News > 12/21/2021 > Why is Pickleball So Addictive?
Partner

Why is Pickleball So Addictive?

Why is Pickleball So Addictive?

By Jason Aspes, Co-Founder of The Kitchen

Pickleball is addicting, just ask anyone who plays the game. Whether it is the pace of the action, the excitement of the points, or the always evolving strategies of how to play the game, there is a reason the unofficial tagline of the sport is "Just one more game." So we thought we would take a look at what exactly makes it so addicting.

One of the most common marketing practices these days is when you are asked to complete a task in order to receive a free gift. This is a common tactic called gamification. Gamification is used by just about every consumer-facing industry you can think of including marketers, healthcare, and even governments, because it actually works. MIT’s Behavioral Research Lab has turned gamification into a science. Video games and social media are built with gamification tactics at their core to hold our attention and  keep us wanting more. This addiction is created by design, incentivizing us to unlock the next level, earn the next badge, improve our standing amongst our peers, and to compete for recognition. 

The architects of these platforms tap into science to understand how our brains work. These gamification tactics cause dopamine, also known as the "feel-good neurotransmitter," to be released. The more dopamine released, the more we want to experience it again. 

Pickleball also has all these elements of gamification incorporated into the sport, leaving us with no choice but to crave more of it. It’s no different than the video games, except instead of manipulating us to look at our phones and play their games, we are making new friends, in real life, and getting outside to exercise. 

We are pickleball players, not psychologists, but we thought we would take a satirical look at pickleball through the lens of behavioral science, here are six factors that gamification is built on to keep players wanting more:

  1. Goal Setting - When you first step out onto the pickleball court, you might just want to be able to play with your friends, but after a few sessions, your goal might be to improve your game, and you will eventually have an annual budget allotted to pickleball tournaments fees and travel expenses.
  2. Challenges - You can alway work on a skill, take a lesson, or develop new strategies to overcome the challenges you face. At some point you will find yourself seeking bigger challenges and scouring PlayTime Scheduler for more competitive games within a 50 mile radius.
  3. Feedback - Rankings are one way to understand where you stand amongst your peers, but but you're not really a pickleball player until you take unsolicited advice from a playing partner you have never met before.
  4. Reward - Tournaments are abundant in pickleball. Everyone wants to play and compete. Professionals might play for money, but the amateurs are playing for podiums, medals, and most importantly, pride. The podiums and medals don’t really matter, but your pride does. And upon losing your first tournament, you set pride aside and enter the next tournament at a full ranking point lower than the last one just so you can stand on the podium and receive your medal. You will be filled with pride!
  5. Social Aspects - Due to the smaller court size and prevalence of doubles, pickleball is an incredibly social activity. You will begin to tell everyone you know about the game, post about it on social forums, and exchange phone numbers with random people with the hopes it leads to more time on the pickleball court.
  6. Excitement - Given the pace of the game and the close proximity of the players, you must always be ready for the ball to come your way. And since you never know what type of shot is going to be hit, it is always exciting… even when your partner tries a baseline lob on the third shot ;)

So, if you are anything like the rest of us pickleball addicts, do not feel ashamed at your lack of self control, it’s not you, it’s science. As you now know, pickleball is scientifically proven to be addictive.