THE pickleball guide: Rules, basics, trick shots and more
Who is Matt Manasse?
Everyone found new hobbies during the COVID-19 pandemic, whether it be working out, baking or arts and crafts. For Manasse, it was pickleball.
Manasse got into the sport, moved away from his Pennsylvania home to Los Angeles, and dove head first into all pickleball has to offer.
“It’s fun to play. It’s a sport. It’s athletic,” Manasse said. “I feel like I can get all my competitive juices flowing. It’s strategic. I’ve made a lot of friends playing this sport. It’s the best community–based sport. You’re close to each other on the courts. There’s a lot of talking and banter that we can do. It’s just a fun sport and anyone can play any age, any gender.”
Before long, he was dubbed the “pickleball coach to the stars.”
Manasse has worked with names such as Emma Watson, Jamie Foxx, Matthew Perry and even former president George W. Bush.
Emmy award winner, Super Bowl champ, MLS player…in a firefight, none of it matters. Fastest hands wins. 🖐🏼 @mrdougellin @ShowtimeTate @Matt_Manasse #pickleball pic.twitter.com/mQXAOnY3Y2
— The Kitchen Pickleball 👨🏻🍳 (@TheKitchenPB) December 15, 2022
The game continues to grow and grow, yet there still remains the unfamiliarity between the differences of pickleball and tennis.
The most obvious one is that in pickleball you use a paddle that looks more comparable to what you would use in ping pong rather than the stringed racket used in tennis. The ball that is used is also a wiffle ball rather than a tennis ball.
These differences change aspects of the game from how the ball is going to react to how the game is viewed in the pros.
“Doubles is the game that’s mostly played at a higher level,” Manasse said. “Obviously singles as well is on the pro tour but doubles is the main game whereas I think the tennis tour most people care about singles.”
@bvmsports We’ve got THE #pickleball guide for any and all types of players. Part 2: Get to know coach @Matt Manasse and the differences between pickleball and tennis. #pickleballtiktok #pickleballislife #pickleballaddiction pickleballrocks@BVM Sports
There are many other small contrasts between the two games that make pickleball stand out even more, such as rules and scoring.
