1980s Pickleball Footage Surprises Modern Players

The video shows a men's doubles match taking place in a forest. What's special is that the players are not holding rackets made of carbon fiber that create spin and provide strong support.

1980s Pickleball Footage Leaves Modern Players Stunned

Instead, it is just a racket made entirely of wood, with a smooth surface, but they still have professional ball handling skills and powerful shots no different from modern professional athletes.

The first pickleball rackets appeared in 1965 and were crudely made from plywood, the simplest material available to the game's inventors at the time.

These early versions of rackets were relatively heavy, lacked durability, and lacked control over ball direction or power in shots. However, they laid the foundation for a sport that would grow exponentially and always require innovation.

In 1984, as pickleball began to grow, the search for a specialized racket became more heated. Arlen Paranto, an industrial engineer at Boeing, created the first racket made of synthetic materials.

He used the knowledge he had gained from building aircraft to create a racket with a fiberglass surface and a graphite honeycomb core. This innovative racket provided significant gains in power, control, and hitting surface. Paranto’s invention was the beginning of the development of later rackets.

The first wooden pickleball rackets appeared in the world (Photo: Gambit).

Pickleball is a rapidly growing sport in recent times. It is estimated that there will be 48.3 million players across the United States by 2024 and there are 68,458 pickleball courts open to accommodate everyone.

The United States Pickleball Association (USAP) also approved 1,225 rackets and 81 ball brands by 2024, while registering 476 new manufacturers and brands.

These statistics show that pickleball is growing stronger and is likely to be the dominant sport of the future.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/doan-phim-ve-pickleball-thap-nien-1980-khien-dan-choi-hien-dai-bat-ngo-20250520144654154.htm