Starting Pickleball at 65 and Beyond

Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in the United States, and the boom is driven by players over 60. The Sports and Fitness Industry Association counted more than 19 million American pickleball players in 2024, with the largest age group sitting between 55 and 74. The reason is plain: pickleball is friendlier on the joints than tennis, the court is small enough to cover without sprinting, the rules can be learned in about ten minutes, and most towns now have free or low-cost public courts within a short drive.

A new player needs only three things to walk onto a court for the first time. The first is a paddle. Beginners do well with a midweight paddle in the 7.3 to 8.0 ounce range, with a fiberglass or composite face. Brands such as Selkirk, Joola, Engage, Onix, and Paddletek sell solid starter paddles in the 60 to 120 dollar range. The second is comfortable court shoes — never running shoes, because running shoes lack side-to-side support and raise the risk of a rolled ankle. Tennis shoes or shoes labeled for pickleball or court sports work well. The third is a few pickleballs, which are hollow plastic balls with holes. Outdoor balls have smaller, more many holes and feel harder. Indoor balls feel lighter and softer.

Most recreation departments, YMCA branches, AARP chapters, and 55-plus communities run free or sliding-scale intro clinics for newcomers. The official USA Pickleball website at usapickleball.org keeps a places-to-play map that lists more than 14,000 courts. A search by ZIP code shows nearby public, private, and indoor venues. Newcomers are almost always welcome at open-play sessions, and regulars are quick to share advice. Sources include USA Pickleball at usapickleball.org, the AARP pickleball hub at aarp.org, and the Centers for Disease Control physical activity guidelines for older adults at cdc.gov.