Pickleball craze: How Exeter became one local hotspot for nation’s fastest growing sport

EXETER — It was a Tuesday evening and as usual, Martin Lawrence and his wife, Samantha, headed down to the Recreation Park at 4 Hampton Road to play pick-up pickleball with some friends.

While waiting, the couple practiced “dinking,” a soft-touch shot made just outside of the non-volley zone — the court area within 7 feet of both sides of the net, also known as the Kitchen.

“You have to push the ball, not hit it,” said Martin Lawrence.

Pickleball has quickly become the nation's fastest-growing sport, with an average growth rate of 157% over the last three years, according to Pickleheads. The online group made up of enthusiasts of the sport is a place to find nearby courts and other people to play with.

Pickleheads state there are currently around 36.5 million players in the country alone, and that figure is projected to grow by 7.7% through 2028. Currently, there are 10,320 pickleball courts across the country, according to the group.

The sport arrived in Exeter at the tail end of COVID-19, when everyone was eager to be outside and do just about anything.

“I think people just picked up a paddle and Googled pickleball and started playing,” said Martin Lawrence. “It was an older person sport in the beginning. But now, tennis players are switching over to pickleball because they are more competitive, and they are more agile.”

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Pickleball has been described by many as the combination of tennis, badminton and ping pong. But behind the vast growth in numbers, lies an easy and fun-to-play sport for all, making the ball-and-paddle sport that much more addictive.

“Once you start playing, you’ll know why everybody plays because it’s not like tennis,” said Martin Lawrence, who is also a pickleball coach. “(In tennis) if you don’t have a proper swing, you’re not playing. (For pickleball), anybody can grab a paddle and play. You might not be very good, but everybody can play.”

Greg Bisson, the town’s recreation director, said he was “stunned with the surge” of players that signed up for pick-up pickleball this summer. By early May, he said, all the spots had already been filled up, with more than 100 players put on the waiting list.

“We had to cap it at 200 players (per session), but we recently opened it up to a few more,” he said. “We realized that not everyone was showing up all the time.”

According to the town’s recreation department, players could sign up for three different sessions throughout this summer. The first session ran from May to July; the second session started in July and runs to September and the third session runs from September to November.

For hardcore enthusiasts of the sport, there was also an option to sign up for all three sessions.

Bisson said there were only 200 players last summer. That number is now per session, with most of them being new players who are from out of town, he said.

“A lot of people that signed up last year with us missed out because they were either traveling or they were just a little bit too late, not knowing that it would be that popular,” he said. “Exeter is really fortunate to have the facilities that we have. We really didn’t realize how much people gravitate towards us because we are a very busy rec department and offer a lot of opportunities.”

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A sport for all ages

On that same Tuesday evening, Jack Gillis and his friend Michael Cilia hit the courts. It was Cilia’s first time playing pickleball, but their long rally did not indicate a rookie level of play.

“It’s pretty easy to pick up,” said Cilia. “Any age could play this because it requires a bit of athleticism but not too much so it’s kinda made for everyone.”

Gillis, who has been dabbling in the sport for the past six months, said his interest in pickleball came from a class he took during his senior year at the University of New Hampshire. The half-semester class teaches students about the sport, both on and off the court, he said.

The 21-year-old said he frequents the courts once to twice a week. As a beginner, he said, everyone at the pick-up session was nice and welcoming.

“It doesn’t take as much effort,” said Gillis, referring to pickleball vs. tennis. “You’re running around a lot, but it’s a lot more short bursts. You have to be precise, but not as precise.”

Phil MacDonald, who was introduced to pickleball by his wife, said the pick-up session is a great way to meet new people and develop his social life. The 66-year-old said he has been playing for two years and noted that there has been a “tremendous increase” in the number of players throughout the years.

Here’s how the pick-up sessions work:

The Exeter courts are designated for pickleball players on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. and Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6 p.m. to dusk. When empty, the courts are a free-for-all. But when busy, players place their paddles on a rack as part of a queuing system.

The game is usually played in doubles, with a best-of-three scoring system. A team wins a round when they reach 11 points with a two-point lead. The losing team steps out while the winning team is split into opposite sides, and two new players join the game.

“Usually, people find their own level and try to get together with them,” said MacDonald. "A lot of older people play at first because of their mobility and it doesn’t get us around as much as tennis.”

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Bisson on pickleball-only courts: 'A demand is there'

Since the surge in popularity, the town has seen a divide between the pickleball and tennis communities in some cases, with debates about which sport should be able to use the courts and when. All eight courts at 4 Hampton Road are tennis courts, with two being designated as pickleball courts.

"There are (pickleball) lines on all eight courts," said Bisson. "We try to have at least 4 (pickleball) nets set up at all times, two of them are permanent, and the other two could be moved."

Still, the gray area on court designation has caused disputes between the tennis and pickleball players, which led to the "Great Tennis v. Pickleball War of 2022," as dubbed by one resident. The war even grabbed the attention of former professional tennis player Martina Navratilova, who won 18 Grand Slam singles titles.

"I say if pickleball is that popular let them build their own courts :),” Navratilova tweeted.

The back-and-forth volley finally reached a deuce when town officials purchased portable pickleball nets to satisfy both parties. Still, some of the pickleball players would like to see designated courts for their sport.

“(The current setup) is fine, but it’s nice when it’s exclusive (to pickleball) because you don’t have to mix up the lines,” said Martin Lawrence.

According to Bisson, conversations about building pickleball-only courts at the new recreation center at 10 Hampton Road have taken place, but no promises were made. He said demand for the sport has even resulted in pickleball courts being built by commercial entities such as the Hampstead Health and Fitness Club and Harpoon Brewery in Boston.

“The demand is there,” said Bisson. “But now I think we have to be cognizant of everyone using the courts.”

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Exeter NH pickleball boom: Players flock to Rec park courts