picking up. For me personally, the fun of tennis is sucking at it and getting better gradually by putting in the work. For people that enjoy hitting balls with others, keeping points, winning, feeling good, there are too many better options out there.

@albertcamus5970

26 күн бұрын

Yup. Pickleball gives you some of the good feeling of tennis without less suffering. OTOH tennis is more enjoyable if you have a bit of skill at it. Tennis just has a learning curve issue. They really haven't found good ways to get people playing it at higher skill levels.

Since you coached in the DC area, you may know the Arlington Y facility where I play. Yes, the facility is very old but it may even pre-date the 70's. I've seen one tennis facility turned into more of a daycare, I think, Devil's Reach. Arlington Y has moved into offering pickleball on some of it's courts. I've watched the game and, to me, it looks akin to a quick game of net play. I know a couple of older tennis players who have easily migrated to pickleball but both had physical problems which cut down on their mobility so to keep playing a sport, they moved in that direction. Personally, since my legs are still in good shape at 70+, I haven't thought about switching. Yes, I see a lot of younger pickleball players but I've also seen some younger players taking up tennis so I'm not sure I've seen an abandonment of tennis. The Arlington Y also has a vigorous youth program so we'll have to see how that goes. The county is planning on upgrading the area so the tennis facility will be changing. I've heard that they are cutting down the number of courts from 8, then to 6 but lately down to 4. I was part of a campaign to lobby the county board to reconsider some of their planning but at this point, no final decision has been made that I've heard of.

@sunsioux444

26 күн бұрын

I am 70 and started tennis one year ago at age 69. I came from pickleball. I do have some above average physical fitness and I defied the odds and said, I’m learning tennis and I did, and I am so happy. At our retirement community we used to have 12 tennis courts and now he’s down to eight due to transitioning to Pickleball courts. I used to really enjoy pickle ball, but I got tired of the slamming, banging and egos. I would like to see tennis marketed to many more groups and populations. That is what they don’t do right now. I have never seen a clinic that advertises trying tennis for mental and physical fitness or recreation or social outlet. people think you have to be young to start tennis, but I am proof positive that a person can start at any age

@info781

26 күн бұрын

Arlington Y is a well known facility, 8 indoor courts, I hope it survives. It is a great teaching facility.

In my area, Canada bc, there are lots of tennis courts, but rarely any indoors ones. When there is a tennis court, it usually comes with pickleball.

4.0 USTA in Austin has taken a huge plunge. there were 3 geographical regions of the city each with say, 8-10 teams. now there's two regions with 7-8. so one third less clubs fielding team's and you now have to travel large distances to play. i'm playing padel now and pickle is huge too.

I lived through the tennis boom of the late 60s and early 70s, followed by its decline. The decline happened because people found out that they just weren't good at it. That they lacked the athleticism and desire to improve. Pickleball will go through the same progression. Although it's far less demanding of talent, too many still will give it up to move onto the next fashion.

Here in LA I go to a park with about 12 courts and usually pretty busy.... no picklers.

I'm a tennis player who started also playing pickleball (both). I don't care which one I'm playing as long as I'm outside having fun and getting a workout

Hi there. Really interesting video. I started playing tennis at a young age in England. I played competively until my late teens. Then in my early 40s I was invited to give pickle ball a try. I enjoyed it and found some of my tennis skills helped me. But it just made me want to play tennis again so dropped pickleball and made an attempt to returning to playing tennis. I however have found that the world of tennis has changed. Junior tennis is not what I remembered and tennis clubs have allot of elderly members and not enough young or middle aged players who can play at a decent level. It's quite frustrating trying to return to tennis now. Pickleball however is really becoming popular. Not as much as in the states but it's being played more and more at indoor sports centres now. I completely agree with your observations.

I forgot to ask. How is PB (outside) in the rain or cooler weather?

As a resident of an Arizona geezer village for seven years, I've seen a few things. PB is a very easy for beginners. Someone can walk off the street and have a good time. Tennis requires commitment and a lot of effort. As tennis players age, PB becomes more attractive. A tennis pro once remarked to me how tennis is a physically expensive sport, especially on hard courts. We've had a few people graduate from PB to tennis, but it's been a trickle. It's mostly been the other way, along with a move to pop tennis. Finally, we used to have dining out groups before the pandemic. Different people each time. One guy was all hot to try PB, but he noticed that every time he drove by the courts, an ambulance was parked there. People who have been sedentary for decades think they're capable of quick movements, and they're not, at least not at first. Some tennis players I've known have required joint replacements. Their surgeons told them that their legs, really hard from playing tennis, made their recoveries much easier. One guy had two knees replaced at the same time one February. He was back on the courts in June. He was around 75 at the time.

One issue for clubs and coaches is that pickle ball is too easy. I talked to one of the coaches at my tennis club, and it seems like there isn't much demand for group pickle ball clinics or private lessons. It's too easy to play and doesn't require hours of private lessons or clinics. They can just start playing. Probably why it's so popular but a problem for coaches.

@gasperm3

26 күн бұрын

I agree, our pickleball pro doesn't get much revenue from pickleball lessons, but we all get a good amount from tennis.

@sunsioux444

26 күн бұрын

as a pickleball player, the game does require fitness, coordination, and agility if you want to play it decently. I have seen older people come in and think they can do it right off the bat and they run backwards and fall. So as someone who grew bored with picklebal, and its slamming and banging and egos, I migrated over to tennis at the age of 69 twelve months ago, and I am loving tennis. I love the challenge. I wish tennis would be marketed to more groups as an opportunity to increase mental and physical fitness at all levels and ages.

@gcs7817

26 күн бұрын

Anyone who needs a private or group lesson in pickle ball isn’t very coordinated. It’s a waste of money I think a 15 minute crash course in pickle ball is the only course anyone needs to learn how to play. Strategy ? There isn’t one other than to close down the net ASAP. You cannot teach hand to eye coordination. It is something that either one has or doesn’t

@SurpriseTennisClub

25 күн бұрын

You do pickleball a fair disservice here. Two of our tennis coaches are now pros on the pickleball tour and they routinely destroy very good tennis players on the pickleball court. Playing at a basic level is one thing but the game isn’t as easy as people make out.

@sunsioux444

25 күн бұрын

@@SurpriseTennisClub I agree! PB is a fun and social game, but one can take it to another level. When I see the pros play, I am amazed at their hand speed and quick reflexes. It’s a very quick game with the ball, flying back-and-forth at high speeds and not a lot of people can handle that, including myself sometimes.

I play tennis, squash and pickleball and love them all. Pickleball is fun but its pro events will never have the spectacle of a grand slam tennis tournament. The spectators, the sponsors and the big money will stick with tennis.

Since played tennis 1980-2000’s recreationally, it takes great skills to play tennis greatly, very little margin for error plus you have good mobility. Pickleball doesn’t appear as physical or you don’t have large margin of error. I see major advantages for pickle ball would court cost , clay courts are amazingly expensive to maintain.

I totally agree with your recommendations!! PB is much easier to learn than tennis which means that it will become and already is more of a social event than tennis! The skill set for getting involved in this rapidly expanding sport is minimal compared to the skill set of tennis! All of your ideas and facts are spot on!! You definitely are on the right track! I just don’t want PB to go the way of an expensive recreation so that more can participate!!!

Recently, I sat down to write a plan to elevate the game. It quickly (and organically) became a two-page single spaced document on what is wrong with tennis. Each line carrying significant weight and obstacles. Tennis is not in fatal trouble, it has players. But it desperately needs an overhaul from a multitude of perspectives.

@jakeschutz6342

21 күн бұрын

The challenge is when does the overhaul of tennis fundamentally change tennis? Tennis as a sport (just the sport part of it) I don't think needs to be changed. It is great exercise, technically challenging and is a wonderful endeavour to continuously improve at. We should not be dumbing it down because modern society deems it to be too anachronistic or ""old fashioned". Now, where I do think it needs change is on the sociological/economic side. It definitely could be more inclusive, and I really do think it needs to still work to rid itself of label of being a sport for the elites.

Tennis is booming in South Florida but imo it’s more of an exception due to climate and huge influx of new residents from all over US (including the northern states). PB is exponentially growing, so many new courts around, courts are always packed. But we don’t see tennis->PB court converts at all and that’s something a lot of players reported in other parts of US 😢

@info781

26 күн бұрын

Florida has great weather and lots of land , golf and tennis ruled for years, but newer generations want more variety. A number of golf courses have closed. Pickleball is controversial as it can generate a lot of noise near residential houses, so they're building huge indoor facilities.

Here in San Diego we don't have any indoor courts and most tennis courts are not private. 1) My local courts (8) are owned by our homeowner's association. So far no conversions. But neighboring association built a new pickleball court and painted lines on one of their their tennis courts to add pickleball courts. 2) Local High Schools are tennis only. I don't see High Schools adding pickleball teams. 3) Most local clubs are non profits on city park land. There was pressure on the city by a pickleball group to take over half (6) of the tennis courts of one of the clubs. But the youth tennis center across the street built 17 (real) pickleball courts on part of their parking lot and the threat is gone. 4) A private club near me has restriped their tennis courts for dual use with portable pickleball nets. But it's 4 pickleball courts in one tennis courts. Kind of crowded. Finally, a guy from our parent company in Germany came to San Diego and started to play pickleball. Soon, we were all playing pickleball in our parking lot at work. So, the fact that beginners can pick up pickleball faster than tennis is a plus. Since then, I do play pickleball once a week as the pickleball mixed open doubles play social courts outdo the tennis men's 4.0 and up open play courts. I'm a 3.5+ tennis player and it took years to play competitive intermediate tennis but just a few months to play competitive pickleball. However, this may be partially due to the play from the back of the court being similar. For me, tennis is my main sport (3X a week) and pickleball is my goof off social sport (1X a week). By the way, I have met pickleball players who are current or past players. I don't think the past players dropped tennis for pickleball. I think they are busy at home or work and would be playing no sport in the past. Pickleball, especially open play is just so easy on the schedule. As for coaches and videos, I took a few beginner lessons but don't need to go beyond social pickleball and have bought a lot of on-line tennis videos but have only seen a few free pickleball videos.

I play tennis, never played pickleball and probably will not anytime soon. But I think Pickleball is becoming so popular because it is much easier for a beginner to learn. I live in Florida and have a court in my backyard so it is fairly convenient for me. But you are correct about these indoor tennis facilities economic woes up in the northern states. The guy who built my court 5 years ago said it was the first tennis court he had done in 5 years. Building mostly Pickleball courts. With online shopping now these old indoor facilities have a hard time competing by even selling merchandise.

No Pickle ball is for those who would not think of playing tennis, but now have opportunities to do so in lite mde

In Sarasota Florida pickleball is bigger than tennis. Many more courts have been built, many in already established tennis clubs and in public parks.

@EssentialTennis

26 күн бұрын

😞

@info781

26 күн бұрын

True for hard courts, but pickleball can not be played on clay.

Hi... Good video and good points all. The video forgot to mention that the "rec" PB player doesn't need to be as athletic as the "rec" tennis player. Smaller courts mean less time picking up balls. And PB looks easier to become competent. My sister in Canada hasn't touched a tennis racket in years, but she now plays PB regularly. As has already been written, in Europe (Austria) PB is not here - YET. It will come, though. People love to learn new activities, so PB is in the steep market introduction phase, and a saturated market phase will come. Just like racquet ball took some players away from squash, PB will impact tennis. But squash is still being played, and tennis will not die. More people doing physical activity is good. So accept the trend and as a player diversify. As a club, diversify too. I will try PB when courts appear nearby. Neil

Absolutely not, tennis will never die. Little boom sports/hobbies always flair up and get a following but doesn't mean it will last forever. Pickleball definitely has a market and a place but will never have that grand scale of tennis

Great video. I think we need to figure out how to take advantage of the pickleball phenomenon (Snow boarding did not destroy skiing, but there was talk of that years ago, and has mountain biking impacted road biking/ pro road racing? Also Racquetball was all the rage in the 80s... and now?). I live in Spain, what is big here is Padel, not pickleball. It has taken off for many of the same reasons - smaller footprint/ less effort required to play (note pro Padel is super athletic, but the average joe/jose can play padel easier - like pickleball). I see the marketing of Pickelball everywhere in the US and I see it growing internationally. I was just at Roland Garros and they had a pickleball court set up - also American expats are bringing it to the beach cities in Spain, No doubt, what you mentioned, small footprint, lower ceiling, etc is real. Padel has the same benefits, but pickleball is even easier to set up - even on the street in front, on your driveway, etc. Beyond footprint, the other downside/ and upside of tennis is that it takes a lot more athletic ability to play - and it is much faster. The advantage there is that some young people exposed to pickleball might see tennis as a more intense place and move up - whereas older players may move from tennis to pickleball. So what would I do - in the US or elsewhere? * embrace pickleball - we need more hybrid clubs that have both sports, and maybe Padel. - This means new investment in teh * Modernize tennis - I think some of this is happening - but we need to make tennis more interesting for mid level players. * Considering building more rooftop tennis courts?? Above gyms, etc so that the land use is more efficient. * The US needs some more super stars to emerge. * more/ better youth tennis programs

Remark from DC area: a big reason why pickleball has taken off even with tennis/former tennis players: how easy it is to just show up somewhere with minimal planning and jump in on open play. Where as with tennis, you have to find/organize where to play, who to play with, making sure it’s similar level (tennis more critical to have similar levels). Then doubles, even harder - good luck getting 4 people of similar level to agree on a time and place to play. In pickleball, just simply show up somewhere and you are in. I play both. I’ve met former tennis players in pickleball who took it up because it’s just so damn easy to find people to play with and get good games. To help fix this - we need more folks who organize big sessions/doubles. Make it almost as easy as pickleball for a 3.5+ player to jump in and get competitive fun games in. A USTA 4.5 level teammate said this: if it wasn’t for me he wouldn’t be playing tennis at all. I organize a lot of group doubles for fun in my area.

@VicDamoneJr82

26 күн бұрын

why not play with one other person in tennis i have the same partner for 10 years

@markhcire8476

26 күн бұрын

This is so true, I experience all of the tennis barriers you mentioned in this comment.

@astyrrian17

26 күн бұрын

@@VicDamoneJr82 then what if that person is unavailable or you want to play 4 times a week and that person can play only 1. What if that person moves away? One of my friends I hit with, she reached out to a Facebook group to find someone only because her 2 year hitting partner was out for a while. But still, that was effort on her part She also made a comment I challenge her a lot more with my pace and spin than her regular hitting partner ever did Of course, in pickleball, the easiest way to fix this problem is physically show up at an open play location and instantly you meet tons of folks to play with

@EssentialTennis

26 күн бұрын

Thanks for supporting your local tennis, astyrrian!

I remember meeting Dick Enberg back in 2004 and talking to him about tennis. Back then he was saying how it is a sport on the decline. He was seeing it through the lens of viewership versus participation but still an interesting metric. While I worry about the encroachment of Pickleball into spaces already held by Tennis (which is certainly happening here in Southeastern Michigan), I feel tennis will endure. Perhaps this is the middle aged man in me talking but Tennis has a beauty, grace and level of enjoyment Pickleball will never attain

I’m in Poland right now. Their tennis is incorporated into broader racquet sports: badminton, squash and tennis. It’s the nature of the context. I see no reason why we cannot do this too

The massive appeal Pickle Ball will could affect the future of USTA. Imagine the future Serna Willaims is the 5time Pickleball Champion. RIP USTA and US Tennis. Tennis is the hardest racquet sport to play but very grafiying once learnt ❤ x 3000

great video and analysis. I'm in metro Atlanta, PB was my wife and my 'gateway' into tennis. we have a strong tennis culture here- but PB is coming on strong. local Home Owner Aasociations want to convert more tennis courts to PB courts, local parks that offer PB are super crowded on weekends, we even have PB 'entertainment complex's' where you can get food, booze and play quick PB matches. young kids see PB as easy to learn, and they can jump in quick and play. Tennis takes a while to learn, and takes some planning for matches, etc. One thing about PB is how expensive some of those paddles can be, around the same price as a new racquet, and also neighborhoods don't realize how loud PB is until u have kids playing on neighborhood courts at 10:30 pm. and your house is near the courts :-) a PB game sounds like horse hoofs clopping on a stone street. Tennis needs to do a better job of marketing young stars, i like that Coco is on the New Balance commercials, Alcaraz, Fritz, Rune, and Sinner need to be hyped up by manufacturers - a rolex commercial just doesn't resonate with a 17 year old kid. tennis needs new blood and better marketing, at least in US. but i do notice PB'ers looking fondly at tennis matches, thinking about stepping up, Tennis'ers look at PB and say I'll play that when i'm 70.

Can’t we all just get along 🙏🏼🎾🏓🏆

@stratguitarman7831

22 күн бұрын

NO! :)

Thank you🎉

What makes pickelball (and padel) different from tennis is that beginners can come with friends and families and start playing right away without any preparation. This makes these sports accessible. It would also be very interesting to see a battle between pickleball in North America and padel in Europe. Have you ever researched how many tennis players there are in the world compared to pickelball and padel players combined? Do you believe that the massive trend towards new racquet sports will make pickleball (or padel in Europe) more popular than tennis in the next 10+ years?

As others have said, I've never seen any Pickleball courts in the UK and I don't know anyone who plays. I doubt the average person would even know what it is (I only have a vague idea from hearing it mentioned on videos like this one). My local club is considering adding Padel but it would be in addition to tennis, not replacing any of the courts. Real estate prices is maybe more of an issue, especially in London. Our local club went through a change of structure to make it a community facility to protect it from some of the older members who were looking to cash in, it caused quite a bit of friction at the time. Indoor courts aren't that common in my experience though so we don't have the buildings issue at least. I wonder if the drop in interest in tennis in the US is also influenced by the lack of success US players have had in recent years?

Totally agree with your analysis. At local parks, the tennis courts are empty and the PB courts are full. I've gone from teaching/playing tennis to pickleball. PB appeals to more people because it is easier to learn and it's more affordable as park create "open play" for everyone versus just the lucky that can afford a court. I think the decline is largely due to the USTA not paying for court upgrades and making lessons from teaching professionals more affordable and available. A teaching pro can't earn a good living just teaching tennis without a subsidy from the USTA or local CTA. As a past president of a local CTA, the USTA should have helped. I do feel it's too late for tennis unless they adopt, and work with the PB community, to build a pathway between tennis and pickle. One idea is to convert 10 and Under courts to PB court dimensions. I do think kids should start with PB and then grow to tennis.

I was an early adapter of PB, I was playing in 2014. I enjoyed it and still occasionally play. I got bored with PB because the game is too easy to master and you don’t get enough exercise. PB is fun, but so was hopscotch.

@okayest_amateur

21 күн бұрын

Why is everyone saying that pickleball is soo easy. Anyone who has played at the 4.0 4.5 5.0 pickleball level understand that pickleball is NOT an easy game at all. I get as sore afterwards playing pickleball as I did playing tennis. Sure if you are playing some beginner it will be easy. Easy to learn hard to master.

I don't think tennis is dying, I do think the tennis industry does need to adapt and adjust. There will always be people who enjoy the challenge of tennis. That being said, pickleball doesn't have the same challenges as tennis does when it comes to facilities which is why they need to start making their own more and stop taking over tennis courts. Pickleballers are an invasive species! i do agree with you, coaches will need to learn both as there's money in both games.

I don't think tennis coaches would have any problem generalizing. If you coach tennis, coaching PB is no problem. The other way around is not so. Also, if you live in hotter climate where real estate is not too expensive, where a lot of tennis courts are outdoor, I don't see much of an invasion of PB. PB lines were drawn on tennis courts, but it's hot half the year, and if you play tennis when it's hot, you'd barely see any PB player competing with you for courts.

@EssentialTennis

26 күн бұрын

Oh ya? PB players don't like it hot?

@tomsd8656

26 күн бұрын

@EssentialTennis I'm not sure. That's just what I saw. I never saw PB players out when it's hot. In the summer, temperature in Houston TX is still around 90 F at 5:30 PM. Maybe they play early in the morning.

@gasperm3

26 күн бұрын

Agree, pickleball certification I'm sure would be very easy lol.

As much as I hate to admit it, I think pickleball will continue to take over court space, interest, and money. It’s just a reflection of the short attention span due to social media and music constantly bombarding us with short skits and clips. Tennis has become too difficult and unrewarding to the general public, especially the younger generation.

If real estate becomes expensive then just up the price of the tennis courts. A golf court could be in the middle of the city but it’s just going to be so damn expensive

being in my 50s and loving playing tennis, I welcome the pickleball "sport" as it gives me something I might like when I cannot play tennis anymore. but claiming that pickleball requires the same atheletisms as tennis is plain silly.

Your viewpoint and comments are much appreciated. You and the other commentators below make some good points. IMO, it's akin to life in that some people want to be able to do multiple things (jack of all trades) and don't care as much about the level at which they do them and others want to do what they do well (specialists, if you will). People in general have gotten lazy; they don't want to do the hard work nor have the dedication or patience to progressively improve in tennis. It does take more time and the latter generations are definitely less steeped in the "delayed gratification" methodology. I have mixed emotions as a lifelong fitness enthusiast, former sports teacher/coach/functional fitness trainer. Many pickleball players seem to have little or NO previous sports experience so for me, the sound of PB players playing ANY sport is a good one. On the other hand, it's unfortunate that today's values don't reflect the same work ethic as in the past. It takes more "energy", time and patience to play tennis but isn't that the point in life also? The more you put in, the more you're likely to receive back. There are generalists and there are specialists. And then there are those who don't care about that as much as where the most financial gain is going to be. We've had militant tactics here in San Diego where PB players feel entitled to take over the tennis courts....but then there are those PB players who are respectful. I have no answers unfortunately.