What Is Pickleball? A Beginner's Guide

So, what is pickleball? It is a paddle sport that mixes elements of tennis, badminton and table tennis, played on a small court with a solid paddle and a plastic ball with holes, similar to a wiffle ball. It is easy to learn in a single session, which is a big part of why it has become so popular so quickly.

A pickleball court is roughly a third of the size of a tennis court, so rallies are shorter and games move fast without requiring the fitness level of tennis or padel. Games are usually played as doubles, although singles is possible too, and points are only won by the serving side in traditional scoring.

A typical point starts with an underhand serve hit diagonally across the court, similar in spirit to a tennis serve but without the overhead motion. After the serve and the return, both sides let the ball bounce once under the double bounce rule, and from there players can choose to volley the ball out of the air or let it bounce again, except inside the non-volley zone right at the net. Many rallies settle into a slower rhythm near the net, sometimes called dinking, where players softly tap the ball back and forth waiting for an opening before someone finally puts a faster shot away.

Getting started does not take much equipment. You need a paddle, which is solid rather than strung like a tennis or padel racquet, a plastic pickleball with holes, comfortable athletic shoes with good grip for quick side to side movement, and clothes you can move freely in. Many clubs and camps, including Open Marratxí, offer paddle loan for beginners, so you can try the sport before deciding whether to invest in your own equipment.

Pickleball for beginners is particularly appealing because the rules are simple, the court is small, and most people can rally within their first few minutes on court. Part of what makes it stand out is how accessible it is: the smaller court and underhand serve put less strain on the body than tennis, and it is played by people across a wide range of ages, often on the same court in mixed groups, which is part of the social appeal alongside the physical one.

Pickleball can be played indoors or outdoors. Outdoor courts are more common since they are cheaper to build, often adapted from existing tennis or padel courts with new lines painted on, while indoor courts, more common in colder climates, offer protection from wind and rain. Either way, the court dimensions and rules stay the same, only the surface and the conditions change, which is a large part of why pickleball is often described as one of the fastest growing sports in the world, with new courts and clubs opening across Europe, including here in Mallorca.

Once you understand the basics, the best way to improve is to play regularly against a mix of opponents. For the full rules, including scoring and the non-volley zone, see our pickleball rules guide, for common beginner questions see our pickleball FAQ, and if you want to get started in Mallorca, take a look at Open Marratxí.