The ultimate keepsake for every pickleball fan—from a dink shot to the kitchen, everything a pickleballer needs to know in this fully illustrated guide to the world’s greatest recreational sport, packed with lots of joy, good humor, and even a little bit of wisdom.

Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in America. Easy to learn, but impossible to master, it’s no wonder that nearly 5 million people nationwide have picked up their paddles and taken to the court. But people aren’t just dabbling in this up-and-coming activity, they are obsessed; some hit the court as many as five, six, even seven times a week. As Vanity Fair put it, pickleball has “won over everyone, from Leonardo DiCaprio to your grandparents.”

Pickleball Is Life is the first book of its kind celebrating the weird and wonderful world of pickleball. It will take readers on a journey through the history of pickleball, from the sport’s quirky origins to its modern-day cult following. Along the way, visual info graphs and illustrations will share even more pickleball knowledge, covering pickleball rules and scoring, etiquette tips, a DIY court, obscure rules, and pointers for (good-natured) trash talk. Also included are interviews with members of the three founding families from Bainbridge Island who are still very much involved in the sport and its growth.

People of all ages, athletic abilities, and backgrounds have fallen in love with pickleball. Sure, it’s a good workout, but it’s also a cheerful way to interact with others—something folks crave now more than ever. So, whether they’re uninitiated or obsessed, this book is the perfect pickleball gift and will help readers find even more to love about the world’s greatest sport.

This book serves up everything you need to know about the pickleball life:

How to Play Pickleball: From your first dink shot to mastering the kitchen, get clear, illustrated instructions on serves, scoring, and the basics of the game.
Pickleball Strategy and Tips: Learn the do's and don'ts of court etiquette, the art of good-natured trash talk, and the secrets to playing smarter, not just harder.
Essential Pickleball Lingo: Talk the talk with a primer on the weird and wonderful vocabulary of the sport, from ‘Flabjack’ to ‘Nasty Nelson’ and the dreaded ‘Volley Llama’.
Exclusive Founder Interviews: Go back to Bainbridge Island, 1965, with exclusive interviews that reveal the true story of the sport's invention (and finally settle the debate about the dog named Pickles).