Photos: Pickleball is the new, ‘it’ sport around Tampa Bay

“Pickleball makes people happy!”

That’s the conclusion that Tampa Bay Times photographer Dirk Shadd came to when he hit the courts.

Shadd set out to find out what it is about this popular new sport that’s got people of all ages filling up the courts at local parks.

It’s a simple game, played in singles or doubles, with a perforated plastic ball and a paddle on opposite sides of a net. The International Federation of Pickleball details the official rules on its website, so you can learn the basics before squeezing into a court for a game.

Pickleball action was easy to capture for Shadd, the Times’ official hockey photographer, accustomed to following a whizzing puck around the hockey rink during a Tampa Bay Lightning game. The ball is large and moves across the net slower and more predictably.

Shadd set up unique compositions, offering alternate points of view, attempting to unveil the game’s appeal in visuals. In the end, though, the answer is that pickleball “is fun.”