Pickleball is taking the sports world by storm, becoming one of the fastest-growing sports in the world - alongside padel tennis. Bringing together tennis, badminton, and ping pong, pickleball is fun, social, and fast-paced.
The rules are simple and the game is easy for beginners to pick up, but still develop into a fast-paced, competitive game - making it the perfect addition to our range of activities at Messini Beach Club and Alana Beach Club plus our two new clubs Neilson x The Ravenala Attitude and Neilson x Mangia's Torre del Barone Resort.
Make the most of the pickleball courts with our inclusive intro to pickleball sessions, social pickleball, free play, and weekly pickleball tournament.
The lowdown
- Proud to sponsor the England Seniors Pickleball team at the English Open tournament
- Play at Messini, Alana and our two new clubs in Mauritius and Sicily
- Easy to play and pick up
- Combines elements of tennis, badminton and table tennis
- Coaching and equipment included
- For players of all ages and abilities
What is pickleball?
Pickleball was invented in the USA in 1965 by three friends to entertain their children and named after the family's dog, Pickles! Pickleball arrived in Europe in 2011 and has been gaining in popularity ever since.
Even though pickleball is like tennis, it is much more accessible. The court is best described as similar in size to a badminton court with a slightly modified tennis net. The games can be played in singles or doubles and players use solid paddles to hit a plastic ball with small holes over the net.
The ball is much slower than a tennis ball and the service is underarm, so you have a game that is easier to play than tennis and suitable for all ages. Come and give it a go!
How to play pickleball
In Pickleball, the ball is served underarm, and the player serving starts on the right side of the court. The serve is hit diagonally to the opponent's service court. The ball must bounce before it is returned, and the serving side must also let the ball bounce. After which, you can volley or let the ball bounce before hitting it. There is a non-volley zone near the net where players are not allowed to volley the ball.
Points can be scored by both the serving and receiving sides and the first team to reach 11 points with a two-point advantage wins the game.
Pickleball equipment
The paddle looks a little like a larger version of a table tennis paddle – it has a solid surface and no strings. Like tennis rackets, they come in different shapes, sizes, and weights.
The balls are plastic with holes and come in different colours, typically yellow or white.
The equipment is easy to use for all ages and abilities and is lightweight.
Are pickleball lessons included?
Pickleball is an inclusive activity at Messini Beach Club in Greece and Alana Beach Club in Croatia, Neilson x The Ravenala Attitude in Mauritius and Neilson x Mangia's Torre del Barone Resort in Sicily. We have 6 courts at Messini, 2 courts at Alana, 4 courts at Torre del Barone Resort and Ravenala Attitude, all with 'intro to pickleball' coaching sessions included on your holiday. They are a great introduction to the game.
If you want to continue playing, you can book a pickleball court for free play.
In addition to pickleball, we have a daily programme of tennis coaching for all abilities at Messini, Alana, Ravenala Attitude and Torre del Barone Resort plus social tennis, and extras such as super drills (available as a supplement).
Can children play pickleball?
At Messini Beach Club, we offer a 30-minute pickleball session each week for children aged 6 and above during school holidays. At Alana Beach Club, the 30-minute session is exclusively for our Waveriders (14-15 years) and TAG (16-17 years) groups.
Children over the age of 14 can join the adult sessions. Additionally, if you book a court for free play, the whole family, regardless of age, can join in for a fun game of pickleball.
There's also a fantastic range of inclusive kids' clubs for all ages, offering activities like paddle boarding, dinghy sailing, tennis, beach games and so much more.
