One of the “threats” to the growth of pickleball is the limited availability of pickleball courts. According to the USA Pickleball Association, there were approximately 30,238 pickleball courts across the country at the beginning of 2020. While this number is growing everyday, it seems as if the number of pickleball players (which is greater than 3.3 million across the country) is growing at a faster rate than the number of pickleball courts.
One college student, Abby Peichel, has taken on the challenge to help solve this problem by proposing an easy way to quickly create a pickleball court on any tennis court or in any other open space, like a backyard, using a portable net. She calls it “Pickleball On the Go.” Pickleball On the Go – https://www.pickleballonthego.com/ – is a reusable line system that is quick to install. It is essentially six pre-measured industrial-grade strings that are organized on three sturdy, labeled blocks. As a player, you take these strings and lay them on the ground around a tennis net on a tennis court or on a flat surface with a temporary net. The strings are labeled so that you know whether the strings are for the baseline, sideline, or Kitchen Line. The strings are also labeled so that you know where they should intersect. And, voila! You have a pickleball court!
I tried the Pickleball On the Go system myself and I was impressed at how simple it was to create a pickleball court using a tennis court. Between me and one other person, we created the pickleball court in less than four minutes, which is much faster that taping or chalking a court. The Pickleball On the Go system also features complete strings, so there is no break in the court lines, unlike other temporary court systems. I think adding a few small pieces of tape to the cross-sections of the strings is a good idea for added durability – in other words, if you inadvertently kick the string, it will stay in place better.
As an avid player, I have to admit that I prefer the clean precision of a proper, dedicated pickleball court with painted lines and a permanent net. However, when traveling, looking for backyard or front yard fun, or otherwise in a pinch due the lack of available courts, the Pickleball On the Go system is a great, easy option and comes in a small pouch, which is great to take with you on-the-go (pun intended). Pickleball On the Go is certainly something that brings the fun of pickleball to life when a permanent pickleball court is not an option.
For more information about Pickleball On the Go (including a video tutorial that shows you how user friendly, portable, and easy-to-use this system is), visit https://www.pickleballonthego.com/.
