If you’re looking to try a new sport, try tennis or pickleball, two sports that have become immensely popular here in the United States. As a matter of fact, tennis alone has more than 17 million participants (very nearly 18 million participants, for that matter) and is growing at a rate of 1%, a small amount but still impressive when you look at the number of those who play it. And pickleball holds its own in terms of popularity as well. As a matter of fact, the data that has been gathered on the subject is more than in support of this claim, showing that very nearly two and a half million people play pickleball in this one country alone. And while that’s a lower number than the total number of American tennis players, we must remember that the game of pickleball is still relatively new, having only been invented back in the year of 1965, only just over half of a century in our past.

Of course, there are many benefits to playing tennis and pickleball alike. For one thing, sportsmanship and knowing how to both win and lose with grace is an absolute must. If you decide to play doubles, you can also benefit from working on a team, especially if you have not had to do so for a considerable period of time. And, of course, there is a physical benefit to playing both of these sports as well, as anything that gets you up and moving will be incredibly good for your body – at least if you are living a largely sedentary life otherwise, something that holds true for far too many adults here in the United States. After all, a woman playing tennis – just for fun – for a mere half of an hour can burn more than 150 calories. And a man doing the same can actually burn more than 200. If you’ve been living a largely sedentary lifestyle up until this point, participating in sports like tennis and pickleball can provide one step to get you back on track and into a much more healthful lifestyle.

But in order to really enjoy these sports, they must be set up in the right way. For both pickleball and tennis, having regulation courts can make a big different in game play. For tennis games, this means a court that is 78 inches long. The width, however, will vary. For doubles matches, a court will need to be around 36 feet in total width. For courts that are designed for singles matches, however, the court will only need to be around 27 feet in total width. Pickleball courts, however, remain the same size for doubles and singles matches alike, measuring 20 feet by 44 feet in all circumstances.

Having the right pickleball and tennis equipment can also make a big difference. Tennis equipment and tennis accessories can make the game of tennis more enjoyable. Take, for instance, tennis ball carts. This form of tennis equipment can make it much easier to collect all the balls that have been used throughout a match. The typical tennis ball retriever prevents you from having to bend down to pick up every single ball, making it a piece of tennis equipment that is likely very good for your back. And other forms of tennis equipment, like a good tennis racket, cannot be underestimated in the slightest. Tennis equipment that is well made will last a long time, making it worth investing in high quality tennis equipment if you are a regular player. And good tennis equipment will even include a space for storing tennis racquets.

At the end of the day, playing tennis and pickleball can both be hugely enjoyable pursuits indeed. And though having the right pickleball and tennis equipment can make a big difference in how much you enjoy the overall game, there are many other facets to enjoying a game of tennis – or of pickleball, for that matter – as well. In the years that are ahead of us, both of these sports are likely to climb in terms of overall popularity not just here in the United States but in many other parts of this world as we know it.