About us
Interested in pickleball? It's THE fastest growing sport in the USA. And for good reason! It’s barrels o’fun, very friendly, extremely diverse, inexpensive, and provides a reasonable amount of exercise without a lot of running.
This Meetup Group will be focused on getting fellow pickleball players together to play with others of comparable skill levels. We've got a team of organizers already doing that, but if you'd like to get in on the action, just notify us and we can help you create an event! Whether it be just a day/night on the courts, a tournament, coaching, or a league! This is a great way to meet other players!
If you'd like to find more places to play or learn about events that are offered in the area, go to the website of the Capital Area Pickleball Association (capareapb.com) and check out its "Courts" link to area rec departments. Or, to arrange games on your own, try [PlayTimeScheduler.com](https://playtimescheduler.com/); it's free! Or come to this page, click on the "Members" link, find people you met at one of our meetups, and send them private messages to set up a game.
Cancellations: Events announced here on Meetup may be cancelled due to adverse weather forecast, as described on forecast.weather.gov. Here are the factors we look at:
• Sky Cover: some sun preferred, but largely irrelevant
• Precipitation: actual = cancel (wet courts); chance of = maybe (depends on %)
• Temperature: <40° = cancel; 40°-60°, dress for it
• Wind: gusts over 20 MPH = cancel (wiffleballs, you know)
What is open play? Open play = pick-up games. It is a scheduled time where players of any skill level are invited to show up and play with others. That's when most Meetup events are scheduled (basically because we're cheap and don't want to pay to reserve the courts).
What's my rating? Everyone always wants to know, but for self-ratings it kind of depends on whom you ask. We've compiled answers from a lot of different internet sources here: tinyurl.com/386z2fpx. We use the descriptions from USAPA and the terminology listed below. For something less subjective, If you're registered with DUPR, that's your rating.
Fun Fact: In every hour of tennis, the ball is in play just 11-12 minutes! It may sound crazy, but this is an accurate statistic. How about pickleball? In every hour of pickleball, the ball is in play much longer... a total of 26-28 minutes!
At all times for all Meetups, players are expected to act with respect and sportsmanship!
WHAT TO EXPECT AT EACH SKILL LEVEL
Intro (1.0) • never played before (or very little) • 1 session • max 6 players • 1½ hours
• 60% info: terminology, rules, score-keeping, safety
• 40% play: dink drill, service practice, one game with running commentary
Learner (1.3) • been thru the Intro session • 1 session • max 12 players • 1½ hours
• 40% info: tips, tricks, techniques, tactics, teamwork, skinnies, safety, etiquette
• 60% play: diagonal-dink drill, service practice, several fast-paced games, some coaching
Newbie (1.6) • been thru Intro and Learner sessions • 1 session • max 12 players • 1½ hours
• 20% info: grips, types of stroke, positioning, player communication, court rotations, variants (different ways to play the game depending on how many players you’ve got)
• 80% play: service target practice, several games, some nagging
Beginner (2.0) • been thru all 3 intro courses • 6-10 sessions • 8-18 players • 2 hours
• 5% info: how this session will be organized; helpful hints and reminders
• 95% play: get in lots of quicky doubles games to develop muscle memory and reflexes. We’ll rotate people in frequently to maximize playing time, and so everyone will get to play with and against everyone else.
Developing (2.5) • done with Beginner • many sessions • 8-18 players • 2 hours
• 3% info: helpful hints and reminders
• 97% play: normal doubles games (play to 11, win by 2); start honing more sophisticated aspects of your game (lobs, spin, 3rd-shot drops, angles, and outguessing opponents)
Novice (3.0) • done with Developing • many sessions • 8-18 players • 2 hours
• 1% info: tip of the week
• 99% play: recognizing weaknesses (yours and opponents); fixing yours, exploiting theirs
Intermediate (3.5) • done with Novice • many sessions • 8-18 players • 2 hours
• 1% info: tip of the week
• 99% play: imposing your will on opponents
Upcoming events
1
Pickleball 101-Everything You Need to Know to Get Started
MSCR West, 7333 West Towne Way, Madison, WI, USTHIS IS NOT A MEETUP EVENT! PLEASE DON’T TRY TO SIGN UP THRU MEETUP!! Register through mscr.org
This summer, Madison School & Community Recreation (MSCR) will be running a series of adult pickleball classes on Wednesday afternoons from 2-4 pm between May 20 and August 5, 2026, at its MSCR West facility, located at 7333 West Towne Way, Madison, WI, 53719. These classes did not make it into the original MSCR course catalog, so I offered to help publicize them.
Each class requires a separate registration. You can take one or take them all! Each class will be taught by a professionally certified pickleball instructor. I have posted the introductory classes below. Paddles and balls will be provided.
To register, go to MSCR.org and then either enter the name of the class or the number you see below following the name/date of the class you are interested in. Classes are $15 for Madison residents and $23 for non-residents.
Pickleball 101: Everything You Need to Know to Start Playing! (Beginners) – 3 Different Alternative Dates to Choose From!
May 20 (53074)
June 24 (53705) or
July 22 (53076)Description: Let’s learn how to play pickleball! Learn everything you need to know to start playing—whether socially or competitively. We cover the basic rules, scoring, and court positioning, followed by a hands-on introduction to key skills and strategies used in gameplay. Participants also have the opportunity to play a game to practice what they’ve learned.
1 attendee
Past events
812
