Combining elements of tennis, badminton and Ping-Pong, pickleball is the fastest growing sport in America. This fast-paced paddle sport has been around for 60 years but surged in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic and continues to attract people of all ages, fitness levels and abilities, including wheelchair users. 

Spearheading the growth of wheelchair pickleball in the U.S. is Chip Parmelly, 68, president and founder of the United States Wheelchair Pickleball Association. Parmelly, who sustained an incomplete T12-L1 spinal cord injury in 1982, is a former Paralympic medalist in wheelchair tennis. However, the physical strains and demands of wheelchair tennis on his body led him to retire from the sport. He hadn’t been on a court in 20 years until 2022, when on a whim he decided to check out pickleball. 

“I rolled up to the club and all these pickleball players who had never seen anyone play pickleball in a wheelchair asked if I play,” he says. “I told them I played other wheelchair sports, including tennis, but not pickleball, and I wanted to give it a try. They got me in, showed me the basics, and by the time I left two hours later, I was hooked. I went home and told my wife, ‘Oh my God, I found the dream sport.’” 

Parmelly was surprised that the sport had not yet gained traction among wheelchair users. To help grow awareness, he founded the USWPA in 2023. The nonprofit is headquartered in Cape Coral, Florida, where Parmelly lives, and the organization’s mission is to champion the growth of the sport through clinics, exhibitions and tournaments hosted throughout the country. Parmelly thinks pickleball is the perfect sport for wheelchair users because it is easier to learn and master than wheelchair tennis.

“It’s less physically demanding than wheelchair tennis, making the game more accessible to people of all fitness levels,” he says. “For one thing, it’s a quarter of the size of a tennis court, so you’re moving less. Plus, it’s a little short-punch stroke, you don’t need a big backswing, or have to crank the heck out of the ball to get it over the net … you only have to hit it 15-20 feet. Another advantage is you serve underhand. You don’t need to have great shoulders or be a prolific overhead server for pickleball.”  

Ann Manning, 65, of Clarkston, Michigan, recently discovered pickleball while on vacation in Arizona. She was an avid tennis player prior to her C7-T1 incomplete spinal cord injury in 1980 and continued post-injury, playing wheelchair tennis. She was forced to give up the sport when she developed ganglion cysts on her wrist that made gripping a tennis racquet painful. 

“It was really fun to play pickleball, and it turned out to be the highlight of my trip,” she says. “The pickleball paddle is lighter than a tennis racquet and the constant impact you have against the paddle is different, so there is less stress on your wrists, arm, elbow and shoulder.” The game took a little getting used to since she was a bit rusty after not playing wheelchair tennis for 10 years. “But it felt good to be on the court again,” she says. “I’m looking forward to playing again.” 

Jumping On The Bandwagon 

After hearing so much about pickleball and how fun it is to play, I decided to try it for myself. My local Paralyzed Veterans of America chapter in Michigan was hosting an introductory wheelchair pickleball clinic, so I signed up. The clinic started with a brief overview of the rules. Game play for wheelchair users follows the same basic rules of pickleball, with just a few modifications — the biggest being players using wheelchairs are allowed up to two bounces instead of one to return the ball.  

Next our instructor explained how scoring works, which quite honestly made my head spin. Scoring is a bit unique, so to simplify, only the serving team can score points and the first team to reach 11 points and win by two is the winner.  

Finally, it was time to hit the court and select our paddles. I was surprised that the paddles were so light. Most of them combine materials such as fiberglass or carbon fiber, with the lightest paddles typically weighing around 6 to 6.5 ounces. Since I have no grip, I used a gripping aid by Active Hands and wrapped tape around it for more stability. The instructor started by tossing balls to us to get us used to hitting with the paddle. At first, I was swinging at the ball with all my might, but after some practice I was surprised at how, with proper follow-through of your swing, the ball flew over the net with little effort.  

Once we got comfortable hitting, we tried playing a doubles match with two wheelchairs users on each side of the court. I had previously tried wheelchair tennis, but was never quite quick enough getting to the ball on such a large court. The pickleball court was much smaller — and though it was still challenging to get to the ball, I do believe with more practice, it will be doable. The next time I play, I am going to try using a tacky, football receiver’s glove on my free hand, so I have better wheel contact and propulsion to move around the court. 

As for other pickleball equipment, most wheelchair manufacturers have started selling sports chairs specifically designed for pickleball. Pickleball wheelchairs are marketed as being generally lighter and more maneuverable than tennis wheelchairs due to the smaller court size. They feature smaller wheels, lower seat heights and lower centers of gravity for stability and quick changes in direction on the pickleball court. However, as a newbie, I have a lightweight sports chair with cambered wheels I use to compete in wheelchair ballroom dancing, and that worked perfectly fine. I am definitely looking forward to playing again. 

How To Get Started 

Interested in learning to play wheelchair pickleball? The best place to start is reaching out to your local adapted sports organizations to see if they offer “learn to play” clinics or might be interested in starting one.  

The USWPA is another great resource. They host clinics and tournaments across the country. Last year they were invited to the National Veterans Wheelchair Games in Minnesota where over 100 wheelchair users showed up to play wheelchair pickleball. They also have a database of players across the country they can connect you with to learn how to play or find someone to play with in your area. For more information, visit USWPA.org.