Vineyard Tennis Center (VTC) hosted its first ever pickleball weekend on Friday and Saturday, complete with demonstrations, lessons, games, and dinner. Helen White, a 60-and-over pickleball silver medalist at the 2013 National Senior Games, was on hand to provide instruction to the attendees, as well as to answer questions.
Over the course of two days, 25 people participated in the pickleball clinic, which was given before players could try their hand at round robin gameplay. A combination of tennis, badminton and table tennis, pickleball uses a smaller court, lower nets, and plywood paddles. In addition, the ball used is slightly larger than a tennis ball, is made of plastic, and is full of holes.
Pickleball is intended to be less rigorous than tennis, meaning it can be played longer without injury. Aces, unlike in tennis, are discouraged, and instead replaced by a gentle underhand serve meant to begin a rally.
“It’s an easier racquet skill,” Vineyard Tennis Center tennis pro Connie McHugh said. “There is less court to cover, so it makes it easier to play for longer.”
This philosophy, paired with Helen White’s ideology that pickleball is intended for “fun, fitness, and friendships,” made pickleball a hit at VTC.
The idea for a pickleball weekend was first introduced to Vineyard Tennis Center by Kathy Forrester and Jill Woollacott while visiting Punta Gorda, Fla., with several friends. While playing tennis, Ms. Forrester stumbled onto a game of pickleball and began watching. She was eventually invited out on the court to try the new game, and she instantly fell in love.
“I saw an 80-year-old person playing with a 30-year-old person. There is no age restriction, and I love that!” Ms. Forrester said.
“In 30 minutes,” she continued, “I fell in love with the game. I called Connie [McHugh], and she knew [Helen White], and here we are.”
She approached Connie McHugh, and within a few days Ms. McHugh’s close friend and pickleball veteran Helen White was on board to visit Martha’s Vineyard and give several demonstrations.
Participants, who were mostly tennis players, began with experimenting with the new balls and racquets. They took to it quickly, once they understood how the ball bounces and the correct way to play. The most problematic of the techniques to learn for many was the underhand serve, which goes against the instincts of a tennis player, who is accustomed to an overhand serve. A huge advantage that pickleball has over tennis, though, is finesse. The game is not about who has the strongest forehand or who plays at the net, but instead focuses on strategy and where to hit the ball.
“[In tennis] hit it hard or hit it smart,” said Connie McHugh. “In pickleball, hit it smart.”
With smiles on their faces, participants took to the court after several rounds of practicing as a group. Everyone playing was laughing, high-fiving and truly enjoying being active on the tennis court. After switching opponents several times, the players were treated to dinner and drinks hosted by the Vineyard Tennis Center.
Will pickleball find a more permanent home on the Island? Connie McHugh thinks so, and after the clinic most, if not all, of the participants were eager to play again.
“Anyone can play,” said Kathy Forrester. “That’s the beauty of pickleball.”
