Experts talk pickleball, padel, tennis as racket sports surge in Austin

One defining feature of pickleball is the “kitchen,” or the area closest to the net where players cannot hit the ball.

“When people have some [racket] sport background, that's a big advantage that lets you come out on a pickleball court and pick it up really easily, because there's some similarities, but there's always a few differences too,” Verna said.

Pickleball, padel and tennis each have their own style of play and strategies, according to information from The Picklr, USA Pickleball, International Padel Federation and International Tennis Federation.

• Pickleball: uses a plastic ball and solid paddle; games are usually played in doubles
• Padel: uses a depressurized felt ball and solid racket; games are usually played in doubles
• Tennis: uses a felt ball and string racket; games are usually played in either singles or doubles

Community is a major reason for the surge in Austin’s racket sports scene, especially pickleball, Hoisington said.

“It’s a third place for people,” Hoisington said. “We have people commonly come into our club that have just moved here, they don't know anybody, [and] it's instant community. There's no age restriction, so you're playing with all different ages and different skill levels.”

Verna also said one of the allures of pickleball is that it has a “very low barrier to entry,” unlike some other racket sports.

“You could have no racket sport background and step out on the court, and within 10 minutes, you're playing a game,” Verna said. “It can get very competitive—people put in a lot of work and training as the game progresses to get better and better, but it's very easy for people of all levels.”