An up-and-coming sport is experiencing a ten-fold rise in popularity, as increasingly crowded Ballarat courts are playing host to pickleball competitions.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Pickleball is a hybrid racquet sport which combines elements of badminton, tennis and squash, and is becoming popular for the ease with which it is to learn and play.
It's something 85-year-old Carmel Durbidge even credits for her recovery from a stroke.
After suffering a stroke in May 2023, Ms Durbidge lost movement in her arm, but said the desire to play pickleball again was the motivation behind her rapid recovery.
"Whether you win or lose, it's just a lovely group of people, and it's just really good fun," she said.
Twice a week, Ms Durbidge is joined by her 92-year-old husband Allen Durbidge at the Ballarat Badminton Association where they play social matches.
I just love the game, it's good fun, good people, and it's not a hard game, but it certainly makes you perspire.
- Allen Durbidge
Despite being 92-years-old, Mr Durbidge moves around the pickleball court like a man at least ten years younger.
He credits the three weekly hours of pickleball as the secret to his vitality.
"I just love the game, it's good fun, good people, and it's not a hard game, but it certainly makes you perspire," he said.
"We've both been tennis players since we were [young], and I just like anything with a racquet in my hand, so that's the main appeal for it, ... it keeps us fit, that's why we're still going."
A regular table tennis player, Mr Durbidge said he was introduced to pickleball just before the start of COVID-19 lockdowns, and it's since become his preferred sport.
Pickleball is played on a badminton court and uses a badminton scoring system, but the net sits low similar to tennis, and players use a light plastic ball and paddles akin to large table tennis bats.
Invented in the USA in 1965, pickleball was created to provide a game that would be suitable for an entire family.
As the courts are smaller than those used in tennis, Ms Durbidge said the sport appealed to older players who no longer have the ability to sprint around a tennis court.
I think it's easier, it's not easy, but it's easier, and I just love the atmosphere and everybody's friendly.
- Carmel Durbidge
"For older people, you don't have to cover the wider courts," she said.
"I think it's easier, it's not easy, but it's easier, and I just love the atmosphere and everybody's friendly."
This amicable atmosphere is another part of pickleball that both Mr and Ms Durbidge mention often while discussing the sport.
They said they often have people from outside Ballarat visit for a casual hit, and all new players are welcomed whether they are seasoned competitors or playing their first ever game.
Because pickleball is suited to players of all different skill levels, they said it's normal to see three generations of the same family all playing together.
Sudden rise in popularity
Ballarat Badminton Association manager Rhonda Cator said their centre had been hosting pickleball sessions since about 2018.
Back then, Ms Cator said they would be happy if about 12 people came to play, but after a rapid rise in the past year, they now have about 150 regular participants.
"In the last 12 months it's really started to build up which is pretty fantastic," she said.
"The perfect thing about here is a pickleball court is the same size as the badminton court ... so its a good fit for us, especially during the day when there's not a lot of badminton happening."
She said while the sport was particularly popular with older demographics, who enjoy the social outlet it provides, the centre had everyone from teenagers to those in their nineties playing regularly.
"There's just people ringing up all the time, with the [older] demographic, people are always looking for something to do," she said.
"You can make it as hard as you want to make it, if you want to be a top top player they have international competitions, if you just want to come down as a beginner then we're adding extra sessions all the time."
While the majority of sessions at Ballarat Badminton Association cater to social players, the centre also runs competitive matches on Monday nights.
Those looking to take their pickleball more seriously can also travel to other areas to compete in larger weekend tournaments.
In February, 2024, four Ballarat players entered a tournament in Warrnambool, where they competed against 250 others in singles and doubles matches.
The group took home six medals - four silver and two bronze - across the two day event, with Neil Chiswell, Hannah Handreck and Fi Laws all winning silverware.
Ballarat's Mike Stroud also competed in Warrnambool, and said he had picked up pickleball as a less physically straining alternative to tennis, while still keeping him in good shape.
it's fantastic from the perspective it keeps you fit, it's very social, and you can [play] pretty much anywhere in the country.
- Mike Stroud
"It's one of the fastest growing sports in the world, particularly in the slightly older age groups, it's fantastic from the perspective it keeps you fit, it's very social, and you can [play] pretty much anywhere in the country," he said.
"It's a great way to keep your feet active, keep your reflexes good, and also be social, I think that's probably the key to it.
"If you want to take it a little bit further and be competitive ... you'll find there's a significant competition on most weekends throughout the year these days."
The Ballarat Badminton Association hosts a mixture of social and competitive weekly pickleball sessions on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday.
