Pickleball: Wacky new sport gains popularity in Whanganui

Pickleball players Eugenie Russell and Sue Wooddin from Kāpiti at the NZ Masters Games in Whanganui. Photo / Bevan Conley

Pickleball is taking off in Whanganui and its rapidly growing membership is lobbying for an official club to form.

Whanganui Pickleball organiser Rene Shmitt said for three years in a row pickleball was the fastest-growing sport in America and the trend was reflected in New Zealand.

“In America, pickleball courts are everywhere, everyone is playing pickleball - it’s crazy, and it’s the same in New Zealand. If you look at Wellington, they only started two or three years ago and they have grown exponentially; they have more than 200 members now.”

Shmitt said pickleball’s popularity was due to how easy the game was to learn and the fact it was age inclusive.

“People have fun from the first hour onwards, it is so easy and social.”

Pickleball takes place on a badminton doubles court, with players using large wooden paddles to hit a hollow plastic ball back and forth across a low net.

The game is a cross between tennis, badminton and table tennis but some notable rules are that serves are under-hand or a drop serve and the ball must bounce once on the opponent’s side after serving.

Pickleball players in Whanganui are applying to become an incorporated club which could help lift their player capacity.

Shmitt said the group would explore a range of venues to increase the number of nights members could play and the number of players able to join each session.

“Sport Whanganui is helping us as much as they can but, because we are not an incorporated club, they can’t go full steam.”

In their existing location at Faith City Church, only 16 players can be on the court at one time. Shmitt said some nights 20 players would be wanting to have a turn and interest in the sport was growing.

Schmitt said a mixture of male and female players of a wide range of ages attended each session, the youngest being 23 years old and the oldest 65-70.

“We want older people to play because it’s so gentle on the joints and the cardiovascular system, it’s a healthy, positive sport.”

Pickleball was invented in America by Joel Pritchard for his family. The sport was brought to Whanganui by Heina Petzold and Eva Bush.

To try out a pickleball session contact the Whanganui group at rivercity.pickleball2022@gmail.com.