Are you excited to know interesting facts about pickleball?
As a fan of the game for the last 6 years, I have heard many fascinating stories. In this article, I would like to discuss them with you.
I have covered important facts, statistics, and trends on pickleball.
So let’s dive into the beautiful world of pickleball.
Interesting Facts About Pickleball
Ben Johns is the most successful male pickleball player. He has earned over 80 PPA titles, 15 of which were triple crowns. (Source: TimesNowNews)
Ben Johns has won 108 consecutive pickleball matches in singles. (Source: PPA Tour)
Anna Leigh Waters is the most successful male pickleball player. (Source: Fortune)
17-year-old Anna Leigh Waters has earned 100 PPA titles. (Source: WWLP)
Playing pickleball helps lower depression levels. (Source: Health.com)
Pickleball can improve cognitive skills in older people in just 6 weeks. (Source: Health.com)
Pickleball can be played with 2,3,4,5, or 6 players.
Pickleball can be played both indoors and outdoors.
Pickleball is played as “Adaptive Pickleball” for people with physical challenges. (Source: USA Pickleball)
Many players convert a tennis court into a pickleball court to play the game.
There are 50003 pickleball courts in 11885 locations in the United States. (Source: USA Pickleball)
Pickleball is known as “pukaball” in Hawaii. (Source: Wikipedia)
The first pickleball equipment manufacturer company is Pickle Ball, Inc. It was founded in 1968 by Joan Pritchard, Barney McCallum, and Barnery’s son. (Source: Wikipedia)
PickleballCentral.com is the world’s largest pickleball equipment seller.
The first official pickleball tournament was held in Washington in 1976 by Joan Pritchard. It was named “The World’s First Pickleball Championship”. (Source: Wikipedia)
As of 2021, the International Federation of Pickleball has 58 member countries. (Source: Wikipedia)
Pickleball is the official state sport of Washington. (Source: SeattleTimes)
To minimize the wind effect, balls with smaller holes are used for outdoor games. (Source: Wikipedia)
Despite its popularity, Pickleball is still not an Olympic sport.
Minto US Open Pickleball Championship is the biggest pickleball tournament. (Source: TimesNowNews)
The noise during pickleball games has caused several complaints, lawsuits, and hunger strikes in many places. (Source: BusinessInsider)
Indoor pickleball balls have 26 holes.
Outdoor pickleball balls have 40 holes.
Over 850 new pickleball courts are built each month in the United States. It means around 10000 new pickleball courts are built each year. (Source: Statisticser)
South Atlantic Region has the most pickleball participants. (Source: Statisticser)
According to Google Trends, Google searches for pickleball have increased by 530% from April 2019 to April 2024. (Source: Google Trends)
According to Google Trends, people from Utah, Arizona, Hawaii, Minnesota, and Florida have the highest interest in Pickleball. (Source: Google Trends)
World Pickleball Day is celebrated on October 10. The annual event was started in 2020, to spread awareness about the sport.
National Pickleball Day is celebrated on August 8.
Pickleball is more popular among seniors than young players.
Most professional pickleball players were tennis players at some point in their lives.
The majority of pickleball paddles weigh between 7 to 9 ounces.
Pickleball paddles are 20 to 30% lighter than tennis racquets.
Pickleball balls are 50 to 70% lighter than tennis balls.
Pickleball demands less agility and endurance than other racquet sports.
As pickleball is a low-impact sport, many senior and injured tennis players are switching to pickleball.
Pickleball is an affordable sport for most people.
A good starter pickleball paddle costs as little as $20.
Professional pickleball paddles cost as much as $250.
Among all sports, pickleball has the oddest scoring system.
Playing pickleball regularly can reduce the risk of heart disease. (Source: PPA Tour)
Players can burn up to 600 calories in 1 hour pickleball game. (Source: PPA Tour)
Pickleball helps to reduce depression and anxiety. (Source: PPA Tour)
Pickleball is a good full-body workout. (Source: PPA Tour)
The most popular pickleball wearables are Pickleball hats, Pickleball socks, Pickleball gloves, and Pickleball towels.
The most popular pickleball balls are the Franklin Sports X-40 and Selkirk Pro X1 Ball.
More than 10000 players buy Franklin Sports X-40 pickleball balls from Amazon every month.
Every month, over 9000 players buy MTEN pickleball paddle sets.
Apart from the United States, Pickleball is growing rapidly in Canada, Spain, India, France, and England. (Source: Sportsver)
The largest pickleball tournament organizations, Major League Pickleball (MLP) and Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) merged in February 2024. As a result of this merger, the world’s top players will come together. (Source: CNBC)
The return is the most important shot in pickleball. (Source: PPA Tour)
A $25 million pickleball facility will be constructed in the Salt Lake Valley. (Source: Yahoo Sports)
Conclusion
Pickleball is not just a sport. It’s an emotion. It’s a game that is connecting millions of people.
It’s a game that brings joy into people’s life. From kids to our grandparents, this beautiful game offers something for everyone.
Our aim in sharing interesting facts about pickleball with our readers was to spread awareness about the game’s glorious history.
Next time you talk with your friends about pickleball, share the facts I have discussed here.
You can share this article with your pickleball friends.
Play pickleball and enjoy it as much as you can.