We are the West Linn Pickleball Club, an organization designed to encourage and facilitate the adoption and growth of Pickleball in the West Linn community by fostering a nurturing environment for beginners, as well as competitive players. Recently, they spent two recent Sunday nights playing pickleball, first inside the former Palisades Elementary School gymnasium in Lake Oswego, and then at the
YMCA in Sherwood.
“We used to play tennis together,” said Tim Catlin, 78, “and we were looking for something a little less strenuous that we could do together.” Hampered by a shoulder injury, and no longer capable of serving overhead, Tim finds the underhand serve in pickleball very liberating. The full schedule of places to play pickleball around Portland, Vancouver, and Salem can be found by clicking on the link below. This schedule is updated frequently, especially during the change of seasons. https://sites.google.com/site/portlandpickleball/master-calendar
Part of pickleball’s appeal is its learning curve. Nearly anyone with decent hand-eye coordination can pick up a paddle and be proficient. This is an easy racquet sport to pick up, but mastering the sport isn’t so easy. The lower net (34 inches at the center) and smaller court (20 feet wide, 44 feet baseline to baseline) tend to favor players who are good at getting low, rather than those tall serve-and-volley specialists who can dominate in tennis.
“I started playing and I got hooked immediately,” said Tom, who is now retired, 70 and living in West Linn. “The thing that amazed me was the workout you get. It’s much like Ping Pong, you don’t realize it until all of a sudden your jersey’s all wet.”
Tom recently bought a net and four paddles and chalked lines in his driveway to play with his grandchildren. He played in Palm Desert, while visiting the professional tennis tournament there in Indian Wells. It’s so popular with seniors because of the smaller court, and the fact that women can play along with their husbands. “It’s a real social gathering for a lot of people,” Tim said. “I’ve met a whole group of new people that I now call friends that I had never socialized with before.”
RULES OF THE GAME
Pickleball rules are fairly straightforward. You don’t get a second chance at a serve, unless the ball tips the net and lands in the opposing serving box. And all serves are underhand. The return of serve must bounce. The third and any subsequent shots can be volleyed, but not from within a 7-foot zone on either side of the net (called the kitchen; as in, stay out of it) but you can enter the no-volley zone to return a shot that lands within it. Games are generally to 11 points – win by two. If other people are waiting for the court, games are capped at 8. You can play singles, but doubles is much more common.
“It’s a perfect game for people who still want to stay active,” said Sara Meier, of West Linn. “There’s just enough moving around.” Sara, a retired school teacher, liked pickleball instantly. “A big piece of it is how friendly and encouraging everyone is,” she said. “I never realized the popularity of pickleball,” said Sara. “There’s a craze about it.”
The City of West Linn agreed to a makeover of a tennis court in Tanner Creek Park, putting down permanent lines and nets to transform two tennis courts into four pickleball courts. The club will be moving to an indoor venue during the Winter months, but will retain a sheltered (but open to the weather) presence at Tanner Creek Park under the picnic shelter. Drop by on Tuesday or Friday evenings, or Monday, Thursday, or Sunday mornings for an introduction to the fastest growing sport in America.
