Two years of Playing Pickleball – where we are now
Now that we have been playing for over two years, I can honestly say that we live and breathe pickleball. We try to play a minimum of three days a week and definitely have established routines in our preparation when we are not playing. Our weekly schedule revolves around our pickleball schedule and our vacations do too.
As our play has developed so has our choice of paddles, clothing and where we like to play.
We are very fortunate to have two brand new facilities close to our home that feature cushioned flooring and professional designed courts and amenities. We have found the flooring at the new facilities has definitely made a difference in how our bodies feel after playing. The ball bounce consistency improves play as well.
The new outdoor facility has 14 courts and we enjoy playing in the mornings with who ever shows up to play using a paddle system where winners play winners and non-winners play non-winners. It runs smoothly and is quite busy.
There is an unofficial participation app that you can participate in. We usually go Sunday or Monday and Friday mornings during nice weather. Our local pickleball club also runs programs in the summer months. If the weather is bad we revert back to the curling club and enjoy playing there.
Early 2026 a brand new indoor facility with 12 courts opened not far from our home. During the colder months we play here two to three times a week, often with people we have played with previously. The amenities and courts are beautiful and we have noticed a marked improvement in recovery after playing on the professional surface.
One of my favourite aspects of pickleball is curating my pickleball outfits. In addition to the basic aspects of the outfits, I have a lot of fun putting together all the color coordinated accessories. Look for a new blog post on the accessories I have for my outfits. I am currently at 15 outfits with some mix and match options. Certain outfits are better suited for colder weather and some colors lend themselves more to summer play. My husband still goes with the standard athletic shorts and shirts.
Our choice in pickleball paddles has also become more refined. I had been eyeing a paddle for some time and finally took the leap.
After a lot of research I felt the new Franklin 45 degrees Aurelius ALW signature paddle in 16 mm was the paddle that would suit me best for a number of reasons. Unfortunately it took a while for the paddle to be available in Canada. Our new court facility that has an onsite retail store, was able to order it in for me special.
I have found a new level of play with the new paddle and both facilities we are currently playing at.
An evening pasttime for us is watching professional pickleball tournaments on youtube – particularly the MLP and PPA from the US. I follow a number of the women on instagram as well.
We have also incorporated pickleball in our winter vacations. We have already gone to Florida and Antigua, with a new destination in the works. Subscribe to this blog for more to come on past and future pickleball travel adventures.
To see where our journey began, why I started this blog, our journey along the way check and our life before pickleball check out these other posts.
Leave a Reply