It seems to be big down in Florida. Nothing up here in the NYC area.

It’s been growing in popularity here. I played racquetball for years. Much faster and harder. Haven’t played on a while because it got harder to find a place to play when the only gym with courts closed last year, and few women my age played anymore. I’ve thought about pickleball but haven’t had the time to go do it.

It's really popular in Arizona too.

I had never heard of it until 2 years ago when my township installed 2 courts. And this is in New Jersey, near Philadelphia. No too many around here are aware of the sport - unless they spend time in Florida or down the shore.

Becoming very popular here. It's a great exercise for all ages and can be played as strenuously as your personal fitness level allows. My knees are too wonky right now to participate but my husband wants to begin playing. I can tell you one thing....it's fun to watch.

A phenomenon that started around here maybe 5 years ago. It's very popular and getting ever more so in coastal California, from north to south, and maybe inland too. I wouldn't know. There's a small court game popular in beachy SoCal called paddle tennis, played with flat tennis balls, that's been around for ages, that's similar.

My wife is a longtime USTA competitive tennis player and she likes it because people tend to show up with less attitude and baggage than those at tennis matches. If you haven't played competitive tennis, that may not make sense to you but if you have, you'll know what I'm talking about. Unless you're one of those with an attitude problem yourself.

The paddles are solid (better ones from graphite composite) and the balls are wiffle balls. Around here, it's mostly played outdoors year-round.

I've never been much of a racket game fan. I've tried it a few times and it doesn't grab me. I'd describe it as like playing ping pong with a slower ball on a court you stand on that's larger than a table. Very popular. It's not aerobic exercise but it is good for movement and staying limber.

The elementary school I worked for 19 years had several pickle ball courts. They were there when I started in 1995 and had been there for quite some time before that, so the game has been around for a while. The kids loved it and had to line up and wait their turn to play during recesses.

There's even a pickleball association:

What is pickleball?

Elmer, I think you nailed it in terms of the attitude comment. Same with racquetball.

My good friend who has been going thru another round of chemo, is a long-time tennis player. She couldn’t play tennis on a regular basis, so took up pickleball because she could go join play without having to round up a partner for one thing, and it was less strenuous for her with some of the other seniors. But it is a game any age can play. I also know 30-somethings who play regularly and love it.

There are a few places around here in north jersey where you can play. I mentioned to my chiropractor that I wanted to try it and he said he sees a lot of injuries from the game. He says older people who are out of shape can twist the wrong way and get hurt.

One of my wife's older brothers has been playing for a few years in Florida, and he talks about it frequently. Because of that and because they have open court times at the gym my wife had joined earlier in the year, when two others of her siblings visited for Easter one of the activities the whole group did (a couple of times) was to go play Pickleball.

The regular players at the gym were friendly and welcoming and explained the rules and scorekeeping (which is somewhat tricky) and seemed happy for us to be there rather than disgruntled that a group of rank amateurs were clogging up the courts during "their" open court time.

Although I play volleyball competitively a couple of times a week, I was finding the stopping and starting on the hard (indoor) court was hard on my knees. Also after missing the first couple of serves I got "the yips" and just about couldn't get a serve in to save my life.

My friend plays it. She started about 5 years ago. Like tennis, it looks like a good coordination sport. :0) She ripped a knee running, had surgery and can still play!

I have played pickleball everyday that it isn't raining, for 7 years. We play year-round here in Georgia, and, I'm over 70 years old. We have a few gentlemen who are 80+, that play often. Great sport for all ages. We have tournament players, and those new to the sport, playing everyday. Only equipment needed is a paddle, and tennis court shoes. It's one of the fastest growing sports in the country.

I agree with the injuries, it seems like the group I have seen playing get hurt some badly fairly often. Maybe they forget they aren't 20 anymore.

Getting pretty popular here, too.

HA! You are right lonestar. We are still 30 in our heads, then our body brings us back to reality. Many of us never played any sport, until beginning pickleball. Falling can happen, but once you get the hang of it, it gets less of a problem. You have to be aware and careful, just like any sport. Our senior center has pickleball indoors also.

Physical movement and activity of any kind, whether vigorous or more sedate things like pickleball, can lead to injuries. That's why Sports Medicine is such a large and growing segment of medicine. There's no doubt though that the benefits of an active lifestyle far outweigh the risks.

Injuries are minimized and less frequent for those who prepare for their activity. Take fast walks, do daily stretching movements to increase flexibility and range of motion, do some weightlighting (using anything of weight around the house). And then before playing, limber up a bit and stretch. Then, have fun, that's the reason to do it.

Our Maui condo complex has converted one tennis court for pickleball -- initiated by our new board president, from NYC. I have started to see people looking for courts on the TripAdvisor Hawaii forums.

Elmer -- DH is snorting in agreement with your assessment of competitive tennis players. He was on his HS team. (Has had surgery for 'tennis toe', too.)

An older friend's daughter moved to an over-aged-50 place where they encourage community activities, pickle ball being one of them. She fell and fractured her clavicle badly. It took many, many months of recovery and a surgery for her to feel well again.